9-Year-Old Abdul’s Success Story
Since our inception in 2012, we at Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation (PCHF) have helped 3129 children get heart surgery at a total cost of PKR 1.21 billion. This is the #SuccessStory of a 6-year-old ‘Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Warrior’, Abdul.
“History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children.” – Nelson Mandela
He was diagnosed with a CHD called Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA), a serious and rare heart defect 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 the blood flowing from the heart to the rest of the body. Without an adequate supply of oxygen-rich blood, the body cannot function properly and the patient faces serious complications, or even death, without treatment.
Abdul’s family, especially his mother, went through tremendous challenges and adversity in the search for his treatment. At one point, they were even told that the required treatment is not available in Pakistan. This left them absolutely distraught and yearning for answers.
Following a period of darkness and despair, came the light in the form our Volunteer CEO, Mr. Farhan Ahmad. Abdul’s family approached him, and when all hope seemed lost, he was the one who gave them much-needed moral support and assured them that PCHF would do everything possible to save Abdul’s life.
Fortunately for Abdul, work was about to begin on one of our focus areas known as ‘Project Danial’. This consists of capacity-building workshops to provide local healthcare professionals the opportunity to work alongside internationally renowned doctors, helping them improve their technical capabilities and skills.
Dr. Younes Boudjemline and Dr. Saif Ur Rehman, world-class Pediatric Cardiologists from Doha, Qatar were to arrive for the 2022 PCHF Interventional Cardiology Medical Mission for the treatment of deserving and needful children suffering from CHD. Abdul was to be one of them.
He was to go through a relatively expensive procedure which his family found unaffordable. His father who works at a Parlour in Islamabad, supports the whole family on his own, which includes Abdul’s mother, brother and sister. With limited resources at his disposal, Abdul’s father required financial support.
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.
Thanks to our phenomenal donor base, the funds required for Abdul’s planned treatment were swiftly arranged, which he was scheduled to go through at Children’s Hospital Lahore. We also ensured that Abdul’s family was facilitated in the best possible way.
With a brilliant team of healthcare professionals on board, all that was needed were some prayers. With a complex and difficult procedure to follow, Abdul’s family were understandably fretting, despite being given many reassurances.
Abdul meant the world to his family members, and once the procedure was complete, we were thrilled to inform them that he had defeated CHD, the world’s most common birth defect! Their hope was restored and all of their lives were revitalized.
Being delighted beyond measure, Abdul’s family were grateful to us and immensely satisfied with our facilities. They wished us continued success on our mission and said that they would urge more people to support our cause.
For CHD affected families, no matter how hard things get, no matter how impossible things may seem, we are here for you. Our goal is to ensure that not a single child suffering from CHD in Pakistan remains untreated.
Legendary Pakistani cricketer, Misbah Ul Haq, is also alongside us on our 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:
https://www.pchf.org.pk/donate
#PlayYourPartSaveLittleHearts #MySecondInnings
#CHD #CHDAwareness #ConqueringCHD #1in100
#Hero4HeartKids #CHDCare4Life #ACHD
#Cardiology #Cardiovascular #Pediatric
