MOGADISHU, Somalia – In a story that interlaces hope and heartache, two young Somali girls took a courageous leap from their homeland, Mogadishu, to Milan, Italy, this past Sunday. Supported by the Hormuud Salaam Foundation (HSF), these girls are embarking on a life-saving journey to receive heart surgeries that are just not feasible within their homeland’s current healthcare landscape. Their delicate hearts, each battling congenital conditions too severe for local medical facilities, found a glimmer of hope many realms away.

These two brave souls, identified during a fortuitous visit to Somalia’s capital by a team of Italian doctors, presented with complex congenital heart defects. Welcare Hospital’s screening session uncovered a startling reality—multiple children entangled in a silent health crisis, yearning for surgeries beyond Somalia’s capacity, a nation where hospitals groan under the weight of longstanding strife. For these children, especially our two protagonists aged between 5 and 12, time was slipping by as swiftly as sand through fingers.

“The situation was critical; delay was not an option,” conveyed the determined voice of Abdullahi Nur Osman, head of HSF, reflecting the foundation’s mission to subsidize these critical healthcare voids. “This initiative is our promise to give them another chance at life.” It’s a poignant sentiment, one that echoes through the corridors of Aden Abdulle International Airport where tears mingled with hope as families bade farewell to their daughters.

Osman further highlighted that these two are just the first set of six children embarking on this life-saving venture to Milan. Established last year, this extraordinary program is the foundation’s heartfelt answer to the cries of children born with congenital heart defects who may otherwise never see another birthday. The operation is a brilliant example of cross-border, compassionate collaboration as Italy’s government co-sponsors the endeavor.

Adna Moalim Abdirahman, a Somali humanitarian whose resolve gently leads the charge, stands as a symbol of hope. “Hope is our guiding star,” she proclaimed amid the bustling atmosphere of Welcare Hospital, where emotional farewells were the order of the day. “Every beat matters; we are here to fight for it.”

Reflecting on past triumphs, the program has previously sent eight other children to Italy in 2024, each returning with the radiant light of health in their eyes. These endeavors are more than medical—they are emotional odysseys toward a future where every heartbeat counts and healthcare is a right, not a privilege. “This is just the beginning,” Osman says with resolved optimism. “Our work continues as long as there’s more we can do.”

For families gathered at Mogadishu’s airport, holding a bittersweet mix of apprehension and gratitude, there seemed to be no words rich enough to express their emotions. “Today seemed like an impossible dream,” murmured a mother, her voice trembling with emotion but also gratitude. “HSF and Adna have given us hope when we had none.”

Expressing its gratitude, the Hormuud Salaam Foundation extended its thanks to partners, including Welcare Hospital, the Italian embassy, and the Ministry of Health in Somalia. Yet, Osman and the team recognize the long road ahead. “This is about creating a difference in the lives of more children who need our help,” he said. “Stopping is not an option.”

In a nation still grappling with the dual challenges of insecurity and poverty, this initiative glimmers as a beacon of light. Heart defects, which are routinely addressed in wealthier nations, represent a life-or-death situation here. While these efforts might seem like a drop in the ocean, for those children and their families, it is a living testament that hope is alive and well—one child at a time.