Ninelle's Heart: Part Two

July 29, 2015 • Kenya

A woman from the Republic of the Congo receives heart surgery in Kenya

Dr. Elliott Tenpenny moved to Impfondo, Republic of the Congo, last year with his wife and two sons to serve as an emergency medicine physician at Pioneer Christian Hospital.

Ninelle, the young woman that we helped send across the continent of Africa to have open-heart surgery, has had her surgery in Kenya at Tenwek Hospital. We praise God for the chance to take care of this young lady. Together we were able to truly show the love of Christ to her and her family.

To my knowledge, never before has anyone in the Republic of Congo had this surgery, let alone a single mother from a family with little means in one of the poorest regions of Congo. Thank you for your help in making this a possibility! Below is a report from the nurse right after the surgery.

Ninelle's Heart: Part 2

Surgery went well overall. It was incredible to watch. The doctor said she has the largest right atrium he has ever seen. Her heart was huge! They completely replaced one valve and placed a band in another valve to help it pump more efficiently.

Praise God that Ninelle had a decent night. She was extubated today at 1 p.m. The first thing she said to me was “ndzala,” which means “hungry.” She has swelling and looks like she has gained 100 pounds. The nurses in the intensive care unit are fabulous. She has three that have been helping her and her cardiac surgeon has been her almost all night and day. It’s pretty impressive.

Ninelle had a rocky recovery from the surgery and was intubated for a week due to pneumonia. She has now recovered, and she returned home earlier this month. Ninelle is thankful for the surgery she received. Before leaving Kenya, she shared her testimony with a local church, where she thanked God, her doctors and nurses, and everyone who has prayed for her.

Dr. Tenpenny is serving through the World Medical Mission Post-Residency Program, a fully funded two-year program for Christian physicians and their families who have been called to medical missions.

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