Kosovo Boy Gets Gift of Life at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn

When five-year-old Valon Syla arrived in New York from Kosovo, he braved the chilly weather without a coat. Now he has a new jacket and a whole lot more to warm his heart after receiving the gift of life for the holidays.

That’s because Syla, who had been diagnosed with a hole in his heart when he was born in Kosovo, was finally able to get the treatment he needed at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn. While doctors in Kosovo did not have the technology to repair his heart, the St. Francis team was able to provide the life-saving procedure. .

Syla received treatment thanks to humanitarian efforts by Gift of Life Inc., which brought him to the United States.

Using a minimally invasive, catheter-based device, Sean Levchuck, M.D., chairman of pediatric cardiology at St. Francis, repaired the hole between the two upper chambers of Valon’s heart caused by a congenital condition called “Atrial Septal Defect,” or ASD.

After undergoing the procedure on Dec. 17, Syla was out of the hospital in one day and on what hospital officials are describing as “an instant road to recovery.”

“To see a little boy stay overnight and be able to run and play the very next day is just amazing,” Levchuck said. “If it wasn’t for this procedure, Valon would grow up without the quality of life most kids take for granted.”

Levchuck donated his services to perform the state-of-the-art procedure. The Nicholas J. Vizza Fund, which supports Gift of Life children in need of cardiac procedures at St. Francis Hospital, subsidized the other medical expenses for Valon’s treatment.

Adding to the holiday spirit was a visit from Santa, who made a special trip to St. Francis Hospital to see the young boy.

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Valon Syla’s father Xhemajl, who is a day laborer and works in construction in Kosovo, looks forward to his son playing with his older brother without becoming pale and tired now that his heart has been repaired.

“I just want him to be able to play with the other kids in our village,” Xhemajl said, adding that his hope was his greatest wish for the new year.

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