2-Year-Old Rohan’s Success Story
#SuccessStory
“History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children.” – Nelson Mandela
Since our inception in 2012, we at Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation (PCHF), have helped 3015 children get heart surgery at a total cost of PKR 1.15 billion. This is the inspirational success story of Rohan, a 2-year-old ‘Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Warrior’, who can now live a better life and have a brighter future.
As soon as Rohan’s parents found out about their child’s potentially fatal disease, they got extremely worried and frantically started the search for his treatment. After coming across our website, they contacted our Volunteer CEO, Farhan Ahmad and then visited our head office located inside the University Of Lahore (UOL).
Rohan was diagnosed with a CHD called Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA), a serious and rare heart defect present at birth, in which the two main arteries leaving the heart are reversed. This condition is also called dextro-transposition of the great arteries.
TGA changes the way blood circulates through the body, leaving a shortage of oxygen in blood flowing from the heart to the rest of the body. Without an adequate supply of oxygen-rich blood, the body can’t function properly and the patient faces serious complications, or even death, without treatment.
Rohan’s family lives in Lahore and therefore we were easily accessible to them, unlike a lot of our patients who come to us from the remotest of areas in Pakistan. His father works as an accountant and solely supports the entire family, which includes Rohan’s mother, brother and sister.
After meeting Dr. Faiz Rasool, a renowned Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon and PCHF Medical Advisory Board Member, they found out that the required treatment to save Rohan’s life was relatively expensive and beyond their financial means. Fortunately for little Rohan and his supportive family, that is where we stepped in.
We provide the highest quality of care for children born with heart disease, irrespective of their financial means. 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.
We registered and scheduled Rohan’s surgery as swiftly as possible at our very own Cardiac Care Centre at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital (ULTH). Thankfully, because of our phenomenal donor base, we were able to arrange the required funds in practically no time.
The planned treatment for Rohan’s TGA was a procedure called Senning. Before the surgery, we ensured that Rohan and his entire family, was facilitated in the best way possible. From doctor’s appointments to accommodation to hospital-related formalities, we took care of everything that was needed. Preparations for Rohan’s life-altering procedure were complete.
With a world-class team of healthcare professionals performing the surgery, Rohan’s family was constantly praying for their child. Blessedly, those prayers were answered, as the heart surgery turned out to be a resounding success! Rohan had defeated CHD, the world’s most common birth defect, and after just a few days under special care, he was discharged.
Rohan’s family was delighted beyond measure, seeing their child walking about normally. They were also grateful to us and tremendously satisfied with our facilities. They wished us continued success on our mission, which is to ensure that not a single child suffering from CHD in Pakistan remains untreated.
For CHD affected families, no matter how hard things get, no matter how impossible things may seem, we at PCHF are here for you. Legendary Pakistani cricketer, Misbah Ul Haq, is also alongside us on the journey to conquering CHD, by helping build Pakistan’s first dedicated, state-of-the-art Children’s Heart Hospital & Research Institute (CHHRI), as a PCHF Board Member.
You can also join us on our mission, which is to ensure that not a single child suffering from CHD in Pakistan remains untreated, and donate towards children’s heart surgeries or hospital construction at:
#PlayYourPartSaveLittleHearts #MySecondInnings
#CHD #CHDAwareness #ConqueringCHD #1in100
#Hero4HeartKids #CHDCare4Life #ACHD
#Cardiology #Cardiovascular #Pediatric
