JESSICA James, a young woman battling atrial septal defect (ASD), is pleading for cash donations as the date for a possible life-saving surgery approaches.

ASD is a birth defect in which there is a hole in the wall (septum) that divides the upper chambers (atria) of the heart. The hole can vary in size and may close on its own or may require surgery.

James, who was diagnosed with ASD 25 years ago, is now desperately in need of surgery. She has taken to the popular social media platform TikTok to raise awareness about her illness. Since February, James has been sharing her story and has managed to raise just over US$9,000 out of the initial US$20,000 she needs for expenses related to the surgery which is slated to be done at the University Hospital of the West Indies.

According to James, over the years her heart has been overworked leading to swelling, shortness of breath, and fatigue with doctors indicating that surgery is now crucial to reverse some of the damage that has taken place.

“My surgery – it’s really time sensitive, so I’m trying to get it done as soon as possible,” James told the Jamaica Observer.

“The date they provided me with is July 17. It is very soon but if I can’t really raise the funds then they will try to push it back and I’m trying to very much avoid that because I have been informed that it needs to be done quite early because I’ve been living with it for 25 years and the longer it takes, the worst it gets to the point where I might not be able to do the surgery,” added James who shared her medical records with the Observer.

The records show that she has been diagnosed with a large secundum ASD with a dilated right heart and moderate pulmonary hypertension, clubbed fingers, and glaucoma.

Dr Deron Reid, a consultant cardiologist specialising in adult congenital heart disease, has been overseeing her case since August 2022 and he emphasised the need for urgent closure of the hole.

“Patients who leave this unrepaired as they get into adulthood would have major complications such as pulmonary hypertension and it can progress to the point where it is beyond closure,” said Dr Reid.

“Based on the investigations done, I decided that she needed an intervention to close this hole. We consulted at the University Hospital through Dr Tahira Redwood who at the time offered her a percutaneous device closure approach, which means that this procedure would not require open-heart surgery,” added Dr Reid.

He said an assessment which was done in in May revealed that due to the size of the hole it could not be treated using the percutaneous device closure approach, so surgery is now recommended.

Dr Reid noted that the date for the surgery is dependent on James’ ability to secure the necessary funding.

The urgency of James situation has members of her family worried and they have joined the appeal for financial support for her to be able to do the critical surgery.

“She really needs it because if she doesn’t get the surgery, she will die. The hole in her heart has also affected her eyesight, requiring her to use eye drops every night,” said her sister Jamelia.

Donation to Jessica James can be made at https://gofund.me/bf5330c4