Rizwan Ullah: A 2-Year-Old CHD Warrior
Since our inception in 2012, we at Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation (PCHF), have helped 2477 children get heart surgery. This is the remarkable success story of a young and brave little 2-year-old Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) survivor, Rizwan Ullah. At such a tender age, Rizwan was diagnosed with a CHD known as Tetralogy Of Fallot (TOF). His parents were absolutely devastated and couldn’t imagine a life without him. They were desperate to save the precious life of their child.
‘Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.’ John F. Kennedy
In TOF, four related heart defects change the way blood flows to the lungs and through the heart. It is repaired through open-heart surgery soon after birth or later in infancy. In most cases of TOF, too little blood goes to the lungs. This low-oxygen blood then circulates to the rest of the body, and too little oxygen reaches the body tissues. Babies with TOF often have cyanosis, a blue or purple tint to the baby’s skin, lips and fingernails.
We provide the highest quality of care for children with heart disease, irrespective of their financial means. Each 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, due to lack of facilities, personnel and the high costs involved. That is where we step in.
Rizwan Ullah’s family brought him to us all the way from the Swat District, with tremendously high hopes, looking to end their enormous plight. Rizwan’s father, Asghar Ud Din, is a teacher, and his mother, Shaheena Asghar, is a housewife. He also has 1 brother and 4 sisters. With the responsibility of a number of mouths to feed, with such limited resources, arranging all the funds for a heart surgery was unfathomable for Asghar. He still somehow managed to come up with around 25% though. We provided the rest. Thankfully, their prayers were answered as the planned procedure, a total correction, was scheduled through a swift, smooth and extremely efficient process. Blessedly, the surgery was a huge success, and after a few days in the hospital under the special care of our brilliant team of healthcare professionals, Rizwan was discharged. Asghar and Shaheena are now proud parents of a CHD warrior.
We made a real difference in the lives of Rizwan Ullah and his family. Together, they can now live the life of their dreams. We, and more importantly, the children born with CHD, vitally require your support. Legendary Pakistani cricketer, Misbah Ul Haq, has also joined us on the journey to conquering CHD in Pakistan, by helping build Pakistan’s first dedicated, state-of-the-art Children’s Heart Hospital and Research Institute (CHHRI).
You can donate towards children’s heart surgeries or hospital construction at:
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