This is the success story of Toqeer, a 9-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 chambers (atria).
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.
Like most children his age, Toqeer loved to play around. However, his body used to heat up more than normal and he was also experiencing a rapid heartbeat. After his parents used to give him a bath, his lips used to turn blue as well. That is what set off alarm bells for them.
They took him to the renowned Children’s Hospital in Lahore, the capital of the Punjab province where our flagship project is also built. That is where he was made to undergo an Echocardiography (ECHO), which is a cardiac ultrasound.
The results of this test confirmed the presence of Toqeer’s life-threatening CHD. The fact that he needed heart surgery as a child was extremely distressful news for his parents. A life without Toqeer was inconceivable or them.
What added to their woes was that the waiting list at the hospital was too long and the family was told that it could take up to 5 years before Toqeer could have surgery there. Besides that, they also needed financial support. After listening to their predicament, the doctors there referred them to us.
Being among the premier organizations in the field of CHD with a remarkable donor base behind us, we are always ready to step up to help deserving families affected by the world’s most common birth defect. Since inception in 2016, we have financially supported over 800 child heart procedures.
We were the source of hope that Toqeer’s family needed and after an intial swift evaluation of the case, we were ready to change their lives. The heart procedure was scheduled at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital (ULTH) with all formalities quickly taken care of.
Deerfield Foundation, one of our partners in building hope, has given us a grant to support our cause. We are grateful beyond measure to them for joining us on our journey and their funds were used to help shape a brighter future for Toqeer.
Toqeer’s family was surprised at how smoothly everything was happening. They were told that a brilliant team of CHD healthcare professionals was on board for the surgery and all they had to do now was pray for its success.
This is easier said than done, but to their credit, throughout the hours that followed Toqeer’s family remained a symbol of strength. Once the heart surgery was complete, it was our privilege to inform them that Toqeer had overcome CHD! He was now a ‘CHD Survivor’ who would have the opportunity to find his way back to a normal life.
His family felt grateful beyond measure to us. At the time of discharge, they wished us continued success in all our projects and for our whole team, such words are always highly motivational. The world needs the light of these families to shine brighter than ever and we are here to help.
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
