Tenwek Heart Center performs another milestone surgery on youngest, tiniest baby

Baby Acie Cruz Boriga, pictured post-surgery, continues to recover. On 23 April 2025. [Nikko Tanui, Standard]

In a ground-breaking development for the country's healthcare sector, medics at the Africa Gospel Church (AGC) Tenwek Cardiothoracic Centre have successfully performed a delicate heart surgery on a 28-day-old baby.

The intricate procedure, which lasted over seven hours, was performed on baby Acie Cruz Boriga, who weighed only 1.8 kilograms at birth.

According to Dr. Arega Leta, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the facility, the infant was diagnosed with two life-threatening congenital heart defects- Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) and Coarctation of the Aorta.

“An examination by paediatric cardiologist Dr. Stephen Girgis revealed that the baby had a congenital anomaly which was immediately life-threatening,” he said.

Dr Leta said that the aorta, which is normally around 8 millimeters in diameter, had narrowed to just 2 millimeters in Baby Acie, requiring urgent surgical repair.

Dr Robert Groom, a cardiovascular perfusionist, explained that PDA is a persistent opening between two major blood vessels that lead from the heart.

Normally, this opening closes shortly after birth, but when it remains open, it can lead to severe health complications.

“The baby also had coarctation of the aorta, a condition in which a section of the main artery from the heart is narrowed, obstructing blood flow to the lower body and placing tremendous strain on the heart,” said Groom.

Despite the challenges posed by the baby’s tiny size and tender age, the surgical team was confident in their expertise, equipment, and above all, their faith.

“Through the grace of God, the right technology, and a highly trained team, we were able to proceed with the surgery,” said Groom.

He added, “We cooled the baby’s body to 20 degrees Celsius using hypothermia to protect vital organs and placed her on a heart-lung machine for two and a half hours to enable us to carry out the procedure.”

The team used echocardiography to create images of the baby’s heart and blood vessels, guiding the delicate repair.

Dr. Groom emphasized the complexity of heart formation during early pregnancy, noting that congenital heart defects can result from interruptions in this intricate development.

Jared Boriga, the baby’s father and a resident of Kisii County, expressed deep gratitude for the life-saving surgery.

A first-time father and a Kenyatta University psychology graduate, Boriga said he and his wife had exhausted all their resources in search of treatment in Kisii and Kisumu before arriving at AGC Tenwek Cardiothoracic Center.

“After diagnosis, we placed our faith in God and the doctors. I thank God and the Tenwek team for the miracle they performed on my son,” said Boriga.

However, the cost of treatment has been overwhelming for him as a young husband and father.

Boriga, therefore, appealed to well-wishers for financial support to cover the remaining medical bills.

Boriga shared his dream that one day, his son will grow up to become a surgeon and offer hope to other children born with similar conditions.