Kimberson's Psuedoaneurysm

Kimberson Jean Simon, age three, lives in the Dominican Republic but is originally from Haiti. His mother, Eveline, is one of the thousands of Haitians who have moved to the DR for work in recent years.

As kids everywhere do, Kimberson came down with a low-grade fever one day, so Eveline brought him to a doctor near their home in the DR. “They said it was not serious, but they drew blood to test for infections. A day later, his arm became very painful where he had been pricked with the needle. I gave him the other medicine that was prescribed for him (and his fever seemed to be getting better), but Kimberson continued to cry because his arm was very painful.”

Eveline already had a trip home to Haiti planned for a few days later, so she called her friend back home and told her about her concerns about Kimberson’s arm. “She suggested that I bring Kimberson to St. Boniface Hospital when I came to Haiti because she had good experiences there receiving healthcare for herself and her children.”

When Eveline and Kimberson arrived at our doors, they learned that he had suffered from a pseudoaneurysm, which was caused by the needle accidentally hitting an artery during his blood draw in the DR. The prick to the artery caused a pocket of blood to form, creating pain and swelling in Kimberson’s arm. He needed a surgical procedure to repair the damage and avoid further complications and was admitted to St. Boniface Hospital’s pediatric ward.

Now recovering well, Kimberson is all smiles again, and his mother is happy and relieved to see her son feeling better. “I feel very proud to have this hospital in my country,” she says.