Abdul’s Success Story
Since inception in 2012, we at Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation (PCHF), have financially supported 4,988 child heart surgeries. This is the success story of 8-year-old Abdul, who was diagnosed with a Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) called an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD).
An ASD is a hole in the wall (septum) between the two upper chambers (atria) of the heart. This hole increases the amount of blood that flows through the lungs. A large, long-standing ASD can damage both the heart and lungs. Symptoms include irregular heartbeats, fatigue, swelling etc.
Abdul was living a completely normal life but one day, that all changed. His health started worsening and his parents had to take him to a doctor in their home city of Bahawalnagar.
After undergoing a thorough medical evaluation, including an Echocardiography (ECHO) which is a cardiac ultrasound, it was revealed that Abdul had a potentially life-threatening hole in the heart. This was devastating beyond measure for Abdul’s parents, especially since there were no previous signs.
With their hometown having a lack of relevant medical facilities, the family was told to travel to Lahore and visit the prestigious Children’s Hospital. That is where they were informed that Abdul needed to undergo heart surgery as soon as possible.
However, at the same time, the date they were given for surgery was too far off. Not only that, but the required funds were also out of reach for Abdul’s family. His father works as a teacher and solely supports a family of 7.
Just when all hope seemed lost, he was told about our organization by people at Children’s Hospital. He reached out to us immediately and our team asked him to send some relevant documents. This would be the beginning of their fortunes changing.
We are among the premier organizations in the field of CHD and with the support of our remarkable donor base, including both organizations and individuals who believe in our cause, saving Abdul’s life was going to be our topmost priority. Shaping a brighter future for him and his family was our goal.
After going through Abdul’s case, his heart procedure was swiftly scheduled at one of our partner hospitals, the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital (ULTH). His father, also contributed around half of the required funds which given his financial difficulties, was admirable.
A world-class team of healthcare professionals was on board and as Abdul went in for surgery, his family was told to now just pray for its success. Although they remained calm and strong throughout, these were undoubtedly the most difficult few hours of their lives.
Once the treatment was complete, it was a privilege for us to inform the whole family that Abdul was now a ‘CHD Warrior’. He had defeated CHD, his heart was fully healed and life transformed!
At the time of discharge, Abdul’s father mentioned how great his family’s experience was. He said everything was well-maintained and as far as the entire process goes, he felt it was genuinely world-class. He said he was a well-wisher for life and that Abdul wanted to become a heart surgeon when he grows up!
For CHD affected families, no matter how hard things get, no matter how impossible things may seem, we at PCHF – charity you can trust with all your heart, are here for you. Our goal is to ensure that not a single child born with CHD in Pakistan remains untreated.
Legendary Pakistani cricketer, Misbah Ul Haq, is also alongside us on our journey to conquering CHD, as a PCHF Board Member and Brand Ambassador of our flagship project, Pakistan’s first dedicated Children’s Heart Hospital & Research Institute.
You can join us as well and donate towards child heart treatment or hospital construction. Together, let’s do our utmost to save young lives and help shape a brighter future. To donate towards healing little hearts: https://pchf.org.pk/donate/
https://pchf.org.pk/banks-list/
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