9-Year-Old Ali’s Success Story
This is the remarkable success story of young Ali, a 9-year-old ‘Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Warrior’ who came to us all the way from Gujranwala, Punjab. He was diagnosed with a CHD called Tricuspid Atresia (TA).
TA is a birth defect in which the valve that controls blood flow from the right upper chamber of the heart to the right lower chamber doesn’t form at all. In children with this heart defect, blood isn’t able to flow properly through the heart and to the rest of the body.
Ali’s family lives in Gujranwala, Pakistan’s 5th most populous metropolitan area. It is a city that is tremendously famous for its food and is also known as the ‘City of Wrestlers’. It is also the country’s 3rd largest industrial centre. Despite being a relatively modern city, the healthcare facilities and personnel needed to save Ali’s life are not available there.
At around 2 years of age, Ali’s family found out about his condition. He constantly used to suffer from bouts of breathlessness, along with his nails and lips turning blue (cyanosis). Though he managed to survive for several years, the severity of his disease eventually caught up to him and he required life-saving treatment.
Ali’s family came to us full of hope for their child. With years of experience behind us treating children with similar conditions, they came to the right place. After getting Ali checked by world-class doctors, we informed his family that he would need to go through a relatively expensive procedure involving a BT-Shunt.
Ali’s father works at a factory in Gujranwala as a clerk. He solely supports his entire family, which includes his wife and 4 children. He had limited resources at his disposal and desperately needed financial support.
Thankfully, we have an incredible donor base and were able to arrange all of the required funds in practically no time. After a swift initial registration process, his surgery was scheduled at our very own Cardiac Care Centre at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital (ULTH).
Dr. Faiz Rasool, a renowned Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon, was to perform the procedure. With a brilliant team of healthcare professionals joining him, and all other arrangements ranging from doctor’s consultations to family accommodation taken care of, the preparations for Ali’s surgery were complete.
This was to be life-changing, not only for Ali, but his entire family who were praying incessantly for the surgery to be a success. Blessedly, after tireless efforts and countless prayers, the leap of faith taken by Ali and his family was rewarded. The surgery was a massive success!
Ali’s family was ecstatic, but more than that, they were inspired by PCHF. So much so, that they want Ali to grow up and make a real difference in the lives of others, just as we do. They thanked us wholeheartedly and wished us all the best 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 seem, we are here for you. Legendary Pakistani cricketer, Misbah Ul Haq, is also alongside us on the journey to conquering CHD, 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 & donate towards children’s heart surgeries/hospital construction at:
#PlayYourPartSaveLittleHearts #MySecondInnings
#CHD #CHDAwareness #ConqueringCHD #1in100
#Hero4HeartKids #CHDCare4Life #ACHD
#Cardiology #Cardiovascular #Pediatric
