PJ’s Coffee Rallies Guests to Help Child Receive Life-Saving Surgery

PJ’s Coffee is asking its guests to share a little piece of their hearts with Kamila Temes, a prematurely born child in desperate need of open-heart surgery.

The two-year-old girl was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, a combination of four defects in her small, fragile heart that left untreated are incompatible with life. Kamila must undergo surgery to leave the Children’s Hospital of New Orleans intensive care unit and return to her home in Belize.

PJ’s Coffee is partnering with HeartGift - a not-for-profit organization that provides lifesaving congenital heart defect surgery to children worldwide - to make this miracle happen. Throughout September and October, PJ’s guests are invited to donate to the HeartGift Campaign in the amount of $1, $3 or $5. These funds will help cover the expense of Kamila’s surgery in New Orleans because the specialized medicine and treatment are not available in Belize.

“It’s a privilege to be able to help Kamila, and her family, in this way,” said Reid Nolte, Vice President of Brand Strategy at PJ’s Coffee. “We are once again honored to partner with HeartGift and our generous guests to literally save a precious little girl’s life. Because Kamila’s surgery will be performed right here in our hometown of New Orleans, we want to make sure she and her family feel the love of this amazing community and PJ’s guests all across the country.”

While PJ’s handles the finances, HeartGift will take care of everything else Kamila needs during her stay. The organization has already placed Kamila and her mother with a gracious New Orleans host family that is providing a home-away-from-home experience throughout Kamila’s surgery and recovery period.

The fundraiser will take place across PJ’s Coffee locations systemwide, which will be decorated with flyers and HeartGift-branded posters in support of the campaign. All donations will go toward Kamila’s surgery expenses.