Matters of the heart

GEORGE NEWS - Valentine's Day is all about that warm and fuzzy feeling centred around your heart.

For six-year-old Ava Geyser this day might have a very different meaning, since her experience with matters of the heart includes medical doctors, operations and being brave.

Ava was diagnosed with a heart defect five weeks after birth. Her right heart valve is underdeveloped, she has holes in her heart and the width of some of her main veins causes an oxygen deficiency.

Her second major heart operation is scheduled for May - a week after her seventh birthday on Wednesday 7 May.

Ava's parents, Wanda and Reinhard Geyser, covered the medical and travelling expenses up till now, but it is getting tough to manage the financial strain. Wanda is an online English teacher and Reinhard is an administrator at New Harvest.

Playtime with mom and dad.

Apart from the obvious medical and travelling expenses, Wanda needs to stay in Cape Town for up to three weeks during the operation.

"It is difficult to ask for help and we tried to do it all on our own, but we really need help," says Wanda. "We don't expect others to carry the full financial load, but any help would be highly appreciated."

She opened a BackaBuddy account for Ava this week ('Ava Geyser') which would enable anyone to donate toward Ava's medical journey.

Click here to visit the BackaBuddy account

There are so many! Ava Geyser plays with the balloons.

Meanwhile, little Ava enjoys being in Grade R at George Preparatory School. Asked how Ava copes with the visits to the hospital, medication and previous heart operation, Wanda says her daughter always asks if the doctors are going to make her heart better.

"I answer her 'yes', and when she sees me tearing up, she would give me a hug and say, 'Mommy it's okay, mommy I'm okay'."

Little Ava enjoys all the red balloons. Photos: Michelle Pienaar