This is the success story of Areeba, a 2-year-old ‘Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Survivor’. She was diagnosed with a CHD called a Complete Atrioventricular Canal Defect (CAVC), a complex heart defect where there is a large hole in the center of the heart, allowing oxygenated and deoxygenated blood to mix.
This defect involves both an atrial septal defect (hole between the atria) and a ventricular septal defect (hole between the ventricles), along with a single, abnormally formed valve instead of two separate ones. CAVC can cause symptoms like poor feeding, rapid breathing, and a heart murmur in newborns.
A few months following her birth, Areeba’s parents started noticing that her lips and fingernails were turning blue. This is called cyanosis and is a sign of CHD. She was immediately taken to a local doctor in her hometown of Jaranwala, a major agricultural centre of the Punjab province. Little did her family know what was about to be revealed.
After a thorough medical check-up including an Echocardiography (ECHO), which is a cardiac ultrasound, the presence of her potentially fatal heart condition was revealed. The family was told that Areeba needed heart surgery as soon as possible.
This left them in a state of absolute shock. Adding to their woes was the fact that she required treatment was relatively expensive. Areeba’s father, who works as a barber and solely supports a family of 4, found it unaffordable. He needed financial support.
In search of treatment options, he travelled to various cities and eventually made his way to Lahore, where our flagship project is being built. He firstly went to the renowned Children’s Hospital but because of the long waiting queue, he was left disheartened.
Then he met Dr. M. Asim Khan, a pediatric cardiac surgeon. He listened to the whole case and luckily for Areeba’s family, they were referred to us. This is where their fortunes would change.
Being an experienced organization that has financially supported over 900 child heart procedures since inception in 2016, we are among the premier organizations when it comes to saving lives of deserving children suffering from CHD. Areeba was being brought to the right place.
Her father wasted no time whatsoever in contacting us and scheduling a meeting. He was very optimistic and once our team were done studying the case, they told the family that we would be able to financially support Areeba’s surgery.
This was possible thanks to one of our partners in building hope, Deerfield Foundation. We are grateful beyond measure for their contribution towards our cause which is the reason so many children now have a second chance at living a normal life.
The heart surgery, a procedure which involved a CP Shunt, was arranged at Ittefaq Hospital (Trust) in Lahore. A brilliant team of CHD healthcare professionals was on board and as Areeba was about to go in for surgery, her family was told to remain calm and pray for its success.
A few hours later, most likely the hardest in the lives of Areeba’s family members, it was our privilege to inform them that Areeba had defeated CHD! She was now a ‘CHD Survivor’ who could go on to live life to the fullest.
Her loves ones, especially her father who gave his all to ensure that she got the best treatment, were all overwhelmed with emotion and had a new spark in their eyes like never before. At the time of discharge, they mentioned how they would do whatever they could to contribute towards our cause and such words are always a driving force for us.
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
