Fern- The impossible heart
Age: 4 years old
Baby Fern 's Story
A Fragile Start
Baby Fern was born in the jungle, far from any hospital. Her parents noticed something was wrong early on — her fingertips and toenails had a bluish tint, and she couldn't run and play like other children her age. She would tire quickly and struggle to breathe.
With no access to medical care and no explanation for what was happening to their daughter, her parents feared the worst. In their community, it was believed to be a curse.
They searched for help wherever they could, until they heard of Dr. Mo and Be Well Child Care Foundation — and finally had a name for what was wrong, and a path forward.
Diagnosis & Condition
What is Baby Fern's condition?
Baby Fern was born with a heart problem called Tetralogy of Fallot — a combination of four structural issues in the heart that stop oxygen-rich blood from circulating properly through her body. In simple terms:
A hole in the heart between the two lower chambers
A narrowed valve that restricts blood flow to the lungs
A misplaced main artery sitting over that hole instead of where it should be
A thickened heart muscle, from working overtime to pump blood through the narrowing
Together, these mean Fern's body wasn't getting enough oxygen — which is why surgery was essential, and why every day without it put her at risk.
Treatment Plan
How the Doctors Prepared for Fern's Surgery
1. Work-Up Phase
Before the operation, Fern's care team ran a full set of tests to map out her heart in detail and plan the safest surgical approach:
Heart ultrasound (echocardiogram) – the main test to see the hole, the narrowed valve, and how well her heart was working
Chest X-ray – to check her heart's size and shape, and blood flow to the lungs
ECG – to check her heart's electrical rhythm
Oxygen level monitoring – to track how much oxygen was reaching her body
Blood tests – to check her blood count and prepare for a possible transfusion
Heart MRI – for more detailed imaging, used as needed for her specific case
This thorough work-up gave the medical team the confidence to move forward with her repair surgery.
2. Discussion with Family and Decision-Making
The findings were reviewed together with Fern's family, ensuring everyone understood the condition, the proposed surgery, and what to expect — before moving ahead.
3. Treatment Phase
The pediatric heart surgery team met to walk through the plan in detail, making sure every surgeon understood their role at each step. Only once the whole team was aligned did the surgery take place.
4. Recovery
After major heart surgery like this, a structured recovery program is essential to support healing and watch for early complications.
5. Follow-Up Phase
Fern's heart condition is complex, so careful, ongoing follow-up is needed — along with consistent, correctly-timed medication as advised by her care team.
Medical Journey
7/8/2026: Discharge from the hospital. She is now staying at Bilay House Orphanage in Suanpueng, Ratchaburi with her mother, for recovery and for regular follow up with the specialist before she can be discharged completely.
5/8/2026: Able to eat and start to talk and smile. Her lips looks more pink color showing better oxygen supply to her body with an improving heart condition.
28/7/2026: Released from PICU and she was transferred out to the normal ward for continue monitoring,
9/7/2026- 27/7/2026 She has been in the ICU for closely monitoring
9/7/2026 Surgery Day (Children's Hospital, Bangkok):
Major surgery for TOF correction.
March 11, 2026, Children Hospital
Parents met with the surgeon, and surgery was scheduled for June 2026. Not the best prognosis but the only chance is to try.
February 11, 2026: Children Hospital (Bangkok)
Met the pediatric surgeon, and another echocardiogram was done. Diagnosis confirmed. Surgery is urgently needed. The surgical team will discuss her case and make the final decision on 11/3/2026 regarding the prognosis.
January 21, 2026: First visit at Paholpayuhasena Hospital in Kanchanaburi,
echocardiogram was done, initial diagnosis (TOF);
Too complicated for the provincial level, a referral to the university hospital is a better choice.
Progress Updates
First smile after surgery
After being in the regular ward, she starts to smile now. Her purple lips have slowly turned more pink since the operation.
Post ICU
After nearly two weeks in the Intensive Care Unit following her surgery, Fern was finally moved to the regular ward on 28 July 2026 for continued monitoring — wonderful news.
Post surgery
Baby is still under sedation and hooked on to ventilation for full support, due to internal bleeding.
Surgery Day (Children Hospital, Bangkok)
Major surgery for TOF correction.
Children Hospital (Bangkok), met the surgeon
In March 2026, she met with the surgeon, and surgery was scheduled for June 2026. This situation has been quite complicated because she does not have Thai citizenship, and her parents do not speak Thai. However, several surgeons have reviewed her case, and they believe they can make a difference.
Children Hospital (Bangkok)
Referral to Children’s Hospital, Bangkok. Met the pediatric surgeon, and an echocardiogram was done. Diagnosis confirmed. Surgery is urgently needed. The surgical team will discuss her case and make the final decision on 11/3/2026 regarding the prognosis.
First visit at Paholpayuhasena Hospital in Kanchanaburi,
January 21, 2026: Initial evaluation at Kanchanaburi Hospital, an echocardiogram was done, initial diagnosis (TOF); her case was too complicated for the provincial level, a referral to the university hospital is a better choice.
How Your Donation Helps
Why Your Donation Matters
Because of donors like you, Fern went from a child whose parents thought she was cursed — to a patient in the ICU, recovering from life-saving heart surgery.
Your donation didn't just pay for a procedure. It gave Fern:
A correct diagnosis, after years of not knowing what was wrong
Access to a surgical team most stateless children never reach
A real chance to run, play, and grow up like any other child
She's not out of the woods yet — recovery is still ahead, and so are the bills. Every donation, big or small, moves her closer to going home.
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