This is the success story of Wahaj, 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.
When Wahaj started showing signs of CHD, he was initially taken to a local doctor in his hometown of Multan, a major historic city in Pakistan’s Punjab province. After a thorough medical examination, an Echocardiography (ECHO) was recommended.
The results of this cardiac ultrasound confirmed that Wahaj had a potentially fatal heart condition. This was heartbreaking news for his family. Further complicating matters was the fact that he would need heart surgery as soon as possible and that it was relatively expensive.
Wahaj’s father works as a labourer and is the sole breadwinner in a family of 6. He needed financial support and in the search for options, he eventually made his way to Lahore, the capital of Punjab.
This is also where our flagship project is also located. In the more urban city, he met with Dr. M. Asim Khan, a renowned Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon and Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation (PCHF) Medical Advisory Board Member.
After listening to the whole ordeal, Dr. Asim referred the family to our team in Lahore. A meeting was immediately scheduled during which an evaluation would be done. Once this swift process was complete, we were pleased to inform them we would be able to financially support the required procedure.
This was possible because of our generous donors who we are forever grateful to. The surgery was going to take place at Ittefaq Hospital (Trust) in Lahore. Dr. Asim and his world-class team was on board.
With all formalities taken care of, the family was told that everything possible had been done when it came to preparations. All they had to do now was pray as the surgery took place. After its completion, we were thrilled to inform them that Wahaj had overcome CHD! He was now a ‘CHD Warrior’ with a brighter tomorrow to look forward to.
His family members were overjoyed with the outcome. They were grateful beyond measure to our team and our message to them is that they are the ones who matter most to us. We wish them all great lives together.
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
