Ilisapeci Kuruvakasiga could not contain her joy when her four-year-old son, Ratu Joji Tupoula’hi Taufa Cocker, was discharged from the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Heart Hospital on Tuesday.
Ratu Joji was the first of 15 children to be discharged after a successful heart operation conducted by specialist surgeons from Hearts4Kids New Zealand.
The 29-year-old mother could not believe her son was given a “second chance” at life.
Ms Kuruvakasiga said the doctors, during a medical check at the Mission at Natuvu Creek in Savusavu last year, told her that Ratu Joji had a heart murmur
. “I was really shocked when they told me that there was something wrong with his heart — I could not believe it,” Ms Kuruvakasiga said.
“We went to Savusavu Hospital (in Vanua Levu)and later transferred to the Labasa Hospital where he underwent an echocardiogram.
“The doctors told us it was better to do surgery so they referred us to the Sai Prema Foundation.”
Ms Kuruvakasiga and Ratu Joji travelled from Savusavu to Suva for his interview at the hospital where he was confirmed for the operation.
“I was very happy to hear back from the hospital that my son would be in one of the first groups of children to undergo the free heart surgery.
“He was admitted on February 24 and went into surgery the next day. “I was very scared when he went into the operating theatre. I was crying because I thought I would lose him.
“The doctors told me when my son came out of the ICU, he was standing and smiling — I was relieved and I thank God for his protection over my son.”
She thanked the Kids4Heart team from New Zealand and the staff of Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Heart Hospital for conducting free heart surgery for children. She urged parents to get their children’s health checked and take advantage of the heart screening on offer.
