Tariq: a mother who trusted what she saw
Tariq Ramada was born in Ilemela, Mwanza, in 2015. His mother suspected a heart problem long before anyone confirmed it.
Tariq was born in 2015 in Ilemela, one of the districts of Mwanza Region on the shore of Lake Victoria.
His mother began to suspect a heart problem after he kept having chest problems. One day, while bathing him after school, she noticed something unusual on both sides of the front of his neck. She took him to the local health centre for an X-ray and asked for a referral to Bugando Medical Centre.
At Bugando an echocardiogram, a scan of the heart, showed a hole in his heart. He was given medication and the family was told to prepare for treatment at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute in Dar es Salaam. A second scan at the Institute confirmed the diagnosis.
While the family waited to hear when treatment could go ahead, Tariq's mother heard about a surgical camp at Benjamin Mkapa Hospital in Dodoma and decided to take him there.
Tariq had his surgery on 14 July 2021. His father supported the family through every step of the treatment.
Tariq's mother noticed the signs, asked for a referral and acted on it. A parent who is listened to is the beginning of good care.
Published with the family's written consent.
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