Sohail’s Success Story
Since inception in 2012, we at Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation (PCHF), have financially supported 4,442 child heart surgeries. This is the success story of 14-year-old Sohail, who was diagnosed with a Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) called Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA).
TGA is a serious and rare heart defect in which the 2 main arteries leaving the heart are reversed. It changes the way blood circulates through the body, leaving a shortage of oxygen in the blood flowing from the heart to the rest of the body. Patients face serious complications, or even death, without treatment.
As a newborn, Sohail was having difficulty breathing. After around 2 months, his parents took him to a specialist in their hometown of Narowal, a mostly rural area in northeast part of Punjab. Little did they know, this was just the beginning of a long and hard journey.
The doctor, suspecting an underlying heart condition, immediately had Sohail undergo an Echocardiography (ECHO), which is a cardiac ultrasound. The results of this test confirmed Sohail’s CHD. His heart was fragile and life was in danger.
Sohail was just an infant at this stage and his parents were devastated by the fact that they could end up losing their son. They were also informed of the cost of the required treatment and found it unaffordable.
Sohail’s father is a labourer and the sole breadwinner in a family of 7, including his wife, daughter and 5 sons. For treatment options, he was first told to visit the renowned Children’s Hospital in Lahore, where thousands of children were awaiting surgery.
Not only was the waiting queue an issue, but initially, Sohail was just given medication. Even though that meant temporary relief, surgery was still needed. This arduous process of travelling all the way to Lahore and not getting a surgery date went on for years. Then one day, everything changed.
A doctor that they visited in Lahore enlightened them about us and our cause. After enduring such a difficult time trying to get their son treatment, there was now a glimmer of hope for Sohail’s parents.
They came to meet us immediately and after our team listened to their whole ordeal, we were pleased to inform them that we would be able to financially support Sohail’s heart surgery. Being blessed with a generous donor base, including organizations and individuals, arranging funds would not be a problem.
Sohail’s father managed to contribute towards the complex procedure known as a CoA (Coarctation of the Aorta) Repair as well. The surgery was scheduled at Bahria International Hospital Orchard (BIHO) Lahore, with a world-class team of healthcare professionals on board.
In terms of preparation, everything possible had been done and Sohail’s family was asked to stay strong and just pray for everything to go well. The hours that followed were distressful for them, but once the procedure was complete, it was our privilege to inform them that Sohail had defeated CHD!
Sohail was now a ‘CHD Warrior’. This was a moment of both relief and immense pride for his loved ones. After years of waiting, they would now be able to live a normal life together. They left with words of praise for our whole organization and wished us continued success, especially for child heart treatment.
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/
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