Malawian Girl Becomes Israeli Heart Charity’s 9,000th Patient

For nine-year-old Miracle Nkanda, walking or playing could end in exhaustion and breathlessness. Her heart condition kept her out of the classroom for long stretches, forcing her to repeat two years of school.

The girl from Zomba in southern Malawi underwent successful heart surgery in Israel, becoming the 9,000th child treated through Israeli humanitarian organization Save a Child’s Heart, the organization announced.

Dr. Lior Sasson, the charity’s lead surgeon, and his team performed the operation at the Sylvan Adams Children’s Hospital at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.

The youngest of five siblings, Miracle was born with tetralogy of Fallot, a combination of four heart defects that reduced the oxygen reaching her body. Her lips and fingertips sometimes turned blue, and everyday activities left her struggling for breath, according to the organization.

She traveled to Israel accompanied by a Malawian nurse, Faith, while her parents remained at home.