Miterlande

 

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Miterlande

Miterlande is 14 years old. She lives in the central plateau of Haiti in the Artibonite about two hours north of Port-au-Prince. It is a fertile valley with rich black dirt and adequate rainfall. Rice, sugar cane, and tropical fruits are abundant.

Miterlande was brought to Haitian Hearts by her concerned older sister. Like too many other young Haitians she has valvular heart disease due to rheumatic fever. She cannot walk far due to her heart failure.  

I have her on multiple medications to decrease the stress on her heart. However, Miterlande needs her mitral valve repaired or replaced. 

She needs heart surgery very soon in the United States or her days in the beautiful Artibonite Valley are numbered.

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My comments in 2021--

1. We brought Miterlande to the States in 2007 for heart surgery. She did great and is now 29 years old and the mother of a two-year-old boy.