When Ardita was diagnosed with a heart murmur at birth, her parents were advised to take her to a hospital in Pristina, Kosovo, as soon as possible for further evaluation and tests.

Sadly, Ardit’s family was extremely poor. They had no money for medicine or doctor’s visits, much less surgery. The hole in Ardita’s heart was left untreated.

Ardita lives with her parents, siblings, a grandmother, and an aunt in a rural village about 45 minutes from the city of Gjakova. The area is so remote that there are no paved roads.

Lack of sufficient heat for their tiny house added to Ardita’s worsening health. She was especially sensitive to the cold and had difficulty breathing. Her father gathered wood in the forest for fuel, but that provided minimal comfort during the harsh Kosovar winters.

Ardit’s family despaired of what the future might hold. With the heart condition untreated, it seemed their little angel would not live a full life.

But then, at the age of two, Ardita was seen by a cardiologist at a screening organized by the Children’s Heart Project in Kosovo. The blue pallor of her skin was a sure sign that the girl would need surgery soon.

The Children’s Heart Project is the Samaritan's Purse ministry that identifies children with life-threatening heart disease in countries that lack technology and training, and matches them with North American hospitals and surgeons that donate their time and services.

Samaritan's Purse covered the cost of round-trip airfare for Ardita, her mom, and a translator to fly to Albuquerque, New Mexico, in October. Surgeons at an area hospital performed the delicate operation to repair her heart.

During their stay in Albuquerque, the group lived with a Christian couple who did not have children of their own. Even before the arrival of the group, the host family prayed for opportunities to share the Gospel with them. Those opportunities came through the outpouring of love from doctors and nurses, the host family and their church, and the Children’s Heart Project staff.

Since her return to Kosovo, Ardita’s mother Suzana has been open to hearing more about Jesus Christ. Her aunt is also seeking to know more about God and His purposes for their lives.

There are other ways God has been planting seeds of faith in the hearts of this family. Ardita’s grandparents heard the Good News while living in a refugee camp in Albania during the Balkan conflict. A group of believers there shared Gospel stories and did crafts with the children. Now there are plans to start a similar program for the children who live in Ardita’s village.

As for Ardita, she will be celebrating her third birthday on June 28. She has continued to grow stronger and gain weight since returning to Kosovo last fall. She has lots of energy and can run and play all day long with other children in her neighborhood.

For the past 11 years, the Children’s Heart Project has brought nearly 500 children to the United States and Canada for life-saving surgery. Most of the children come from Mongolia, Uganda, Kosovo, and Honduras, where medical facilities are not equipped to handle complicated cardiac operations. They return to their families and communities with healthy hearts for the first time in their lives.

The greatest miracle, however, is the inward change of heart. Dozens of the children and their relatives have seen the love of Jesus Christ displayed during their time spent in North America and have made decisions to follow Him.

In early May, four more children from Kosovo traveled to Oklahoma to undergo heart procedures. Please pray for Ardian, Aurora, Elisa, and Visare, that their health will be restored and that they and their families will come to know Jesus as their personal Savior.

Samaritan's Purse , Kosovo , Children's Heart Project , Restoring Hearts and Souls