Ahmed’s Success Story
Since inception in 2012, we at Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation (PCHF), have financially supported 4,578 child heart surgeries. This is the success story of 11-year-old Ahmed, who was diagnosed with a Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) called a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD).
A VSD is a birth defect in which there is a hole in the wall (septum) that separates the 2 upper chambers (ventricles) of the heart. This leads to extra blood being pumped into the lungs and forces the heart to work harder. If this is not repaired the risk of heart failure or other complications like a stroke increases.
Ahmed was living life like any other child of his age would in his home city of Faisalabad. Little did his family know though, that just one fever would change everything drastically and in practically an instant.
When Ahmed’s fever was not subsiding, his parents took him to a local doctor. After a thorough medical check-up, an Echocardiography (ECHO), which is a cardiac ultrasound, was recommended. The results of this test revealed that there had been a hole in Ahmed’s heart since birth.
His parents could not fully understand what was happening and because their son had been living what they thought was a normal life, they were even more stunned at the fact that their son had a potentially life-threatening heart condition. Making matters worse was the estimated cost of the treatment.
Ahmed’s father works as a driver and solely supports his family of 6. He found the required procedure for his son unaffordable and needed financial support. He was then told by the local doctor to visit Dr. Salman A. Shah, a renowned Pediatric Surgeon based in Lahore. Now the road to recovery would begin.
Dr. Shah is a PCHF Medical Advisory Board Member and after hearing the family’s ordeal, he immediately referred them to us. Being a leading organization in the field of CHD and one that is blessed with a generous donor base, he knew we would do our utmost to save Ahmed’s life.
After an initial meeting with the family for patient registration, they were informed that we would make a significant contribution towards Ahmed’s heart surgery. His father would also contribute and given his circumstances, that was highly admirable.
Ahmed’s surgery was scheduled at our world-class Cardiac Care Center at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital (ULTH). All formalities were taken care of and most importantly, a world-class team of CHD healthcare professionals was on board.
As preparations were complete, the most critical time arrived in which Ahmed would have to show tremendous fighting spirit. As always, his family was supporting him throughout and told him to be brave right before he was to undergo an intricate procedure.
The hours that followed were extremely difficult for Ahmed’s family but once the treatment was complete, we were thrilled to inform them that Ahmed had overcome CHD! He was now a ‘CHD Warrior’ and to his family this felt nothing short of a miracle.
Being able to return to their normal lives was something they felt eternally thankful to us for. They were full of praise for our team and we reciprocated the kindness by wishing them all a life filled with happiness together.
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, by helping build the nation’s first dedicated Children’s Heart Hospital & Research Institute, as a PCHF Board Member.
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. Play your part, save little hearts: https://pchf.org.pk/donate/
#SuccessStory #CHDWarrior #VSD
#MisbahUlHaq #MySecondInnings #Misbah
#CHD #ConqueringCHD #CHDAwareness
#ACharityYouCanTrustWithAllYourHeart
