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Alisha’s Journey

Alisha is just one year old and the youngest of three children at. Her family came to us from a district in western Uganda where her dad is a gate man and her mother stays home and cares for the children. 

When Alisha was born, her mother was very concerned because her newborn baby was breathing rapidly and couldn’t seem to get enough oxygen for her little body. As she got a few weeks older, there was no improvement, so Alisha’s mother took her to a clinic. Unfortunately, the clinic was unable to determine what was wrong and referred the family to a regional hospital. Alisha was then sent from the hospital to Uganda Heart Institute (UHI), where she was finally diagnosed with a heart problem in early 2020. Thanks to the close relationship between UHI and Morning Star Foundation, we were quickly connected with the family and began preparing Alisha and her mother to head to Aswan for surgery. 

Tragically, COVID-19 hit just as Alisha and her mother were ready to travel to receive Alisha’s surgery. When the borders closed, the waiting began. It was a long year for Alisha’s family, full of hoping her heart would stay strong through the waiting, praying that her family would remain safe in quarantine, and that the pandemic would subside not only enough for them to travel, but also for the economic devastation caused by the pandemic in Uganda to recover. Uganda’s borders proceeded to be shut down for the majority of 2020, but Alisha and her mother finally got to head to Aswan, Egypt in December.

Upon arriving in Aswan, Alishia had to undergo extensive testing to ensure her body was strong enough for the operation. Thankfully, the doctors concluded that she was a great candidate for surgery. We are thrilled to share that her operation went smoothly, and she is now recovering in the hospital. Alisha and her mother will return home to Uganda as soon as the doctors clear her for travel.

Both Alisha’s family and the Morning Star Team want to say a big thank you to each person who supported Alisha’s operation. We are thrilled about her smooth operation and recovery and we can’t wait to get her back home to the rest of her family.