While families across metro Atlanta gathered to celebrate the Fourth of July, another kind of mission was underway, one fueled by urgency, compassion, and a drive to make a global impact. A team of thirty-three dedicated volunteers and healthcare professionals from the United States, Canada, and India prepared to travel to Ethiopia, carrying more than $2 million in medical supplies. Their destination: three hospitals in Addis Ababa, where thousands of patients are waiting for life-saving cardiac treatment.
What is Heart Attack Ethiopia? It’s a nonprofit founded by Dr. Tesfaye Telila, an interventional cardiologist at Piedmont Newnan Hospital, and his wife, Dr. Obsinet Merid, a faculty member at Morehouse School of Medicine, the couple is now leading their fourth medical mission to improve cardiac care in Ethiopia.
As current residents of Coweta County, Georgia, and both are Ethiopian natives, the couple has transformed their professional expertise and the pain of personal loss into a mission that’s reshaping the landscape of cardiac care in their homeland.
“There are more than 15,000 people on the waiting list for immediate cardiac procedures,” Dr. Telila explains. “That includes children, adults, and even pregnant women. The need is overwhelming.”
With a population exceeding 120 million, Ethiopia faces a staggering cardiac care crisis. The country has fewer than 25 practicing cardiologists, limited supplies, limited resources, a lack of advanced techniques, and only a handful of fully equipped cardiac surgery centers.
Many patients experience years-long wait times, and some never receive the care they desperately need. It was from this reality that Heart Attack Ethiopia was born, a direct response to the escalating and ongoing burden of cardiovascular disease and the severe lack of accessible, life-saving treatment.
The organization has already made a major impact, completing three successful missions, performing over 200 surgeries, and significantly reducing surgical backlogs since its founding.
What sets this fourth mission apart is its historic introduction of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive procedure that allows doctors to replace a heart valve without opening the chest cavity. It’s a groundbreaking advancement for Ethiopia, where such techniques have never been performed before. “It’s like putting in a valve without opening up the patient’s chest,” Telila says. “This is a major milestone for cardiac care in Ethiopia.”
Heart Attack Ethiopia’s mission reaches far beyond clinical intervention. Throughout their two-week stay, the team will perform between 120 and 140 life-saving procedures, including pacemaker implantations, ablations, stenting, coronary angiography, and both pediatric and adult heart surgeries.
Starting in 2025, the organization will launch specialized training for local Ethiopian doctors, empowering them to perform these advanced procedures independently. It’s a vital step toward building self-sustaining cardiac care.
“Sustainability is our goal,” says Dr. Merid. “We want to ensure that hospitals are self-sufficient between our missions. That means investing in people, not just equipment.”
This dedication reflects the organization’s long-term vision: to create a comprehensive cardiovascular service line in Ethiopia that is accessible to all, regardless of socioeconomic status. By training local professionals and fostering a culture of preventive care, Heart Attack Ethiopia is laying the foundation for systemic transformation.
For Drs. Telila and Merid, the mission is profoundly personal. Both have endured the pain of losing loved ones to inadequate cardiac care and supplies in Ethiopia. That grief has become a driving force, a powerful call to action to ensure no family has to experience the same loss. Their sorrow fuels a movement defined by compassion, urgency, and the unyielding belief that every heart deserves a chance.
“How young these patients are is just mind-blowing,” Telila says. “The workforce of the country is sick and waiting for somebody to do something about it.”
Heart Attack Ethiopia represents a growing movement of Ethiopian American professionals who are using their experiences, training, and expertise to give back to their country of origin. It’s a remarkable act of leadership and a compelling story of diaspora impact.
According to Ethiopia’s Ambassador Fitsum Arega, diaspora-led initiatives like Heart Attack Ethiopia are playing a vital role in advancing education, economic development, and healthcare.
The success of Heart Attack Ethiopia is built on the strength of a deeply collaborative team, one made up of providers and specialists from multiple countries, united through partnerships with hospitals, academic institutions, medical suppliers, and device manufacturers. Their efforts are sustained by volunteerism, generous donations, and a shared belief in equitable, accessible cardiac care for all. “We can make a big impact in the world by collaborating with healthcare systems like Piedmont, medical device companies, and industries,” Telila says. “It’s about saving lives and expanding our footprint internationally.”
The organization’s website outlines its multifaceted approach: advocacy for equitable healthcare, biannual medical missions, infrastructure development, and professional training.
As the team prepares to train local staff and perform dozens of life-saving procedures, Heart Attack Ethiopia is also inviting the public to join its mission. Through fundraising events, social media updates, and community outreach, the organization raises awareness and encourages supporters to give. Even small monthly contributions can help provide cardiac care to patients still waiting, some for years, for the treatment they deserve.
“We believe that where one is born shouldn’t determine the quality of their life,” reads the organization’s mission statement.
The July 4th mission is just the start. Heart Attack Ethiopia envisions a future where cardiac care is no longer a privilege but a right. Plans and goals are underway to establish a Cardiovascular Center of Excellence in Ethiopia that would be operated by local professionals and supported through an integrated global partnership. The goal is to build a sustainable interconnected system that continues to serve patients long after each mission ends, ensuring lasting impact and equitable access for generations to come. “This is about legacy,” says Merid. “It’s about building something that lasts.”
Visit Heart Attack Ethiopia’s official website at heartattackethiopia.org to learn more or support the mission.
