Lucas Francesco is 7 years old and had already undergone 19 surgeries, three of them open-heart surgeries.
In Cúcuta, tired of waiting more than a year for medications for his heart condition, he recorded a video asking President Abelardo De La Espriella not to let him die. The president ordered his case to be handled urgently, called him before the operation, and promised him something simple: we won’t leave you alone. Days later, Lucas arrived at the Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia in Bucaramanga to undergo the surgery that could change everything.
On September 21, he underwent surgery lasting more than six hours to improve blood flow to his lungs and ease the strain on his heart. He is now in the ICU, going through the 72 most critical hours of his recovery. His parents, Andrea and Luis, summed it up this way: the boy has come through in an admirable way, in their view.