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A 7-month-old baby from Panama will arrive Thursday at Newark Liberty International Airport for lifesaving heart surgery after the Nutley Rotary Club with help from Assemblyman Fred Scalera (D-Essex) and the community raised money to pay the infant's medical fees.
The baby – Ana Victoria – is scheduled to undergo open-heart surgery at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Paterson. Her expenses are being paid for through the Rotary Gift of Life Foundation, with the Nutley Rotary Club sponsoring the trip under fund-raising efforts led by JoAnn Andriola of Nutley.
"Baby Ana desperately needs this life-saving medical attention, but as we've seen so often, the Rotary Gift of Life Foundation is stepping up to the plate and helping those in need," Scalera said. He has been a member of the Nutley Rotary for 15 years. "We all look forward to seeing Baby Ana recover and live a long, happy and healthy life."
Ana was born on June 10 and was diagnosed with Tetrology of Fallot, a congenital heart disease that includes four specific defects.The baby will be accompanied by her mother, Ana Carolina Montenegro Fernandez, for what is expected to be a recovery lasting up to three months.
The Nutley Rotary's fund-raising efforts involved an October motorcycle run. Several businesses, the Nutley Public Safety Department, the Essex County Sheriff's Office, the office of Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. and Nutley High School students joined to help the baby.
"This was an all-around community effort that we all should take pride in joining," Scalera said. "Working together to save the life of a baby girl is what it's all about. I thank everyone involved, and I know we all look forward to seeing Ana strong and smiling."
