Aminatou, 16 years
| Name | Aminatou (f) | |
| Date of birth | 18 October 2010 | |
| Diagnosis | Mitral Valve Stenosis | |
| Nationality | Cameroon | |
| Mother | Hawa (R.I.P.) | |
| Father | Hamadou / retailer | |
| Siblings | 1 | |
| Cardiosurgeon | Dr. Charles Mve Mvondo | |
| Surgical intervention & treatment | € 5.801,00 | |
| Support requested | € 5.801,00 |
Recovery story
That was just the beginning…
…of a series of necessary surgical interventions. Initially, an aortic valve defect was diagnosed. However, during the pre-operative assessment, it turned out to be a mitral valve defect. During the surgery, it was discovered that the pericardium (the sac surrounding the heart) had also hardened—likely due to a previous case of pericarditis. Consequently, the pericardium was removed first. When attempting to connect the patient to the heart-lung machine, abnormal pressure levels occurred. The surgeon, Dr. Charles Mve Mvondo, decided to abort the operation. A follow-up echocardiogram in the intensive care unit revealed a rare congenital malformation: an aortopulmonary window. This is an abnormal connection between the aorta and the pulmonary artery.
Aminatou will therefore need to undergo heart surgery again. We will keep her case on our active list and launch another fundraising campaign at the appropriate time. The family wishes to thank the mi-do donor community and Franciscan Mission Outreach (USA) for their generous support!
Aminatou grew up as a healthy child in Garoua, a city in northern Cameroon. In 2017, however, Aminatou fell ill and was diagnosed with a heart valve defect. At the Shisong Cardiac Center, she was advised to undergo surgery. Her father refused, because Aminatou’s mother was seriously ill in a hospital in Yaoundé. Her mother died in late 2017. Her father was afraid to have Aminatou undergo surgery and went from hospital to hospital to find another solution. In January 2026, Aminatou had to be admitted to the Garoua Hospital due to a persistent cough and heart problems. From there, she was sent to the Yaoundé General Hospital and referred to the Shisong team. Surgery is unavoidable, and a date has been scheduled.
Aminatou is an only child. Since her mother’s death, Aminatou has been living with her aunt, who is a subsistence farmer. Her father is a small-scale merchant who sells shoes. The family can cover the costs of the lab tests. The costs of the surgery will be covered by the mi-do donation community and Friends of Franciscan Mission Outreach, for which the family is infinitely grateful!
We would like to thank the following donors.
| mi-do & Friends of Franciscan Mission Outreach | Italy | € 5.799,00 |
| Dominik | Austria | € 1,00 |
| Dominik von Webcrossing | Austria | € 1,00 |