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The Children With Broken Hearts

This Valentine’s Day, learn about the children waiting to receive the heart surgeries and treatment that they desperately need. 

Two-year-old Nuan has a broken heart. Not metaphorically, in the way we usually talk about broken hearts — she has a loving family and all of the nurturing care, snuggles and love she could ask for. Her heart is broken literally. She has congenital heart disease.

Already, Nuan’s short life has been so difficult.

Her first heart surgery was to receive an artificial blood vessel. The procedure was deemed a success, but afterwards she was so weak and sick. She was hospitalized for pneumonia seven times within three months.

Her family traveled to Beijing for a second operation last July, this time to replace the artificial part of her heart since she had grown bigger. The surgery went well, but it still isn’t the end of the road for her.

Now, little Nuan needs another examination to determine whether or not she needs another surgery. But the examination alone is expensive — several months’ worth of wage for her family. And if the doctors decide she needs another surgery, her family won’t be able to afford it.

Nuan’s family lives in poverty, and they are  already deep in medical debt. Her father is a farmer and does odd jobs to earn an income for their family, about  $7,000 a year. But the debt from Nuan’s first two heart surgeries is $9,280 — more than an entire year’s earnings. And that’s without considering the costs of the additional evaluation and possible third surgery.

If the doctors say Nuan needs another surgery, she won’t be able to get it.  Nuan desperately needs to complete her treatment. But without help, it’s impossible. Her parents are devastated.

Nuan with her parents and older sister.

Could you imagine not being able to provide your child with the lifesaving medical care they needed?

This is the reality for so many children and parents around the world.  

That’s why every year, we do a special Valentine’s Day campaign to help children like Nuan — children in orphanages or living in poverty who need lifesaving heart surgeries.

Heal a Heart for Valentine’s Day

Last year, Holt donors were so generous, raising enough money to help 7 children receive the heart surgeries they needed. And this year, we hope that together we can help even more.

The following children, all like Nuan, live in poverty with their families in China. All of them have heart conditions, and none of them are currently able to get the treatment they need. Their life-threatening heart conditions require lifesaving generosity — your lifesaving generosity.

Whatever you give to help heal a child’s heart this Valentine’s Day will give Nuan and children like her the heart surgeries they need. While you’ve already met Nuan, here are some of the other children your gifts will help this Valentine’s Day:

Li | 9 years old

After Li’s parents divorced when he was just 1 year old, they disappeared and Li has never seen them again. He has congenital heart disease and lives with his aunt. She does all she can to care for him, but lives in poverty and can’t afford the cost of his heart surgery.

Han | 15 years old

Fifteen-year-old Han is in high school and at the top of her class. Last July, she had a heart attack. She was in the hospital for 11 days. Her doctor recommended that she see a specialist, but her family couldn’t afford it. They had to opt for maintenance medication instead. Her doctor suggested they increase the dosage of the medication, but they couldn’t afford that either. Han desperately needs heart medication and further treatment for her congenital heart disease.

Wen | 12 years old

Wen’s father passed away and Wen lives with his mother and grandparents. His grandparents are farmers and his mother works near town, but together they earn very little. Four years ago, Wen was supposed to receive surgery for his congenital heart disease, but suddenly his grandfather had a medical emergency. They had to use their entire savings for the grandfather’s medical care, and there was nothing left for Wen’s surgery. Their family is still in debt and don’t know if they’ll ever be able to provide Wen with the lifesaving procedure he needs.

Heal a Child’s Heart

This Valentine’s Day, you can give a child the lifesaving heart surgery they’ve been waiting for.

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