Kauan should not undergo the necessary heart surgery, according to his mother, Laise Sousa. Doctors at the São José do Rio Preto Children's and Maternity Hospital, located in São Paulo, assessed that the procedure poses a high risk of death for the boy. The family plans to return to Tocantins.
After being admitted to the hospital, the boy underwent various examinations. In a video shared on social media on Friday afternoon (2), the mother reported that the doctors held a meeting and concluded that there was no indication for the surgery. She mentioned that Cauã has multiple neurological and pulmonary problems, making any intervention unfeasible.
Kauan needed a surgery called Fontan, a procedure indicated for children born with only one functional ventricle in the heart. Laise expressed her despair, stating that despite her efforts, the risk of death was very high, and that, therefore, 'nothing can be done for him.'
In September, Laise protested by chaining herself to the gate of the General Hospital of Palmas (HGP) to demand her son's transfer to a reference hospital in São Paulo. She lamented having fought so much and feeling that everything might end without success, but acknowledged that she tried her best, reinforcing that the risk of operating on him and him passing away was excessively high.
According to Laise, the hospital team communicated that there was nothing more to be done, ordering that she and her son be returned to Tocantins. Currently, she expresses the intention of focusing on providing comfort to the boy, accepting the diagnosis and waiting for the moment God determines.
The São José do Rio Preto Children's and Maternity Hospital stated that it provided all necessary clarifications to the family after evaluating the patient. Furthermore, the institution emphasized that, by law, it cannot disclose or comment on any details or circumstances related to the patient that could expose their data.
Recalling the case
The family originates from Paraíso do Tocantins, a municipality located approximately 60 km from Palmas. This case dates back to 2024, when Laise requested treatment outside her city. In July 2025, the Judiciary ordered the State to arrange the child's transfer to the São José do Rio Preto Children's and Maternity Hospital, using an air ICU, with the right to one companion and coverage of lodging expenses.
A year later, the Judiciary issued a new determination, blocking the necessary financial amount for the surgery. Laise staged a protest by chaining herself to the gate of HGP on the morning of September 9, and on the same day went to the Public Ministry, requesting her son's transfer.
During that period, the State Health Secretariat informed that the patient had been treated at the Municipal Hospital of Araguaína and that, after medical evaluations, the Fontan surgery was considered contraindicated due to the child's clinical conditions, which presented clinical fragility and compromise of vascular access. On September 12, 2026, the State notified that the transfer was authorized, awaiting acceptance by the unit in São Paulo. Kauan was transferred to São Paulo fourteen days after this release.