She is a 7-year-old girl, from a city called Pilar, a city that is more than 200 km from the Capital Asunción. This is her story.
During a routine check-up for school, her pediatrician heard a heart murmur. This worried the mother, who started the process for a better diagnosis. The city does not have a cardiology service, so they had to wait for a pediatric cardiologist to pass through the city. Thanks to an echocardiogram, the diagnosis of atrial septal defect was made and the search for a place to do the follow-up began. That’s how she got an appointment at the Pediatric Hospital Niños de Acosta Ñu. At the hospital they explained that the atrial septal defect must be closed so that it does not affect her lungs and her growth. The mother says that it is very hard to hear that a child must undergo open heart surgery. Despite the worry and the distance, they always went to their check-ups, traveling more than 200 km. In recent months, Mia reported a lot of fatigue, difficulty doing physical exercises, such as playing or running, even walking a long distance, so she found distraction in drawing, one of her favorite activities, while waiting for the surgery.
Her surgery was scheduled for July 4th. Without serious complications, she is currently in good general condition, with a lot of desire to go home. During her hospitalization she had the opportunity to make video calls with her friends from school who showed their support and sent good wishes. She says that she misses her little brother and her schoolmates very much. She hopes that at some point she will be able to run and play normally like other children. She loves the idea of being able to play soccer.
