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.
Six-month-old Baby Hilario from Timor-Leste was born prematurely with bilateral retinopathy of prematurity, a serious condition affecting both eyes.
Not yet two years old, Vincent's life was set to end before it really began. But a mother's love, goodwill from 3,000 kilometres away and an unforgettable year in a foreign country have saved the Solomon Islands boy from certain death.
Any donation you can make will help make treatment like this possible.
