This is the success story of Asim, an 8-year-old ‘Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Survivor’. He was diagnosed with a CHD called an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), in which there is a hole that occurs in the septum (wall) that separates the heart’s upper ventricles (chambers).
The hole increases the amount of blood that flows through the lungs. A large, long-standing ASD can damage both the heart and lungs. An ASD is potentially life-threatening and symptoms include breathing difficulties, frequent lung infections, skipped heartbeats etc.
When Asim started getting sick because of his heart condition, his parents took him for a check-up in their hometown of Faisalabad, the second largest city and industrial center of the province of Punjab. The local doctor who examined him recommended an echocardiography (ECHO), which is a cardiac ultrasound.
The results of his ECHO confirmed the presence of his ASD and that it was life-threatening. This left his parents in a state of shock. To save their child’s life though, they had to remain strong and therefore immediately started looking for options for his required treatment.
After an extensive search, they eventually made their way to Lahore, a city where our flagship project, Pakistan’s first dedicated Children’s Heart Hospital & Research Institute, is being built. They met with a renowned Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon, Dr. Salman A. Shah, who informed them about our organization.
Asim’s father, who works as a labourer and solely supports his whole family, needed financial support for the relatively expensive heart surgery. Being among the best organizations in our respective field, that’s where we would step in.
Since inception in 2016, we have financially supported 500+ life-saving child heart surgeries, which would not be possible without the support of our incredible donor base, both individuals and organizations that believe in us. We are grateful beyond measure for all their support.
After an initial meeting with Asim’s parents, we were able to arrange the funds for his surgery in practically no time and scheduled it with all hospital-related formalities taken care of. A world-class team of healthcare professionals was also on board.
As he went in for his heart surgery, his parents wished and prayed for its success. Our team was also giving them hope and telling them that their son’s life was in the very best of hands. Despite being in tremendous distress, they were a symbol of strength throughout the entire process.
Following the complex procedure, it was an absolute privilege for us to tell them that Asim had defeated CHD! He was now a ‘CHD Survivor’ who could go on to live a completely normal life with his loved ones.
All of Asim’s family members were elated and felt eternally grateful to us. They wished us continued success in all our projects and we were thankful for their words of appreciation which we consider a driving force for our organization.
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 #ASD
#EveryLifeMattersEveryChildMatters #PCHFNA
