Pequeno Príncipe performs heart transplantation during the coronavirus pandemic

14-year-old patient, Matheus Felipe, waited only eight days for a new heart

Matheus Felipe Pol Livramento is 14 years old and, on June 5, won a new heart in a transplant performed at Pequeno Príncipe Hospital. Unlike many stories about transplants, the teenager waited just eight days in line to get the donation. “When the phone rang and the doctor told me that a heart had appeared for my son, I couldn’t believe it, I was speechless. As we are in the middle of a pandemic, I thought it would take months or even years for this donation to happen,” says the mother, Helena Pol Vicente Livramento.

Gratitude is the keyword in the family’s journey on the road to transplantation. “The day we signed the papers to include him on the waiting list, I decided to donate blood. I always wanted to donate, but I was afraid. When I saw my son needing a donation, I was filled with courage. I thought it is very easy to want to receive a donation, but I had never done my part. So, that day, I donated and when I got home, the phone rang,” reveals the mother, emotionally.

Just as the donation was quick, Matheus’ recovery is also surprising doctors. Four days after the surgery, the boy was able to sit in an armchair and, 20 days after the transplant, he was discharged.

Matheus’ mother says that until he was 10 years old, the family was unaware of his condition. “My son was ill during a camp and at that moment we found out that he had an arrhythmia. The condition has evolved. We tried other procedures, such as ablation and surgery to correct the valve, but it was not successful and transplantation became the only alternative,” she says.

Facing a transplant during the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) was an additional concern for the family. “We were afraid of contamination inside the Hospital, but we realized that the entire team is being extremely careful. Any professional who has contact with Matheus dresses special clothes before entering the room. Everyone is always wearing a mask and uses a lot of gel alcohol. I, who stay by his side, am also taking every precaution to avoid contamination. At home, we are redoubling care to ensure Matheus’ health,” she emphasizes.

Pequeno Príncipe Cardiology Service
Pequeno Príncipe Cardiology Service established more than six decades ago, receives patients from all over Brazil and is a national reference in care for newborns up to 29 days old. The Hospital was responsible, for example, for the first pediatric cardiac transplant successfully performed in Paraná.

With a wide range of services, which includes clinical and surgical care, hemodynamics service and exclusive ICU, the Cardiology team carried out, in 2019, 8,536 consultations, 491 surgeries – 71 in patients up to 30 days old –, two transplants and 44 heart valve transplants.

Facing the pandemic
To continue serving patients like Matheus and many others, who need to continue taking care of their health even during the coronavirus pandemic, the Pequeno Príncipe Hospital needs the support of the entire community. The pandemic brought an additional deficit to the institution, which ranges from US$ 3 million to US$ 4 million, which will be added to the other US$ 4 million already existing gap, a deficit caused by underfunding in the health area.

To find out about Pequeno Príncipe Hospital’s projects that need support and contribute to the cause of child and youth health, please contact us. Send an e-mail to marcelle.silva@hpp.org.br or carolina.fossati@hpp.org.br.

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