Saving Little Hearts: How One Surgery Grants Two Lives a Second Chance

When 32-year-old Emmanuella walked into a hospital in Abuja last August with her two-year-old daughter, she thought she was confronting a stubborn fever.

 

She had already attempted the usual remedies: over-the-counter medications, rest, and fluids, but the fever persisted.

 

What she didn’t anticipate was leaving with a referral to a cardiologist and the devastating revelation that her daughter had a hole in her heart.

 

“She wasn’t even showing symptoms,” Emmanuella recalls, her voice still tinged with disbelief. “Very active, very healthy. If I didn’t tell you, you’d never know.”

 

Yet beneath her daughter’s bright eyes and boundless energy lay a silent threat—a congenital heart defect that, if untreated, could have claimed her young life.

 

“I cried, and cried, and cried. I couldn’t fathom that a little girl like her would need heart surgery. That’s the engine house of the body. And we didn’t have that kind of money.”

 

At that time, the cost of surgery was estimated at N12 million. When factoring in travel, medical reviews, and hospital logistics, the total expense was projected to exceed N30 million abroad.

 

But just as hope began to wane, Emmanuella discovered a lifeline in Hospitals for Humanity (HfH), a nonprofit organization that provides free, life-saving surgeries for children with congenital heart defects whose families cannot afford treatment.

 

Through a referral chain from her doctor to a surgeon and ultimately to HfH, Emmanuella was connected to the organization’s biannual surgical mission in Lagos.

 

In November, she nearly succeeded in getting her daughter into the operating room, but a cough disqualified them for that cycle. The waiting commenced anew.

 

Then came May 2025. HfH returned for their spring mission under the #SavingLittleHearts initiative, and this time, Emmanuella’s daughter was cleared for surgery. “It was as if God just said, ‘Now is the time,’” she says, beaming.

 

On Monday morning, the surgery commenced. It stretched for seven harrowing hours, an eternity for a mother who could do nothing but pray.

 

“My mouth was trembling. My whole body was aflame. The only thing I could do was pray and wait,” Emmanuella says. “When the doctor finally emerged to say it was successful, I just broke down. I didn’t even know how to thank them enough.”

 

Her daughter remains in the ICU, slowly recovering under round-the-clock care. Yet already, Emmanuella feels the weight begin to lift.

 

“I slept beside her last night,” she says, tears welling. “She’s talking. She’s responding. She’s going to be okay.”

 

HfH has become a beacon of hope for families like Emmanuella’s. At their recent two-day #SavingLittleHearts Open House event at Diamed Centre, Lagos, where surgeries were conducted, HfH’s medical and administrative volunteer teams unveiled their life-saving mission.

 

“We deal with the sickest children, those without means to afford surgery,” said Morenike Lawal, a U.S.-based nurse and administrator with HfH. “We don’t just operate and leave. We follow up. We build trust. Families are free to walk into our ICU and see their children. We owe them that transparency.”

 

In Nigeria, an estimated 8 out of every 1,000 children are born with congenital heart defects. The vast majority go undiagnosed or untreated due to cost and access barriers. Many parents are told their children will not survive past a few years without intervention.

 

“There are more than 1,000 children on our waiting list,” said Mrs. Efe Farinre, Chair of HfH’s General Advisory Board. “Sadly, some don’t survive long enough to receive help.”

 

Since launching its pediatric cardiac program, HfH has completed just over 200 surgeries in Nigeria. The organization’s goal is to increase that number to 150 surgeries annually, but systemic challenges, resource shortages, various issues, and delays continue to hinder progress.

 

Yet, HfH remains undeterred. “We adapt,” said Dr. Omonigho Ekhomu, a U.S.-based pediatric cardiologist and one of the Nigerian and expatriate volunteers who comprise the mission. “We come prepared. We don’t just save lives. We train local providers, leave behind knowledge, and inspire continuity.”

 

Speaking on why he established HfH, Dr. Segun Ajayi, the CEO and founder of Hospitals for Humanity, said: “HfH started because one year, I returned to Nigeria and fell very ill. I was admitted to one of the so-called best hospitals in Nigeria. And that hospital wasn’t even comparable to the worst hospital in the United States.

 

That was when I realized Nigeria had a better healthcare story to tell, and I wanted to be a part of that story. I wanted to make an impact on the healthcare system in Nigeria.”

 

According to him, “I knew that if something was going to be done, I had to make the effort myself. That was how the vision of Hospitals for Humanity came about. Since congenital heart disease is such a life-threatening condition for children, we need to ensure these children have a normal life.”

 

“So, our role in this community and in every community where we serve children and their families is to ensure there are opportunities for these children to live normal lives.

 

Every child deserves to live. As we celebrate 10 years of this flagship program, we honor the resilience and courage of these children and their families.”

 

“HfH’s long-term vision is to build Africa’s first free pediatric cardiac hospital, a facility that won’t just treat but will train, research, and provide round-the-clock pediatric cardiac care,” Ajayi added.

 

“Every child we save is a ripple,” said Mrs. Efe Farinre. “That child could be the next doctor, innovator, change-maker, or leader, but only if they’re given a chance to live.”

 

The organization is funded by international donations, local sponsorships, strategic partnerships, and a grassroots fundraising initiative called the Circle of Friends, where individuals and communities support based on their capacity. Whether it’s donating the cost of a single surgery or organizing fundraisers as part of events, every naira counts.

 

For Emmanuella, that ripple has already begun. Her daughter, once a bubbly child with a hidden hole in her heart, now has a chance at a full life.

 

“She’s strong,” Emmanuella says, a smile breaking through her tears. “Stronger than me, even. I thank God. I thank the doctors. I thank every single person who made this possible. You didn’t just save her life, you saved mine too.”