Without surgery, Deffa’s life is threatened

Deffa is at the end of her rope. Born in Lomé, Togo, with a heart condition, her daily life is frustrated, her future uncertain. She is only 4 years old, and only open-heart surgery can save her. With your help, La Chaîne de l'Espoir would like to offer her this operation.

Deffa has a new future ahead of her, thanks to you!

Mariela, open-heart surgery in Madagascar

Deffa, a 4-year-old Togolese girl, wanted only one thing: to have her sick little heart repaired so that she could play with her friends. The little girl had been suffering from Tetralogy of Fallot since birth, and her life was in danger.

Fortunately, your support enabled us to offer him open-heart surgery here in France, at the Hôpital Necker-Enfants malades in Paris.

Deffa is now full of vitality, thanks to you! Back with her family, she can once again cuddle her parents as she used to and enjoy herself with boundless energy.

Deffa suffers from a serious heart defect

Deffa is a 4-year-old Togolese girl. She was born with a heart defect known as “Tetralogy of Fallot”. In 1888, Étienne-Louis Fallot first described this congenital heart defect, now commonly known as “blue disease”. Rapidly detected and operated on in France, such a pathology is not, however, easily diagnosed in the underprivileged countries where La Chaîne de l’Espoir operates. Unfortunately, for the victims of this malformation, the chances of reaching adulthood without surgery are very slim. .. And with good reason: this “blue disease”, so named because of the bluish tint around the lips and fingertips of sufferers, groups together no less than 4 heart anomalies.

Every day, Deffa’s life is in danger

Deffa suffers from an enlarged right ventricle, displaced aorta, narrowed pulmonary artery and abnormal communication between the right and left ventricles. This means that Deffa’s blood cannot follow its natural route. Oxygen-rich blood from the left ventricle mixes in the heart with oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle. Pulmonary blood flow is reduced. As a result, his lungs don’t work properly, and his blood isn’t sufficiently oxygenated. For Deffa, these abnormalities are the cause of constant breathing difficulties and an exhaustion that continues to grow and make her suffer… Although she’s very sociable, Deffa’s chances of having a normal life and making new friends are dwindling by the day. Worse still, Deffa’s life is under threat.

Only open-heart surgery can save Deffa

His last hope? Open-heart surgery. But in Togo, where she lives with her parents, this is impossible due to the lack of suitable facilities for this type of operation. Fortunately, in France, a medical team is ready to operate on her at the Hôpital Necker-Enfants malades , and a family has already agreed to take her in during her stay. To treat Deffa quickly, we still need to raise the sum of €7,000, the cost of carrying out this vital operation!