Published April 2, 2019

When Ezequiel was born at a small hospital in Brazil, no one realized that he was not in perfect health. His skin turned blue a few days after he was born, and he was suddenly very sick. He was sent to our partner hospital in Fortaleza, where he was diagnosed with a heart defect. Ezequiel had heart surgery at 6 months old and had to wait for his procedure at the hospital because he was not able to breathe and eat without assistance. He was discharged at 10 months old, and with a healthy heart, he started gaining weight dramatically. Now he is a 2-year-old with chubby cheeks, and he walks, speaks and plays like other kids his age. Ezequiel’s mother shared his story with us because she wants to help us with our efforts to reach more children like Ezequiel!

Read more about our work on Brazil.