Sania Shafi – The Girl With A Heart Of Gold
‘Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.’ – John F. Kennedy
Since our inception in 2012, we at Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation (PCHF), have helped 2567 children get heart surgery. This is the phenomenal success story of a 22-year-old Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) survivor with a heart of gold, Sania Shafi. Sania was diagnosed with a CHD known as Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). Her family were willing to do whatever it took give her a fair chance at living a normal life.
PDA is an unclosed hole in the aorta. Before a baby is born, the fetus’s blood does not need to go to the lungs to get oxygenated. The Ductus Arteriosus is a hole that allows the blood to skip the circulation to the lungs. However, when the baby is born, the blood must receive oxygen in the lungs and this hole is supposed to close. If it is still open, the blood may skip this necessary step of circulation.
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.
Sania Shafi’s family made the long journey to us all the way from Bahawalpur, South Punjab. The ‘city of nawabs and palaces’ is home to Sania, her 3 sisters, 2 brothers and mother, Ms. Naseem Mai. Sania’s father has passed away. Ms. Naseem is a tailoress and solely supports her whole family. Despite a lack of resources, this inspirational woman has managed to help her daughter Sania get a Bachelor’s level education. The whole family came to us full of optimism and were hopeful of ending their hardship. They found out about us through our vibrant Facebook page.
Thankfully, their prayers were answered as the planned treatment for Sania, PDA Ligation, was scheduled through a swift, smooth and extremely efficient process. With limited funds at their disposal, they still managed to arrange half of them, with the other half provided by us. Blessedly, the surgery was a massive success, and after a few days in the hospital under the special care of our brilliant team of healthcare professionals, Sania was discharged. Ms. Naseem Mai is now the proud mother of a CHD Warrior.
Sania’s passion in life is helping others. That passion has been further fueled by her amazing experience with us. We have transformed her dream of living a wonderful life with her family into reality.
Thousands of children like Sania, who are the future of our country, 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 the nation’s first dedicated, state-of-the-art Children’s Heart Hospital and Research Institute (CHHRI).
To contribute towards our cause and make a real difference in the lives of children born with CHD, like Sania, you can donate towards children’s heart surgeries or hospital construction at:
#MySecondInnings #Donate #Charity #PCHF #CHHRI #CHD #Zakat #Hajj
