Usman Ali: A 9-Year-Old CHD Warrior
‘History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children.’ Nelson Mandela
Since our inception in 2012, we at Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation (PCHF), have helped 2400 children get heart surgery. This is the tremendous success story of an incredibly brave 9-year-old Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) survivor, Usman Ali. Usman was diagnosed with a CHD known as Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). His parents were completely stunned and terrified. They were willing to do whatever it took to save their little boy.
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.
Usman Ali’s family came to us, all the way from Sialkot. They came full of optimism, and were hopeful of ending their hardship. Usman’s father, Imran, is a labourer, and his mother, Zainab, is a housewife. Thankfully, their prayers were answered as the planned treatment for Usman, PDA ligation, was scheduled through a swift, smooth and extremely efficient process. Blessedly, his surgery was a success, and after a few days in the hospital under the special care of our brilliant team of healthcare professionals, she was discharged. Imran and Zainab are now proud parents of a CHD warrior.
We made a real difference in the lives of Usman Ali and his family. Together, they can now dream of living a wonderful life. Thousands of children like Usman, 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).
You can donate towards children’s heart surgeries or hospital construction at:
#MakeARealDifference #MySecondInnings #Donate #Charity #PCHF #CHHRI #CHD #Zakat #Hajj
