So massive!

All the news from East Timor Hearts Fund

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Dear FNAME,
What a massive year for East Timor Hearts Fund. We couldn’t have done it without your support.
I am so proud of what we have achieved together.
This year we treated a record number of patients; and we are not finished yet!
We conducted our first ever surgical visit to Timor-Leste, where we operated on 10 children in five days – as many as we usually do in a year.
The landmark rheumatic heart disease prevalence study, which we played a lead role in funding and coordinating, was published in the Medical Journal of Australia.
We signed an agreement with the Ministry of Health in Timor-Leste, and joined with ministry officials and the World Health Organisation as they announced a national action plan on rheumatic heart disease.
Since I last wrote I accompanied our ambassador, Western Bulldogs star Lin Jong, on his first visit to his father’s country of birth, Timor-Leste. It was an emotional homecoming for our champion and for his dad Vitor and partner Krista. They saw the enormity of our work and what it means for the Timorese to have our friendship. We are friends that stand shoulder to shoulder and hold the lives of Timorese patients as we would our own sons and daughters.
Thank you for helping make this happen. I look forward to a bigger and better 2019.

Stuart Thomson, CEO

PS: Please keep an eye on your email and social media next week for a special announcement about our Every Heart, Everywhere campaign!

Patient news
Roberto Lin and Roberto

's heartfelt lesson
Roberto became a teacher to repay the nuns who raised him. But untreated heart disease left him too sick to teach. Following a double valve replacement
this month, Roberto will soon be back in the classroom. That’s great news for Roberto and his brothers and sisters, and for the children he teaches.
Our sincere thanks to cardiothoracic surgeon Mr Cheng-Hon Yap, Dr Alan Appelbe and Barwon Health; also our ambassador Lin Jong, who paid Roberto a visit in hospital.
New life f Olandina and Dr Simon Eggleton

or Olandina
Constant breathlessness and fatigue caused by untreated heart disease made daily life tough for mum of three Olandina.
She struggled to find the energy care for baby Mimoza and to walk Octaviana and Aldo up the hill to their school. But things are looking up since her heart procedure in September. “Now I can continue my work as a mother at home and take care of my children and my husband,” Olandina said.
Our thanks to Dr Simon Eggleton, Eastern Heart Clinic and Prince of Wales Hospital Hospital in Sydney.

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Rewards and records
Medical roundup with Dr Noel Bayley
Since our last newsletter, we’ve arranged surgery for two patients in Australia.
In September, Olandina had a successful mitral valve balloon procedure with Dr Simon Eggleton at Eastern Heart Clinic in Sydney. Last month, Roberto had a double valve replacement at University Hospital Geelong, courtesy of Mr Cheng-Hon Yap.
Without intervention both patients faced very bleak futures.
We will be doing more cases early next year.
In October we had a very successful round of screening clinics, where we identified a number of patients who will be suitable for the program in the coming year. This year we have screened a record 521 patients, up from 424 last year.
I’ll be back in Timor-Leste with the team next February. I am looking forward to it. It’s the most rewarding thing I do.
Thank you for your support.

– Dr Noel Bayley, honorary medical adviser

Champions of course

A big thanks to all of the keen golfers who turned out to our third annual Swing into Action to Mend a Broken Heart golf day at Sanctuary Lakes in October. Proceeds from the day will help provide a patient with life-saving heart surgery in Australia.
Special thanks to our guest speakers, Western Bulldogs players Ash Utri and our ambassador Lin Jong, as well as our MC Ron Steiner. We also acknowledge the generosity of our sponsors Airnorth, ANZ, Baptcare, Careleda, Catering Industries, Connect PM, Intech3, Lake Imaging and MRCB, also prize donors Nick Oats, Sabores de Timor and Marcus Harty. Thanks also to volunteer photographer Daniel Mendelbaum, for capturing all the fun.

Thank you to our golf day sponsors!

Three minutes with…

Dr Gordon Szegi
Biomedical engineer

How did you become involved?
For many years I have worked at the same hospital as East Timor Hearts Fund honorary medical adviser Dr Noel Bayley. When Noel asked if I would be interested in utilising my skills at Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares, I didn’t hesitate to offer some invaluable assistance to the cause.
What does your role entail?
My role is to help ensure that donated equipment, such as patient monitors, ECG machines and diagnostic cardiac ultrasound units, stays in good working order.
Working in a regional hospital in country Victoria, in Australia, there’s the expectation to try and get most devices up and running yourself, with phone support from the supplier. So it’s useful to have an understanding of how a device is to perform. A background in electronics and being able to problem solve on the spot definitely helps as well.
What do you do in your spare time?
Family, skiing, travelling, good red wine and Armagnac, Sudoku, watching cycling and keeping fit by cycling and also running (as much as my knees will allow!).
Read Gordon's full profile on our website.

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Dr Gordon Szegi Biomedical engineer

Dr Gordon Szegi
Biomedical engineer