This is the success story of Abdul, a 12-year-old ‘Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Survivor’. He was diagnosed with a CHD called an Atrial Septal Defect, 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.
Living life as a normal third grade student, one day, Abdul started experiencing chest pain and his parents had to take him to a local hospital in their hometown of Nankana Sahib, which is an important religious site for Sikhs in the Punjab province. Suspecting an underlying heart condition, the doctor there told them to travel to Lahore for further tests.
Abdul’s parents, worried for his health, wasted no time whatsoever in travelling to Lahore. They visited the renowned Children’s Hospital and it was there that Abdul had an echocardiography (ECHO) done. The results of this cardiac ultrasound confirmed that he had a potentially life-threatening CHD.
This left the whole family completely devastated. They had already gone through a similar situation with Abdul’s sister and therefore did not have the funds required for his treatment.
When he informed the doctors at Children’s Hospital about this, they were the ones who referred the family to us, an organization that has financially supported 600+ child heart surgeries since inception in 2016. Now they felt like there was a glimmer of hope and Abdul’s father contacted us immediately.
Following an initial meeting, Abdul’s case was evaluated. Just a few days later, we informed them that we would be able to financially support the surgery in full. They were thrilled to hear this and all formalities would now be initiated.
Thanks to our exceptional donor base, both organizations and individuals who believe in our cause, the funds were swiftly arranged and all other hospital-related matters were also taken care of. Abdul’s surgery was to take place at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital (ULTH) with a world-class team of CHD healthcare professionals on board.
The procedure that Abdul was to undergo is called an ASD Closure. His parents were assured that he was in the very best of hands and that they should remain hopeful that their son would overcome this unprecedented challenge.
Even though they were pleased to hear these words, the only thing that would give them true relief was Abdul’s successful heart surgery. A few very difficult hours later, that is exactly what they got to hear. Abdul had survived CHD!
Adbul’s parents were both happy and grateful beyond measure. The last few years had been incredibly hard for the entire family, but now, they could look forward to a life filled with special moments together. As Abdul was being discharged as a ‘CHD Survivor’, his father told us how much he appreciated us and every single member of our team.
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
