Published on July 11, 2026 by Kariuki Mwangi
Last Updated on 3 weeks by Kariuki Mwangi
The Tenwek Cardiothoracic Hospital in Bomet,has experienced a new ray of hope after the Care For a Child’s Heart (CFACH) Pediatric Cardiac Mission visited Bomet County.
The mission which aims at transforming the lives of children born with congenital heart defects through free, life-saving surgeries is targeting East Africa with Kenya giving the nod to enhanced interventions on dealing with heart defects among children.
The humanitarian mission brought together highly skilled volunteer pediatric cardiac specialists from Kenya, the United States, Dubai, Italy and other parts of the world to perform complex heart surgeries on children identified over the past two months through an extensive screening and assessment programme.
Hundreds of Children are expected to benefit from the mission that is seeking to expand its operations beyond Easy Africa.
The initiative has been made possible through the collaboration of Tenwek Hospital, Care For a Child’s Heart (CFACH), the Emirates Airline Foundation and other partners committed to expanding access to specialized pediatric cardiac care across East Africa.
A major boost to the mission came from the Emirates Airline Foundation, which sponsored complimentary international flights for the volunteer medical teams, ensuring they arrived safely in Kenya to begin the critical surgeries.
The mission has been coordinated by Hannelle N. Karari, Executive Director of Care For a Child’s Heart (CFACH), whose organization has worked closely with Tenwek Hospital and international partners to make the programme a reality.
Among the volunteer specialists are Dr. Roberto Di Donato, a Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon from Rome, Italy; Dr. Anil Ramaiah, a Pediatric Intensivist from Dubai; Dr. Rajnish Garg, a Pediatric Anesthesiologist from Dubai; and Sam Monsy, a Perfusionist from Dubai, alongside other cardiac experts dedicated to restoring hope to children and their families.
The medical teams have been conducting corrective procedures for a wide range of congenital heart defects, including Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), Atrioventricular Septal Defect (AVSD), Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) and other complex cardiac abnormalities.
Congenital heart defects are structural abnormalities that develop before birth and are among the most common birth defects worldwide.
They affect the heart’s walls, valves, blood vessels or the normal flow of blood through the heart. While some defects are mild, many can become life-threatening without timely medical intervention.
Children with these conditions often suffer from poor feeding, delayed growth, difficulty breathing, frequent respiratory infections, fatigue and bluish discoloration of the skin caused by inadequate oxygen circulation.
Medical experts say early diagnosis through prenatal care, newborn screening and specialized cardiac evaluation, combined with timely surgery, significantly improves survival rates and enables children to lead healthy and productive lives.
However, access to pediatric cardiac surgery remains limited across many African countries, making humanitarian missions such as the CFACH programme essential.
Speaking during the mission, Hannelle N. Karari said the initiative extends beyond surgery by giving children an opportunity to enjoy a normal childhood.
“Every child deserves the chance to live a healthy life regardless of where they were born. This mission is about restoring hope to families, strengthening local healthcare capacity and ensuring children with congenital heart disease receive the treatment they need to live full and productive lives. We are grateful to all our partners and volunteers whose compassion continues to transform lives.”
Nairobi South B Member of County Assembly Waithera Chege commended the volunteer doctors, nurses, sponsors and hospital staff for their dedication to saving young lives, saying the mission demonstrates the impact of global partnerships in healthcare.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to grow up healthy regardless of their family’s financial background. The work being done at Tenwek demonstrates what can be achieved when governments, healthcare institutions, development partners and volunteers come together with a common purpose of saving lives,” Chege said.
The MCA noted that lawmakers have a critical role in strengthening healthcare systems through legislation and policy reforms.
“As policymakers, we must champion legislation that increases investment in maternal and child healthcare, expands newborn screening programmes, strengthens county referral systems and supports the establishment of more specialized cardiac centres across Kenya. We should also create sustainable funding mechanisms to ensure children requiring heart surgery are not denied treatment because of cost.”
Chege further called for stronger collaboration between county governments, the national government, faith-based hospitals and international organizations to train more pediatric cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, nurses and biomedical specialists, reducing reliance on overseas missions while improving access to specialized care.
As the surgeries continue at Tenwek Hospital, families from across East Africa are witnessing what many once believed impossible,the gift of a healthy heart and the promise of a brighter future. Every successful operation is a testament to the power of compassion, generosity and international collaboration.
