This is the success story of Rohan, a 1-year-old ‘Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Survivor’. He was diagnosed with a CHD called Tetralogy Of Fallot (TOF), in which 4 heart problems occur simultaneously, decreasing the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream. It can be fatal if left untreated.
Symptoms include bluish skin colour, developmental delays etc. CHDs such as TOF can be caused by a combination of factors, such as genes or things the mother comes in contact with. It may be diagnosed during pregnancy or shortly after birth.
Right after Rohan’s birth, his parents noticed that he had cyanosis (bluish skin colour) and that raised alarm bells. His father who works as a labourer in Upper Dir, a region in the northern areas of Pakistan, fist took him to a local doctor for a check-up.
Not knowing a thing about CHD, Rohan’s family was shocked to find out about his life-threatening condition. This was confirmed through an Echocardiography (ECHO), which is a cardiac ultrasound.
The family was told to visit Peshawar, the capital of KPK which is the northernmost province of Pakistan. That is where they met a doctor who informed them about the treatment that was needed to save Rohan’s life.
As they found the procedure unaffordable, financial support was required. Luckily for them, their doctor in Peshawar informed them about our organization. This would be a turning point in their lives.
Since inception in 2016, with the support of our generous donor base, we have financially supported over 800 child heart procedures. With years of experience behind us, we are best suited to helping deserving families in Pakistan trying to overcome the challenge of CHD.
As they found their ray of hope, Rohan’s family wasted no time whatsoever in contacting us. A meeting was scheduled and they immediately made their way to Lahore, where our team is located.
Following our swift evaluation of the case, the family was told that we would financially support Rohan’s heart surgery with the help of one of our partners in building hope, Deerfield Foundation. They were thankful beyond measure to us for arranging the required funds.
With all other formalities also taken care of, we were happy to tell the family that Rohan’s heart surgery had been scheduled at Ittefaq Hospital (Trust) in Lahore. A world-class team of CHD healthcare professionals, including renowned Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon – Dr. M. Asim Khan, would carry out the procedure.
When the time came for Rohan to go in for surgery, the family was assured that everything possible had been done in terms of preparation. All they had to do now was to remain calm and pray for the surgery to be a success.
Rohan fought for his life and a few hours later it was our privilege to inform the family that Rohan had defeated CHD! He was now a ‘CHD Survivor’. A new life was on the horizon for Rohan.
His family was overwhelmed with emotion, especially his father who told us that he now wished for his son to become a doctor so that he could help other deserving families like theirs. They also wished us continued success in all our projects and such words are soothing for our spirit. We wish them lives filled with happiness.
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
