A Punahou high school senior is on a mission to lend a helping hand to local children suffering from heart disease.
The teen is raising money to fund a special camp for kids.
"She was born with a hole in her heart, we found out when she was two days old. I think the best word is devastating the shock and devastation of thinking that your child had potential life threatening disease," says Jasmine Mau-Mukai, Cara's mother.
Thankfully, three years later Cara Mukai's broken heart was fixed.
"She was one of the earliest cases of children who was able to have surgery here," says Mau-Mukai.
And now 17 year-old Cara wants to give back to Kapiolani hospital and the children currently being treated there.
"I was watching you tube videos of this guy named AJ Rafael and he put on a benefit concert for autism and I thought that was cool so I thought why not throw a concert for kardiac kids," says Cara Mukai, coordinating fundraiser.
The Punahou high school senior says a camp for kids with heart conditions was canceled due to lack of funding so she decided to step up and put together her own camp.
"The camp is free for everybody to attend so a lot of money needs to be raised," says Mukai.
The camp costs a total of $5,000 and thanks to a generous donor half of it is already paid for...so Cara decided to hold a fundraising concert this Saturday to make up the rest.
"I guess I just thought it was sad the camp couldn't happen just because there wasn't enough money I thought that wasn't a good reason so I wanted to try and do what I could to make it happen for the kids cause I know that it means a lot to them," says Mukai.
The heal a heart benefit concert will feature the mini heartbeats and other kardiac kids who love to sing and dance.
"This child I didn't know if she would live to think that she's gone on and she likes to sing and dance and do all these other things we are proud of her its really amazing," says Mau-Mukai.
Fundraiser will be held Saturday, February 11 at Olivet Baptist Church 1775 S. Beretania Street, 7-8:30 p.m.
