Baya heart surgery at Lille University Hospital through Enfance et Vie, Digi Mart USA News (Lille, France): Each year, the association Enfance et Vie, based in Loos (Nord), enables eight to nine foreign children to undergo surgery at the Lille University Hospital (CHU de Lille). Among them is Baya, 9, who arrived from Tunisia in September for a heart operation.
On September 12, Baya left Tunisia with a single suitcase to have heart surgery in France. She was accompanied on the journey by volunteer escorts from Aviation sans frontières.
On arrival at Brussels airport, she was welcomed by Karine and Michel Boileau, who took her to their home in Courrières, near Hénin-Beaumont (Pas-de-Calais).
Over eight weeks, the couple hosted the girl during her procedure and recovery. At the end of October, she was able to return home with what the family described as a heart working like new.
Baya traveled to France because of a congenital heart defect, tetralogy of Fallot, diagnosed when she started primary school. The condition disrupts blood circulation and oxygenation.
According to Karine Boileau, in Tunisia it is often detected around age six, when a medical examination is required before school entry. Before surgery, Baya’s blood oxygen saturation measured 75%.
In France, children with this condition are generally operated on during their first year of life, as the defect is usually detected through early ultrasounds or at birth. In some countries, including Tunisia, access to care and surgery remains difficult due to a lack of technical or financial resources, according to the Enfance et Vie association on its website.
Baya lives 60 kilometers from the hospital in Sfax. Her family could not afford even a taxi to get there.
Her father earns only enough to cover rent, and her mother does not work, Karine Boileau explained. Boileau, a volunteer and foster mother for three years, said the family’s circumstances made treatment impossible without outside help.
Enfance et Vie organizes the arrival in France of eight to nine children each year so they can receive care. Boileau, a former laboratory technician at the CHU de Lille, said such treatment is vital.
She said children in these countries often die on average around age 10 without medical follow-up. According to the surgeon’s report on Baya, she would not have survived beyond age 12, making the operation urgent.
Working with teams from the Institut Cœur-Poumon at the CHU de Lille, Enfance et Vie reviews medical files and supports children throughout their stay. Volunteer host families, such as the Boileau couple, then house them during examinations, surgery and recovery.
Since the partnership began in 1986, more than 235 children have been cared for.
The process also brought challenges. Families and the child had to overcome a language barrier, and a translator was needed at first.
Over time, Baya began to understand and communicate using sign language.
The host couple also found that Baya lacked many everyday reference points common to children her age in France. She could not dress herself, use a toilet, or recognize toys.
Adapting was the hardest part. On arrival, she also refused to eat or drink.
Boileau said Baya was in a state of shock and did not understand why she was there, as her parents had not clearly explained what to expect and she believed she would stay only two days.
Together with her husband, Michel, Boileau prepared a calendar to explain how long the stay would last. The operation itself took 12 hours, followed by days of intensive care and observation in hospital, so patience and trust were essential.
Gradually, the initially withdrawn child opened up to the couple. After surgery, Boileau said they discovered a different girl who ran through the hospital corridors and smiled at them.
At the end of October, after eight weeks in the Pas-de-Calais, Baya returned to her parents in Tunisia after four ultrasounds that were all normal. She will still need follow-up care at least once a year.
“We gave her a chance to continue her life. We hope she understands that everything is possible for her now,” Boileau said.
Enfance et Vie handles every aspect of each case, including the visa, passport and operation, funded through donations and charity events. To support the work, two performances of the comedy “Ouvert jour et nuit” by the theater troupe La Parenthèse Théâtre will be held at the François-Mitterrand media library in Courrières on Saturday, November 28 at 8 p.m.
and Sunday, November 29 at 3:30 p.m. All proceeds will go to Enfance et Vie.
Tickets cost 13 euros and can be booked online via HelloAsso.
