On Saturday, April 24, 12 past patients of Save a Child's Heart met with Sylvan Adams in Kigali, ahead of the Israel Cycling Academy Tour du Rwanda 2021. Executive Director of Save a Child’s Heart, Simon Fisher also attended the reunion on behalf of the organization.
Save a Child’s Heart has treated 22 children from Rwanda and embarked on two screening missions to the country. The first four children treated from Rwanda by Save a Child’s Heart were brought to Israel in 2007. The first of those patients, Didier, then nine-years-old, is currently in university, studying computer science. Didier attended the event along with Joas, another former patient who was treated in 2007. Children treated as recently as 2019 were also present.
Their parents, who accompanied them, thanked Save a Child's Heart for saving their children and thanked Sylvan Adams for supporting the humanitarian activity of the organization.
"God bless you for everything you do." said Joas' parents
After the reunion, Mr. Adams and Mr. Fisher met Rwanda’s Minister of Health, Dr. Daniel Ngamije, and Dr. Joseph Mucumbitsi, a SACH-trained cardiologist, to discuss further cooperation including bringing 70 children to Israel for life-saving treatment, training and capacity building. The two also discussed bringing more children from Rwanda to Israel for life-saving heart procedures with the support of the government of Rwanda.
