Asad’s Success Story
Since inception in 2012, we at Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation (PCHF) have helped fund 3723 life-saving heart surgeries/interventions. This is the success story of 1-year-old Asad, who was diagnosed with a Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) called Tetralogy Of Fallot (TOF).
In TOF, 4 related heart defects affect blood flow. In most cases, too little blood goes to the lungs. Low-oxygen blood then circulates to the rest of the body and not enough oxygen can reach body tissues. Children with TOF often have cyanosis, a blue or purple tint to the skin, lips and fingernails.
Out of the signs and symptoms of TOF, the most prominent one that Asad had was bluish skin colour. Having noticed this, his parents took him to a doctor who recommended getting echocardiography (ECHO), a cardiac ultrasound, done.
Once they had the ECHO report, they paid a visit to Dr. M. Asim Khan, a renowned Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon. Once he studied it, he informed Asad’s family that heart surgery was required, one that was relatively expensive.
Asad’s father is a video editor who solely supports his entire family, which includes his wife and 3 children. He desperately needed financial support and was extremely worried for his son’s life.
In the search for help, he came across PCHF social media platforms. He contacted us and a meeting was set up with our team during which we told him about our incredible donor base and that arranging funds for Asad’s surgery would be done swiftly.
Once the funds and all other hospital related formalities were taken care of, the procedure was scheduled at Ittefaq Hospital, one of our partner hospitals in Lahore. Dr. Asim was to lead the surgery himself with a brilliant team of healthcare professionals alongside him.
As the surgery was taking place, Asad’s loved ones were fretting but also full of hope at the same time. Following its completion, it was a privilege for us to inform them that Asad had defeated CHD. The highly intricate and complex procedure was a resounding success!
There was no denying Asad’s fighting spirit in the face of adversity. He was now a ‘CHD Warrior’ and an inspiration for so many others like him. We are grateful beyond measure to our donors as their support enables us to save young lives like his.
Asad’s family, especially his father, was tremendously thankful to us and our Volunteer CEO, Mr. Farhan Ahmad, for all that we did for them. At the time of discharge, he mentioned how he would keep praying for our success and hoped to contribute to our cause in the future. We appreciate these kind words.
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 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 (CHHRI), 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/
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