At just nine years old, Paul Thomas Barnes He has faced more surgeries than many adults. Diagnosed with congenital heart disease, his mother decided the best option was to stay in Neiva, where Clínica Medilaser’s pediatric cardiology program has changed his life and the lives of more than 220 children in southern Colombia .
Neiva, Huila. Paul, since he was born prematurely (seven months), has battled congenital heart disease which was diagnosed at the age of four. However, their story is not just a story of illness, but the story of a family and a medical team committed to saving lives in southern Colombia, thanks to the pediatric cardiology program at Clínica Medilaser SAS.
Despite his delicate condition at birth, nothing made Marcela Hermida think that her son would have such a complex heart condition. When Paul turned four years old he received the news: Two complaints and a membrane that affected the proper functioning of his valves that required immediate intervention.
From that moment, Marcela’s life changed. “They told us that the best thing to do was to seek treatment in a city, that there were not many options here in Neiva. But something told me that we should stay close to home, to our home in Suaza, Huila. ”
Esperanza
That intuition led her to Clínica Medilaser, where she learned about the pediatric cardiology program, a unique service that, six years later, has been a hope for more than 220 boys and girls in the area.
Dr. Lucía Casanova, a pediatric cardiologist at the clinic, was the man who led the team that received Paul. “Congenital heart disease is any change in the development of the heart that occurs during pregnancy. In Paul’s case, his heart valves did not form properly. “There were blockages in both the aortic, mitral and pulmonary arteries from birth.”
Paul’s first intervention was done shortly after the diagnosis, and although it was successful, the doctor warns that surgeries are often repeated in many cases like Paul’s. “The problem is that congenital heart disease is associated with abnormal tissue formation. Although we fixed the blockages and fixed the valves, Paul will likely need follow-up work, checks and procedures.
In one of the most recent surgeries, the team applied ECMO therapy, an advanced technology that supported the little hero’s recovery.
Innovation
The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the Medilaser Clinic has become a reference for the treatment of congenital heart diseases in the southern part of the country. “Paul is an excellent patient. We have known him for four years, and he is a strong and smart child. “His family has been the cornerstone of his recovery,” said Dr. Casanova proudly.
The pediatric cardiology program has not only saved Paul’s life, but the lives of many other children from Huila and nearby regions. More than 60 professionals, including doctors, nurses, assistants and therapists, take care of patients’ well-being. “The diagnosis of congenital heart disease generates a lot of uncertainty in families, but here we have the technology and equipment necessary to provide them with answers and comprehensive care,” says Casanova.
Figures
The figures are shocking: in the world, 1 in every 33 newborns will have congenital heart disease, and many of them will need surgical interventions. In regions like Huila, where access to specialized services is limited, programs like Clínica Medilaser represent the difference between life and death.
