Meet Benedicto.
Benedicto is a 20-year-old from Moshi, Tanzania who needs open heart surgery to replace two valves in his heart.
Benedicto has been sick for three years. He did not seek treatment during that time as his family could not afford it. But his condition gradually worsened, to the point where he could not walk 10 steps without taking a rest. It was hard to breathe. He had to drop out of secondary school. His ability to do even small things was greatly reduced.
Two months ago, Benedicto sought help at a regional hospital in Moshi. Doctors there suspected he had valve damage caused by rheumatic fever (RF), but they could not be sure. It can be difficult for a regional hospital to confirm a diagnosis as sometimes they don’t have the training or equipment. RF is caused by untreated strep throat, which can trigger an inflammation of the heart that damages the heart valves. The doctor gave Benedicto an injection of benzathine penicillin to prevent him from getting RF again and having his heart condition worsen. Then he was sent home.
A month later, with the help of a neighbor, Benedicto took a bus to KCMC. Benedicto was seen by KCMC’s Dr. Lameck Marcel, a general practitioner, and medical school resident Elifuraha Magohe. They sought advice from Dr. Carmelo Panetta in Minneapolis, an interventional cardiologist who consults with KCMC via zoom on cardiac cases. KCMC did an echocardiogram and confirmed Benedicto has two valves that are damaged and will need to be replaced.
While Benedicto is waiting for surgery, the team at KCMC are helping Benedicto’s heart failure with medicine to improve his quality of life, but this is far from a cure. KCMC doctors gave Benedicto a diuretic, so he retained less fluid. He can walk, and do small activities, and it’s not as difficult for him to breathe now. But he will most likely be hospitalized again in the next several months as the heart function declines due to both valves poor function. KCMC hopes to send him to JKCI, in Dar es Salaam, 500 km away, for surgery.