Editorial comment – A new life

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Serupepeli Tuitoga (left) and daughter Adi Emma Tuitoga at the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Heart Hospital in Suva yesterday. Picture: SUPPLIED

The report on Page 6 today about Adi Emma Tuitoga is special. She underwent screening last year for congenital heart disease at the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Heart Hospital.

That’s when the 13-year-old was told she had a heart condition that had existed from birth and doctors informed her father it was life-threatening.

Overwhelmed by the news, Serupepeli Tuitoga said he had been unaware of the nature of the disease as he had no prior knowledge of it.

He expressed gratitude to the Sai Prema Foundation which arranged transportation to the hospital from their village in Namuamua, Namosi last year. Emma was gifted a new life after undergoing a three-hour surgery earlier this week. Her dad was confident she would recover and be healthy again.

“I had no fear but my wife, she was scared and I tried to tell her that it would be all OK,” he said.

“If that trip wasn’t taken last year, I cannot imagine what would have happened to my daughter.”

He praised the service the hospital had provided. Emma was the second recovery from a heart operation conducted by a world-renowned Singapore team of heart surgeons and specialists.

Now as her family look ahead with confidence, there is optimism of a bright future for her.

They are pleased with the results of the operation, and are happy with how things have turned out so far. It is also encouraging to know that we have such a facility and resources right here in Fiji.

This is a special moment in time and must serve as reassurance for families who have loved ones suffering such illnesses.

It is a positive reflection of the calibre of medical service and experience that can be available right here in our country.

Back in August we wrote about what Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimaram said when he opened the new hospital.

He revealed that as many as 200 children in Fiji were born with congenital heart disease. The devastating reality, he noted then, was that most of these children would not reach adulthood.

Without access to surgical intervention, most were doomed to live very short lives of suffering. So there will be some joy that we have such a hospital, however, there will also be mixed emotions over the number of children suffering from heart disease.

We should be asking ourselves some questions. How do we manage this on the homefront?

How do we turn this around? It is important that we understand and appreciate that we have children suffering congenital heart disease.

The World Health Organization lists cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) as the leading cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year.

We are very thankful for the work of the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Heart Hospital. As adults we are also reminded about the need for us all to take care of our heart.

Acknowledgement is due to all those who have made this hospital possible. We note the number of children who have undergone surgery, and acknowledge the effort put in to assist those in need.

Today, Adi Emma Tuitoga’s family are living in hope, and stand out as a positive reflection of the advanced stage of medical assistance available for our children.

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