In late April 2025, Ken, a gravely ill infant boy from Vanuatu, needed surgery to repair a cardiac defect within four to five weeks or he would die.
Volunteer New Zealand Operations Manager Sue Smith worked hard to get Ken and his mother Bernadette to Starship Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand as quickly as possible.
She arranged a Medevac flight from Luganville, Santo, to Port Vila and then urgent visa applications for them on a medically-assisted flight, accompanied by volunteer Vanuatu paramedic Michael Benjamin.
On arrival at Auckland Airport on 5 June Ken and Bernadette were transferred by ambulance to hospital. After a period of stabilisation and work-up, Ken finally underwent his surgery on 10 June.
It was a joy to the ROMAC team of volunteers to witness Ken’s health rebound more quickly than expected after surgery. A very grateful and relieved Bernadette flew home with her son on 15 July.
Without heart surgery, Vanuatu toddler Janewly faced suffering and likely death. Now she is recovering at Sydney’s Westmead Children's Hospital, thanks to a partnership between ROMAC and the hospital’s cardiothoracic team.
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After two serious injuries in four years to the same eye, Antonio needed advanced surgery unavailable in Timor-Leste. ROMAC and Rotarians in Sydney stepped in to help.
An 18-month-old Timor-Leste boy’s life has been saved by surgery in a case which shows the value of coordination between medical experts, volunteers, translators, pastoral workers, and community organisations.
Any donation you can make will help make treatment like this possible.
