Malawian Girl Becomes 9,000th Child Treated by Israeli Heart Charity

An Israeli humanitarian organization, Save a Child's Heart, announced that a nine-year-old girl from Malawi, Miracle Nkanda, has successfully undergone heart surgery in Israel, marking her as the 9,000th child to receive treatment from the organization. The complex surgery was performed by Dr. Lior Sasson, the organization's chief surgeon, and his medical team at the Sylvan Adams Children's Hospital at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.

Miracle, who suffers from Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect, experienced severe fatigue, shortness of breath, and cyanosis during everyday activities. Her condition had caused her to miss significant school time, forcing her to repeat two academic years. She traveled to Israel with a Malawian nurse named Faith, while her parents remained in their home country.

During her recovery, Miracle enjoyed activities at the organization's children's home, describing it as a period filled with games, singing, and dancing. She expressed missing her family but also finding new friends in Israel. She celebrated the milestone with a cake bearing the number '9000'.

Save a Child's Heart has treated children from 75 countries, including those treated abroad through private funding, medical missions, or trained local teams. The organization's partnership with Malawi began in 2019, and since then, 22 Malawian children have received treatment in Israel, with 20 of them treated this year. The charity also aims to expand pediatric cardiac care capacity within Malawi, potentially establishing a dedicated center there in collaboration with local medical professionals.

Inspired by her care, Miracle expressed a desire to become a nurse.