This is the success story of Manan, a 4-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.
Manan’s family is from Kashmir, widely regarded as one of the most stunning regions of Pakistan. However, for him and his loved ones, life turned from beautiful to extremely challenging in an instant.
Just 3 months after his birth, after seeing that Manan was frequently vomiting, his parents took him for a check-up at a local hospital. After undergoing a thorough examination including an Echocardiography (ECHO), which is a cardiac ultrasound, Manan’s life-threatening heart condition was discovered.
This was the beginning of a tremendously troublesome time for the whole family. Firstly, they were told that the required treatment was not available locally and that they would have to travel to Lahore, the capital of the Punjab province. To make matters worse, they were also informed of the estimated cost of the treatment which they found unaffordable.
Manan’s father works as a labourer and is the sole breadwinner in a family of 8. Despite the challenges though, he made multiple visits to Lahore and searched for treatment options. He desperately needed financial support so his son could have a second chance at living a normal life.
A few years passed by and Manan’s condition started worsening. His growth was delayed and he also could not digest food properly. In such a dire situation, a person who turned out to be a massive blessing for him, told his family about our organization. That’s when everything started to change.
When it comes to saving lives of deserving children in Pakistan suffering from Congenital Heart Disease (CHD), we are among the premier organizations in the country. Since inception in 2016, we have financially supported over 800 child heart procedures.
We are also blessed with an incredible donor base, which includes both organizations and individuals who believe in our cause. In Manan’s case funds from one of our partners in building hope, Deerfield Foundation, were going to be utilized to heal his heart.
Once we had a meeting with Manan’s family and did a financial evaluation, his surgery was scheduled at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital (ULTH). A brilliant team of CHD healthcare professionals was on board as well.
As the time arrived for Manan to fight for his life, his family was told that he was in the best of hands and that they should remain calm. Despite the assurances though, the next few hours were naturally the most difficult of their lives.
Following the completion of the intricate procedure, we were thrilled to inform them that Manan had overcome CHD! He was now a ‘CHD Survivor’ and the pathway to a brighter future was forthcoming.
The entire family was immensely thankful to us. They said that we were doing an incredible job for families like theirs and wished us continued success in all our projects. Such words are always a source of motivation for us and make all our hard work completely worth it.
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
#1in100 #CHDAwareness #ConqueringCHD
