This is the success story of Usman, a 2-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.
Immediately following his birth, Usman was diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening CHD. His family, despite being totally heartbroken by this, started looking for treatment options right away.
They started off in their home city of Multan, a major historic city in the southern part of the Punjab province of Pakistan. This is how they found out the relatively expensive cost of the required treatment.
Usman’s father, who works as a labourer and is the sole breadwinner in a family of 6, needed financial support. He eventually made his way to Lahore, the capital of Punjab. He first went to the prestigious Children’s Hospital there but was told that it would take 4-5 years for their turn to come.
He also met with renowned Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon, Dr. M. Asim Khan. After listening to the case, Dr. Asim referred the family to our organization, one of the very best when it comes to saving lives of deserving children in Pakistan suffering from CHD.
Usman’s father called our team in Lahore and scheduled a meeting. After evaluating the case, which is a very swift process, we were pleased to inform the family that we would be able to financially support the heart surgery. This was heartening to hear for them and was possible thanks to our incredible donor base.
The surgery was scheduled at Ittefaq Hospital (Trust) in Lahore and a world-class team of CHD healthcare professionals was on board. In terms of preparation, including all hospital and accommodation related formalities, everything possible had been done. Usman’s family was told that he was in safe hands and all they should do now was pray.
A few hours later, during which Usman was fighting for his life, we were thrilled to inform his loved ones that he had overcome CHD! He was now a ‘CHD Warrior’ who was able to battle through with our care.
His family was happy and grateful beyond measure to our team. A normal life together finally awaits them all. At the time of discharge, Usman’s mother mentioned that she now wishes for her son to become a doctor. We wish him every success in life.
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/
#SuccessStory #CHDSurvivor #TOF
#EveryLifeMattersEveryChildMatters #PCHFNA
