Erlancie is a 7-year-old girl born with Down syndrome. Because of her condition, her body is more vulnerable than most, and some illnesses that would be minor for other children can quickly turn serious for her.

A Heart Murmur and a Difficult Diagnosis

Her parents first brought her to a health center near their home after noticing she was often tired and had trouble breathing. During the exam, staff detected a heart murmur. They prescribed medication, but her condition didn’t improve, and her family spent the following weeks unsure what was wrong or what to do next.

Erlancie’s mother remembered our clinic from when she’d brought her older child in for care, so she decided to bring Erlancie as well. After evaluating her, we referred her to a hospital with specialists for further testing.

The results showed that Erlancie had a hole in her heart. Doctors told the family she would need to travel outside Haiti for surgery to have a good chance at a healthy life.

For a mother with very limited financial resources, traveling abroad for surgery wasn’t realistic. She was also afraid of what the operation itself might mean for her daughter. With few options available, she leaned on her faith for strength while continuing to navigate the uncertainty ahead.

Over the following months, she brought Erlancie back for regular checkups and medication, each visit carrying the same open question: how was her daughter’s heart holding up?

Four months later, a follow-up brought good news – the hole had nearly closed on its own, down to a small remaining gap. Eventually, Erlancie no longer needed medication for it. Her mother was deeply relieved.

Erlancie’s health challenges didn’t end there. Recently, she came in for a routine visit after about a week of flu symptoms – fever, cough, and fatigue. When we checked her oxygen levels, they had dropped to 79%, which is dangerously low and can become life-threatening quickly, especially for a child as medically fragile as Erlancie.

We put her on oxygen right away and began treatment. Our chaplains sat with the family and prayed with them while we monitored her condition until she stabilized.

For children like Erlancie, even a common respiratory infection can escalate into a medical emergency. What looks like a routine cold can turn serious within days. In situations like this, quick access to oxygen and proper equipment can be the difference between a child stabilizing and a child’s condition getting much worse.

The oxygen machines donated by our supporters make that fast response possible. When a patient arrives with critically low oxygen levels, having that equipment ready and working is often what allows our team to act in time.

Erlancie’s story reflects what many families dealing with illness, poverty, and limited access to specialized care go through. For parents like hers, every illness isn’t just a medical concern. It’s also a question of whether they’ll have the resources and access needed to get their child the care they require.