Mele Salatielu, a 14-year-old of Toamua-uta, needs your help.
The youngster suffers from severe rheumatic heart disease that could cost her young life.
In fact, her situation is so dire that heart specialist, Professor Dr. Satupaitea Viali, confirmed her father’s worst fears that Mele “is facing certain death without the operation”.
“She is so young,” he said. While the government is paying for her NZ$70,000 operation under the Overseas Treatment scheme, the family is required to pay for Mele and her mother’s airfare.
During an interview with the Samoa Observer yesterday,
Mr. Su’a talked about their struggles. He said his daughter was due for her first operation last year but the family couldn’t fly her to New Zealand.
“We had the opportunity to have her operated last year but we didn’t have enough money for her airfare,” he said.
“There was so little time for us to find financial help and by the time she was due to leave for it, we didn’t gather enough money.
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“She has another chance to get treatment again and my only fear is if she misses out on it, it might be too late for her.”
The father is a security guard for TBC security.
Although he works overtime with the hope to get enough money to finance for his daughter and wife’s airfare, he is still short on cash.
“I have ten children and some of those children have their own children,” he said.
“I’m always willing to work overtime so I can have enough money to feed my family and save the extra for her airfare, but the money we have is still not enough.
“I’m still praying for help.”
Mele’s condition was discovered late last year when she started fainting and coughing out blood.
It was later, when they took her to the hospital, that they discovered her condition.
Her father said during that time Mele started losing weight and all she did was lie on her back.
“She hasn’t been the same since last year,” said Mr. Su’a. “She’s become weak and has since lost her appetite.”
Despite many requests to close relatives for financial help, but Mr. Su’a was turned away. “Our families are not rich,” he said.
“I understand their situations too…they couldn’t help us and my daughter.”
Mele used to go to Faleata College. Since the school found out about her condition in September last year, she was advised to stay home to retain her strength and to get treatment.
“I’ve been staying home since then,” said Mele. “I was told (by the principal) to stay home because of my heart condition…ever since then I’ve been at home waiting to get better.”
If you want to help Mele, you can contact her father, Salatielu Su’a on 771-1395.
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