Jamyang Yugyel Drakpa is the third of four siblings. His father, NIima, works as a bus driver, and his mother, Sonam Peldon, is a housewife. His family lives in Tashingang Township, about 550 kilometers from the capital. Jamyang Yugyel Drakpa was diagnosed with congenital heart disease when he was around 7-8 months old. His mother noticed that when he was nursing, he would breathe rapidly, feel tired, and have a fast heartbeat. So, she took him to Tashingung Hospital for checkups. Doctors diagnosed him with a ventricular septal defect (VSD). The doctors scheduled him for repeat checkups every 1-2 months to monitor his symptoms. Until he was 4 years old, the doctors told him that the hole in his heart would not close on its own and recommended surgery. The doctors contacted the 99 Bhutanese children’s heart surgery project to offer merit to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Thai – Bhutan Save Blue Heart Project) under the care of The Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Foundation.

Jamyang Yugyel Drakpa had to travel from home to catch a plane, which is the only international airport in Bhutan, the capital city of Thimpu, taking 2 days by car. He arrived in Thailand on January 13, 2017 and underwent surgery to close the ventricular septal defect (C-VSD) at the Heart Disease Center, Kasemrad Prachachuen Hospital on Monday, January 16, 2017. The surgery went well. Jamyang Yugyel Drakpa was able to leave the hospital on Monday, January 23, 2017.

On February 1, 2017, Jamyang Yugyel Drakpa returned to Rajavithi Hospital for a post-surgery heart check-up. And another lung X-ray was done, which showed that the baby was in good health and could return home to continue receiving treatment. Jamyang Yugyel Drakpa and his family traveled back to Bhutan on Tuesday, February 7, 2017.