THOUSANDS of dinars have been raised within 24 hours of an appeal for a baby facing life-saving surgery.
Jazz, a 19-month-old Filipino boy, was born with twin heart defects and is currently in Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC), awaiting surgery at Awali Hospital.
He has Dextrocardia with Situs Inversus, a rare heart condition characterised by the abnormal positioning of the heart. In this condition, the tip of the heart (apex) is positioned on the right side of the chest.
He also has Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), a birth defect that interferes with the normal flow of blood through the heart.
Jazz’s condition deteriorated last week, and doctors advised emergency surgery, which will cost around BD5,000.
His father, Joeart Saculo, aged 32, works in a garage while mother, Lenyl Espinocilla, aged 33, had to quit her job at a salon to look after Jazz.
On Sunday, the couple issued a heartfelt appeal for funds and had received BD3,500 by yesterday.
A Bahraini woman pledged to pay the rest.
“I was heartbroken when the doctors said Jazz needed emergency surgery, we knew we couldn’t afford it,” Ms Espinocilla told the GDN yesterday.
“With a heavy heart, we appealed on social media, and the response was overwhelming; we received BD3,000 within a day.
“We received a call this morning from a Bahraini woman who said she would give the remaining amount but did not want to be identified.
“We thank all the generous souls; Jazz will soon undergo surgery in Awali Hospital, God willing.”
An emotional Ms Espinocilla said she was overjoyed that thousands of people were praying for Jazz.
“I believe in miracles. Many people have said they would pray for my son. I know there are many who wanted to help us financially but were unable to, and their prayers are valuable,” she said.
“It is because of those prayers that we received the funds for the surgery so quickly. Those prayers also prompted a Bahraini woman to promise to pay us the remaining funds as well.
“We will need money even after the surgery and for daily medications. We will work as hard as we can to support our baby, and we have faith in God.”
Jazz’s underdeveloped heart condition was diagnosed by doctors in Bahrain while he was still in his mother’s womb, but his parents were optimistic that he would heal as he grew.
“During my pregnancy, doctors at SMC discovered that Jazz’s heart was not properly formed and that he had a hole in his heart,” Ms Espinocilla explained.
“Despite the fact that Jazz was born with a rare medical condition, he was a very bright child, and we thought that we would finally see him grow normally like other children.
“We were hoping that his heart would heal as he grew, and we were also preparing to treat his other condition, reversed positioning of his heart and visceral organs, once he had grown a little more.
“However, after about 16 months, the 10 millimetre hole in his heart did not heal on its own, and he had fever, cough, and cold.
“He frequently became breathless and turned blue on his lips and nails when exerting effort, such as crying, and required a nebuliser oxygen supply to breathe normally.
“We took him to SMC last week after the latest such incident, and that is when we were informed of his severe TOF condition and the need for immediate surgery.”
The couple also has an older son, 11-year-old Nathan, who lives with his grandparents back in the Philippines.
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