“The best feeling in the world is knowing you’re saving lives,” that’s how Saudi Dr. Louai AbdulSamad described his motive behind devoting time and effort, aside from his busy schedule, to perform free heart surgeries for children in developing countries.

Over 1.3 million children are born with heart defects globally, with 100,000 of them die before their first birthday and thousands more die before reaching adulthood. Only eight per cent can afford heart surgeries globally.

Knowing these facts, AbdulSamad, Consultant of Cardiac Intensive Care at the Emergency Medicine department of King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Jeddah, decided to do his part in saving lives. He joined a team of 30 doctors to establish “Little Hearts” volunteering group in 2007 to save children born with congenital heart diseases (CHD) to families unable to afford costly treatment and surgeries. 

AbdulSamad works with a world-class team of pediatric surgeons and his 30-member team that include specialists in intensive care, anesthesiologists, technicians and nurses of various nationalities.

Since its inception, the “Little Hearts” team has carried out over 40 humanitarian trips in the region including Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Bangladesh and Tanzania. Over the past 10 years, it has performed free heart surgeries to over 3,000 children.

In the past few years, the team expanded operations, collaborating with charities and non-profit organizations to cover costs of surgeries that cost an average of $15,000 (about Dh55,000) per child.

Today, the “Little Hearts” group holds the British Charity Award. The volunteering doctors have also received certificates of honour from various official and civil authorities in the countries where they have performed dozens of critical heart surgeries.

Devoting time to perform complex life-saving surgeries impacted thousands of children who will grow up to become healthy active members in their communities.