Be the difference a child needs.

A diagnosis at age eight

Annette Sam was born in Sierra Leone with a congenital heart disease that was not diagnosed until she was 8 years old. She urgently needed heart surgery, but Sierra Leone did not have the facilities or medical technology to provide this level of operation. The surgery needed to be done overseas, but her family did not have the resources to pursue that treatment.

Her parents, desperately seeking help and guidance to save their daughter's life, reached out to PIKIN BIZNESS, a charity organization that assisted families with such problems. Due to the high volume of children with similar burdens, Annette was 150th on the waiting list for sponsorship. For Annette, waiting wasn’t an option—the surgery needed to be done immediately.

A network of care opened a door

Annette’s father, Rev. Brickson Sam, a Baptist minister, had connections in Europe and the United States through his working relationship with the Baptist World Alliance. He contacted his networks and secured the funds needed for Annette’s heart surgery, including travel costs for Annette and her mother.

On September 9, 2007, they flew to Frankfurt, Germany—the first case to be referred to Germany. Hosted by a member of a local Baptist church, Annette underwent surgery, which was a complete success. She recovered physically from the heart disease and the surgery itself.

Unfortunately, Annette has significant intellectual impairment, most likely a side effect of a long-term, undiagnosed and untreated heart condition during pivotal developmental years.