June 10, 2025
A U.S. travel ban affecting 19 countries is putting the lives of sick Haitian children in jeopardy.
The International Cardiac Alliance (ICA), a nonprofit that facilitates heart surgeries for children from low-resource countries, says at least a dozen Haitian children may miss lifesaving procedures due to travel restrictions recently enacted by the Trump administration.
The travel ban went into effect May 9 under President Donald Trump, and it targets travelers from 19 nations. While it allows some exemptions, such as those attending major events like the Olympics, there is no mention of patients seeking treatment through humanitarian channels like ICA.
ICA Executive Director Owen Robinson said the organization currently has five open surgery slots in the U.S., but they may go unused with the new ban.
“Some kids could wait a few months, but others, if they don’t travel now, they may not survive,” he said.
The ICA’s work is important because the new ban situation is particularly dire for patients like 16-year-old Fabienne Rene of Port-au-Prince, who suffers from rheumatic heart disease. She can no longer attend school due to shortness of breath and symptoms.
Her father, Fignole Rene, called the travel ban’s implications “heartbreaking” as it will prevent them from flying through the U.S. en route to the Dominican Republic for treatment.
In total, ICA has over 300 Haitian patients on its waiting list, and for many, traveling for treatment is the only feasible option. While some patients are placed in regional hospitals in Haiti, political instability and safety concerns in Haiti have made it nearly impossible for foreign medical teams to work within the country itself.
“We used to operate there,” said Robinson. “Now, it’s just too dangerous.”
As reported by NBC News, Dr. John Clark, a pediatric cardiologist affiliated with ICA, said many children in Haiti suffer from preventable diseases like rheumatic heart disease due to untreated infections such as strep throat. Despite knowing the cause of the disease, with Haiti’s severe shortage of trained physicians, access to early care is minimal.
Currently, the ICA is appealing to the U.S. government for exemptions.
“These are real children with no other options,” said Clark. “They deserve a chance at life.”
As of now, it remains unclear whether the Trump administration will reconsider the policy for urgent medical cases.
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