This is the success story of Anam, a 12-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.
Anam’s story is one of true perseverance. As an infant, she started suffering from symptoms such as a rapid heartbeat. As she grew older, she also used to have severe bouts of coughing. Her parents used to take her to several hospitals and doctors for check-ups, but failed to receive the proper guidance that was needed.
The condition of Anam’s heart was discovered through an echocardiography (ECHO), a cardiac ultrasound. Her parents understood that treatment was required as soon as possible but even though they had been looking for affordable options for years, anything concrete had eluded them.
However, the family did not give up and continued their search. They were going to take the fight to CHD as much as possible and one day, they were rewarded for patience. Some family friends who were going through a similar situation with their child, discovered PCHF.
Following their tremendously successful experience, they informed Anam’s family about our organization. This news was exactly what they had been waiting to hear for years and breathed new life into them. They wasted no time whatsoever and made their way to us immediately.
Since inception in 2016, we have financially supported 600+ life-saving child heart surgeries and were going to do our utmost for Anam as well. As we have a remarkable donor base, both individuals and organizations that believe in our cause, we managed to arrange funds to her surgery in practically no time.
Once that was taken care of along with hospital-related formalities, we scheduled Anam’s surgery at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital (ULTH). Dr. Faiz Rasool, a renowned Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, was to carry out the procedure with a world-class team of allied healthcare professionals alongside him.
Anam’s family was told that everything possible had been done in terms of preparation and all they had to do was be a source of support for her. To their credit, they remained calm in an extremely distressful situation and were praying for Anam to emerge as a ‘CHD Survivor’.
Once the highly intricate procedure, which lasted a few hours, was complete, we were delighted to inform Anam’s loved ones that their prayers had been answered and she had defeated CHD! Her fighting spirit ensured that she came through what was a life-altering experience. Hope in humanity had been restored.
After being properly guided during post-operative care, at the time of discharge, Anam’s family mentioned how grateful they were and that they wished us the very best for the success of our mission. We always consider such words as a source of inspiration and feel blessed to be able to give these deserving families a chance to live a normal life.
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 at: https://pchfna.kindful.com/
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#EveryLifeMattersEveryChildMatters #PCHFNA
