We are now in the midst of the holiday season. It
is the season of giving. I can think of no better cause to give to than the
cause of a beautiful eleven year old Burundian girl by the name of Marie-Joella
Buntu.
Marie-Joella has severe heart disease caused by the
rheumatic fever that she developed at age nine. Her mitral valve is now seriously
compromised, and she is in the early stages of heart failure. It is only a matter
of time before her heart disease proves fatal. How much time is unclear, but
what is clear is that it won’t be long enough.
The only viable alternative for Marie-Joella is to
have her heart valve surgically repaired. That surgery is impossible in Burundi.
There is an organization in Israel called Save A Child’s Heart (SACH). This
organization brings children from third world countries with heart defects to
Israel. It is there that they perform the heart surgeries that these children
need, but cannot get in their own countries. SACH has already sponsored two
Burundian children from the clinic for heart surgery. They were the first two
children in the history of Burundi to have heart surgery.
We applied to SACH for Marie-Joella when I was working
at the clinic this past September. A few weeks ago, we received the answer we
wanted: Marie-Joella had been accepted for treatment by SACH. She will become
the third child in the history of this impoverished country to have heart
surgery.
I wish that was the end of the story, but it is
not. We still need at least $5,000 more dollars to pay for the plane fares and
other expenses for Marie-Joella and her mother. She will not be going to Israel
without this money. She will not have the heart surgery that she so desperately
needs.
I appeal to you to give us that money. By doing so,
you will be saving a life. You will be giving an adorable 11 year old girl the
chance to live a normal life. I show you below two pictures of Marie-Joella. I
want to put a face to the girl whose life you will be saving.
I ask you to contribute what you can. I am
providing the link below to make your donation. You will see a “comment”
section. You should indicate in that comment section that your donation is for
Marie-Joella Buntu. That way, the money will be used expressly for her. I thank
all of you advance for your generosity. I know all of you; I know that you have
come through in the past, and I know that you will come through again. You will
put Marie-Joella on that plane to Israel.
