Photos by PATIL ARMENIAN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Before
the operation Tuesday morning, UCLA heart surgeon Dr.
Hillel Laks plays with 2-year-old Endrit
Shala as his mother, Fetije, and
interpreter Atifete Kasumi (far right) join
in.
By Janet Chang
Daily Bruin Contributor
Forced to abandon her home in Kosovo, Fetije Shala hid in the
woods for three months while pregnant with her now-2-year-old son,
Endrit, to escape the horrors of the war.
“They wanted us to leave our houses,” Shala said,
through a translator. “We had nowhere to go but to the woods,
without eating and clothing.”
Despite the hardships, Shala gave birth to her son, only to
discover later that he had a large heart defect.
Doctors later diagnosed Endrit with leaking heart valves.
Back in war-torn Kosovo, Endrit and 6-year-old Azize Elshani,
who has a blocked artery that leads to the lungs, and a
communication problem between the left and right sides of her
heart, could not receive the proper care to correct their heart
problems.
The Samaritan’s Purse Children’s Heart Project, an
organization that provides aid to families affected by war,
traveled to Kosovo and found the two children, whose heart
conditions required immediate medical attention.
The organization arranged for them, their mothers and an
interpreter to fly to Los Angeles, where they would undergo
lifesaving operations at the Mattel Children’s Hospital at
UCLA.
“Their surgery could not be accomplished in Kosovo,”
said Lynn Pappas, administrative director of cardiothoracic
surgery. “This is their last chance.”
 Six-year-old heart patient Azize
(center) waits for news about Endrit with her mother,
Zarife Elshani (left) and host, Mary
Carter Tuesday. The Rotary International District 5280
arranged for host families in Los Angeles to help the two children,
their mothers and the interpreter adjust to their stay in the
United States.
At the same time, UCLA Medical Center arranged for a grant to
pay for the two surgeries, both of which cost $130,000.
The efforts to save the two children would not have been
possible without the collaboration between all three groups, which
provided funds for the surgeries to take place, Pappas said.
“This is bigger than what any one of us have ever
done,” she said.
After flying in, the visitors from Kosovo settled in with two
host families living near L.A. before their operations.
Following the surgeries, another couple of hosts will each take
the visitors into their homes until Dec. 18, when they will depart
for Kosovo after the children have had time to recuperate.
Though the children were to undergo surgery in a week, they got
to tour L.A. and received the chance to experience life in the
U.S.
“We went to Hollywood. We went to see the homes of the
stars,” said Zarife Elshani, mother of Azize, through a
translator. “We took pictures and ate
McDonald’s.”
Coming from rural villages in the midst of war, the visitors
were impressed by urban life in L.A. and the size of the Medical
Center.
“I like it very much here.The hospital is so huge,”
Elshani said. “The homes are nice.”
Despite their illnesses, Azize and Endrit were full of energy as
they waited for their consultation with UCLA doctors and their
eventual surgeries.
 Fetije and Endrit Shala
answer questions from a television crew Monday morning at the
hospital after Endrit’s checkup.
Oblivious to the language barriers and possible culture shock,
Azize and Endrit have adjusted well to their stay in L.A.,
according to members of their host families.
“They’re just like normal kids. They watch TV and
they jump into the bed with the rest of my grandkids,” said
Ron Carter, one of the hosts. “There is no language
barrier. They just play and have fun.”
Bill Hector, another host, agreed about the vivacity of Azize
and Endrit.
“I love these kids. They are full of energy and
vivid,” Hector said. “It’s hard to believe that
they’re sick.”
In spite of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, the host
families did not find entertaining their visitors troublesome.
Hector said Elshani has insisted on cooking their meals since their
arrival.
“She cooked dinner last night and tonight,” he said.
“She cooked meat and rice and some kind of a tomato dish that
was just fabulous.”
The collaboration between UCLA Medical Center and the other two
organizations, in addition to the support of the host families,
gave Elshani and Shala renewed hope in spite of the seriousness of
their children’s illness.
“We hope that everything will end successfully,”
Elshani said.
The surgeries that might otherwise seem difficult in other parts
of the world are routine procedures for the Mattel Children’s
Hospital at UCLA. Pappas said the surgeries would be very
straightforward.
Shala said she was hopeful about the surgery because of
UCLA’s reputation.
“I was told that this was one of the best centers in the
world,” Shala said.
Nonetheless, she couldn’t keep from crying as Dr. Hillel
Laks, who performed Endrit’s surgery, carried her son to the
operating room on Tuesday.
Azize will undergo her surgery today at the children’s
hospital.
For the next couple of weeks, the children will recuperate both
at the hospital as well as in the homes of two new host families
before returning to Kosovo in time for Christmas.
“We’re looking forward to going home,” Zarife
said. “I have two more children and a husband at
home.”
Despite their worries and the troubles in their home country,
the two mothers expressed gratitude for the generosity shown them
by complete strangers.
“We really appreciate the hospitality in here. Everyone is
so kind,” Shala said. “We thank everyone who helped us
over here. We’re blessed.”