Mother of two, Litiana Marama could not hold back her tears after witnessing her daughter receive a gift of life from Sai Sanjeevani Children's Heart Hospital.
Marama says her 2-year-old daughter, Raijieli Ledua Faith Tiko, was diagnosed with congenital heart disease two months ago and it was hard for them to hear the news.
She says they did not tell any of their family members what they were going through because they were afraid of being discriminated against or the negative comments.
She adds they went to the Nausori Health Centre to have her daughter's check-up.
Marama says they were told to get her daughter further reviewed at the CWM Hospital, where the doctors directed them to the Children's Heart hospital in Muanikau.
She says she was filled with joy when her daughter was called in for surgery on Tuesday because she had never lost faith.
She acknowledges the support and assistance from the staff of the Sai Sanjeevani Children's Heart Hospital.
Nurse Coordinator at the Children's Heart Hospital, Helen Bailey says a world-renowned team of heart surgeons and specialists from the National University Hospital in Singapore have started conducting free open-heart surgeries at the children's hospital. She says the team is aiming to complete 24 heart surgeries before leaving at the end of the month.
The Sai Sanjeevani Children's Heart Hospital has already given a gift of life to 60 children through life-saving heart surgeries and has performed over 2,200 free echocardiograms for children of Fiji.
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