Naïma of Togo is so cute!

Actu
Flash

Convoyage de Naïma de Lomé à Paris, le 15 Novembre 2011.

Escorting a sick child is always a new experience but this one is a little special: Naïma is a 10 months old baby suffering from congenital heart disease with ventricular septal defect. So, when her young Mum discovered it, she was truly on a mission to find a cure for her daughter, ready to move “heaven and earth” and she simply did! ...The family travelled 400km to reach the airport of Lome, where the representative of NGO “Terre des Hommes” introduced them to our caring AVIATION SANS FRONTIERES escort volunteer: Remy

But before we continue the story, let me tell you the importance of the role of our escort volunteer:

“A family is coming to the airport with their child, who is suffering from heart disease. Most of them are coming from a very poor background and they cannot afford to accompany their child for this difficult journey. The child cannot be cured in their own country and is referred to Europe for emergency heart treatment. Parents are scared, as when they kiss goodbye, in the back of their mind, they don’t know if they will ever see their child again. Our escort volunteers must appreciate that their hopes and wishes are placed with them. Families need their warmth, even if some of them don’t want to show their feelings. The first contact is therefore so important, paramount and vital for the welfare of the child. Our escort volunteers know that very well, they are warm, friendly, speak slowly, stay calm, listen, show confidence, and know what they are doing. They know how important it is for the family to feel that they will take care of their child. If they trust, they will be able to communicate that trust to their own child and be able to let him/her go. The child will sense this trust and so make it easier to follow”.

Remy knew that perfectly well, especially after having escorted 20 children... He took the time to create the vital link with the family and went with happy Naïma to the departure level when a 3 hours delay was announced. So, he acted quickly, explained the situation to immigration and was granted to clear customs in order for the little one to be reunited with her Mum for an extra breastfeeding (how thoughtful of him!) but also to know more about the family who were delighted to spend this extra-time before take-off. It is where he found out that Naïma’ father had recently found a job as a teacher and so much more...

Famille Naïma à l'aéroport de Lomé

They finally boarded the flight. Naïma was the most adorable little girl throughout the trip; she literally conquered the AF crew. She discovered the taste of milk bottle and after making faces, she drunk half of it. She cried during landing (probably an earache), but was quickly calmed.

At CDG airport, Remy met Kathleen (another ASF escort volunteer) who took over Naïma to her final destination in Geneva where a cure is waiting for her, as well as a host family for the next two months.

We wish little Naïma a fast recovery in Switzerland and for her parents in Lome the strength to face the wait until another ASF escort volunteer bring their daughter back to them fully cured.

(Source: medicinenet.com) Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) is a heart malformation present at birth. Any condition that is present at birth can also be termed a "congenital" condition. A VSD, therefore, is a type of congenital heart disease (CHD). The heart with a VSD has a hole in the wall (the septum) between its two lower chambers (the ventricles). The most frequent types of congenital malformations affect the heart. It is estimated that approximately eight in 1,000 newborns have CHD. A VSD is the most frequent of the various types of CHD (25%-30% of all CHD). Approximately one infant in 500 will be born with a VSD.