Surgery for children in Romania
The Air Liquide Foundation is supporting the Mission Bambini Foundation, an Italian association that provides assistance to sick, disadvantaged, and out-of-school children. In 2005, the association began its "Children's Hearts" project, which seeks to bring medical treatment to children born with heart disease in developing countries.
Surgery is the only option
Every year, around one million children around the world are born with heart disease. Around 80% of them are born in poor countries, where they have little chance of living beyond the first year. For half of these children, surgery is their only chance for survival. Without an operation, they are more likely to suffer from growth and respiratory problems, as well as circulatory issues and psychosomatic disorders.
Mission Bambini Foundation
Periodic volunteer operations
In order to maximize their chances for survival, the Mission Bambini Foundation finances heart operations for disadvantaged children in Bucharest, Romania. One-week sessions are held every three months or so, during which Italian doctors operate on four children, aided by Romanian medical staff. The goal of the project is to perform 36 surgeries on as many children over a period of three years.
36 volunteer heart operations over 3 years
How is the Air Liquide Foundation involved?
The Air Liquide Foundation is financing the purchase of an operatory light and a portion of the surgical costs for one session.
