He has been coming to Belize for six years and for all that time cardiologist James Huhta has made a difference in the lives of children. The doctor is back in Belize again from Tampa Florida and today 7NEWS found out what he has done for some kids lately.
Keith Swift Reporting
5-year-old Andrew Mossiah’s mother will tell you she owes her 5 year old son’s life or at least his good health to God of course and at least in this case one other man.
Gloria Mossiah,
“You know the tube that pumps blood to the heart and brains, it had a tube that was stopping up the tube so no blood wasn’t coming to the brain and circulation wasn’t coming to parts of the body. But the surgery has already been done and Andrew is doing great so far. Thank god for that. He is living a normal life now.”
KS: As a mother how happy are you?
Gloria Mossiah,
“Well I am very happy because he was having sleepless nights and you know crying and a lot of pain and stress.”
The same man who helped Andrew has also given. 15-year-old Kathy Balam and her family hope as she prepares for surgery. And that same man is who the family of 5-year-old Gilliani Marin came to the KHMH today to get answers from. The man is Cardiologist Dr. James Huhta who for 6 years has been making annual visits to Belize to hold clinics.
Dr. James Huhta, Cardiologist
“We’ve had the opportunity over the last three or four years to examine a number of children and many have gone out for surgery to the states. So our first goal is to see those children back and evaluate how they are doing and make sure everything is alright and to see if they need any other treatment. And then we are seeing some children who have not needed surgery on a regular basis but need to be seen every year and some other children who are new patients coming up who have obvious heart problems where their doctors have asked for a consultation by a cardiologist.”
The good doctor travels to Belize with an assistant and this 50 thousand dollar piece of equipment called an echocardiogram. If it looks like an ultrasound machine that is because it works like one except it focuses on the heart. And that gadget assists Dr. Huhta in diagnosing heart problems in children who are born with defects.
Dr. James Huhta, Cardiologist
“The echo machine it helps us to actually see pictures of the heart anatomy with ultrasound waves that are being bounced off the heart and also we can look at the flows, the blood velocities of the heart can be seen with what’s called the doppler technique so we can actually see where the flow is abnormal. for example in a hole in the heart of a narrow valve.”
KS: I understand most of the heart problems these kids have are different than the ones adults have in terms of they are born this way; they are congenital.
Dr. James Huhta, Cardiologist
“Yes of course adults have mainly acquired diseases you get through narrowing of the coronary arteries for example whereas children born with congenital malformations like a hole in the heart or a missing valve or a problem with the pumping of the heart in the case of 1% of those children.”
Dr. Huhta merely diagnoses the children and if surgery is needed that is where the Rotary Club of Belize comes in.
Yvette Burks, Rotary Club of Belize
“And the ones who need to go out for surgery then we submit their names to the hospitals in the United States and then after they are accepted we assist them with travel arrangements and that is where the money goes; we pay for the ticket and assist them to go off and then we have our partners over in the states, the receiving Rotary Clubs the host families and they are seen through the entire situation.”
And after 6 years and with success stories like 5 year old Andrew, Yvette Burks from Rotary’s Gift of Life program says it’s worth it.
Yvette Burks,
“The whole idea is service above self and that is our motto. And as a Rotarian and speaking on behalf of all Rotarians I think that it feels absolutely wonderful and just rewarding to know you have made a difference in somebody’s life.”
Dr. Huhta will be at the KHMH again tomorrow holding clinics. The Rotary Club encourages parents with interest to arrange an appointment. They however stress that the doctor will only see children who have been recommended by their pediatrician.
And to make sure they keep helping children, the Rotary Club will having a Pirate's Night at the Old Belize Museum on September 9th to raise funds for the gift of life program. Tickets are $65 and you can get more info from those who are "Yours in Rotary."