12-Year-Old Munir’s Success Story
#SuccessStory
“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.” – John F. Kennedy
Since our inception in 2012, we at Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation (PCHF), have helped 2944 children get heart surgery at a total cost of PKR 1122 million. This is the phenomenal success story of one of those patients, 12-year-old Munir.
Munir was diagnosed with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) as an infant. This was extremely worrisome for his entire family, however, the doctors said that there was a chance Munir’s heart defect would heal on its own, and so the family opted against surgery at the time.
Munir has a CHD known as Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), also known as a hole in the heart. VSD is a common heart defect that’s present at birth. The hole 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.
Having survived several years with a potentially life-threatening condition, Munir’s health eventually took a turn for the worse. His parents initially took him to the prestigious, Children’s Hospital Lahore for treatment and it was there that they found out that Munir would need life-saving heart surgery as soon as possible. To make matters even more complicated, there were over 15000 children on the waiting list there. They were then referred to us by renowned Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon, Dr. Faiz Rasool.
Not only did Munir need to have surgery urgently, but his family also needed financial support as they could not afford to pay for such an expensive procedure. Munir’s father works as a driver and solely supports his entire family, which includes his wife and 6 children. Luckily for them, they came to the perfect place.
Every year around 60,000 children are born with CHD in Pakistan, and a large majority of these children are unable to get the treatment required, due to lack of facilities, personnel and the high costs involved. That is where we step in. We provide the highest quality of care for children with heart disease, irrespective of their financial means.
After a swift patient registration process at our head office located inside the University Of Lahore (UOL), right next to the construction site of our hospital, Munir’s surgery was scheduled at our very own Cardiac Care Centre at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital (ULTH). All formalities, from accommodation to doctor’s appointments, were taken care of by our tremendous team.
Thankfully, with world-class healthcare professionals onboard along with a setup with exceptional facilities, and also thanks to the support of our generous donors, all arrangements, including all of the required funds, were successfully made. The prayers of Munir’s loved ones were all that was needed now.
Blessedly, the surgery turned out to be a massive success and Munir, now a ‘CHD Warrior’, was given a miraculous new beginning! His family, especially his heroic father, couldn’t contain their happiness and wished our organization continues to get bestowed with immense blessings.
1 in 100 children are born with CHD. If they get timely access to quality treatment, they can have a fair chance at living a normal life. These children, who deserve a brighter future, vitally require our help and support.
Legendary Pakistani cricketer, Misbah Ul Haq, is also alongside us on the journey to conquering CHD in Pakistan, by helping build the nation’s first dedicated, state-of-the-art Children’s Heart Hospital & Research Institute (CHHRI), as a PCHF Board Member.
You can also join us and donate towards children’s heart surgeries or hospital construction at:
#PlayYourPartSaveLittleHearts #MySecondInnings
#CHD #CHDAwareness #ConqueringCHD #1in100
#Hero4HeartKids #CHDCare4Life #ACHD
#Cardiology #Cardiovascular #Pediatric
