HJNO Jan/Feb 2026

50 JAN / FEB 2026 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS CHILDREN’S HEALTH COLUMN CHILDREN’S HEALTH BELGUTEI ARIUNBOLD was born in July 2022 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. At one month old, his pediatrician diagnosed him with an atrial septal defect (ASD), a congenital hole between the heart’s upper chambers that hadn’t closed before birth. Although Belgutei showed no symptoms, his parents understood that surgery even- tually would be necessary to ensure his long-term health. An ASD allows blood to pass between the heart’s upper chambers, sending ex- cess blood to the lungs. Small ASDs can close on their own, but large ones — like Belgutei’s — require medical repair. Left untreated, they can lead to arrhythmias, pulmonary hypertension, or heart failure later in life. When a pediatric cardiologist in Mon- golia explained that open-heart surgery was the only treatment option available there, his parents hesitated, seeking to explore every possible alternative before putting their baby through such an inva- sive procedure. Mongolian Toddler Travels 7,000 Miles for Life-Saving Heart Repair Ernesto Mejia, MD, with Mongolian patient Belgutei Ariunbold