This is the success story of Momin, an 8-year-old ‘Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Survivor’. He was diagnosed with a CHD called a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), in which there is a hole that occurs in the septum (wall) that separates the heart’s lower ventricles (chambers) and allows blood to pass from the left to the right side of the heart.
The oxygen-rich blood then gets pumped back to the lungs instead of out to the body, causing the heart to work harder. A VSD is potentially life-threatening, and symptoms include shortness of breath, frequent respiratory infections, paleness etc.
When Momin started experiencing the symptoms of CHD, his parents initially took him to a local doctor in their hometown of Sahiwal, a city in Pakistan’s province of Punjab known for its rich agriculture. They were told to get an echocardiography (ECHO), which is a cardiac ultrasound.
The results revealed that Momin had a potentially life-threatening CHD. This left his family in shock as prior to this they had been living a happy life together, even though Momin did at times suffer from bouts of illness.
They were told to go see Dr. Salman A. Shah, a renowned Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon, in Lahore as soon as they possibly could to discuss treatment options. Fearing the worst for Momin’s life, they were immediately on their way.
They met with Dr. Shah in Lahore and were informed that Momin would need surgery which was relatively expensive. His father, who works as a driver and solely supports his whole family, could not afford it and required financial support.
They were referred to us and being an organization that is dedicated to saving lives of deserving children born with CHD, we were ready to step in for Momin. Since inception in 2016, we have financially supported 500+ child heart surgeries and this would not be possible without the support of our incredible donor base.
After meeting with Momin’s family, we swiftly started planning for his surgery to take place. Our patient registration process is quick and all other formalities, including the arrangement of funds, was also done in practically no time.
The procedure was to take place at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital (ULTH) with a world-class team of healthcare professionals on board. As Momin went in for surgery, his family was asked to hope and pray for the best.
A few hours later, which were undoubtedly the hardest of their lives, we were thrilled to inform them that Momin was now a ‘CHD Survivor’ and his surgery was a success! Following unprecedented hardship, a better tomorrow now awaits them. They were grateful beyond measure and left wishing us continued success in all our projects.
1 in 100 children are born with CHD, the world’s most common birth defect. We hope that these stories inspire even more people to contribute towards our cause so that we can continue shaping a brighter future for affected children and their families. We are genuinely leaving no stone unturned for them. Every life matters, every child matters.
Join us on our journey to conquering CHD in Pakistan by donating now towards child heart surgeries or the construction of Pakistan’s first dedicated Children’s Heart Hospital & Research Institute (CHHRI) at: https://pchfna.kindful.com/
#SuccessStory #CHDSurvivor #VSD
#EveryLifeMattersEveryChildMatters #PCHFNA
