Uswa’s Success Story
Since inception in 2012, we at Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation (PCHF) have helped fund 3746 life-saving heart surgeries/interventions. This is the success story of 1-year-old Uswa, who was diagnosed with a Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) called a Ventricular Septal Defect.
A VSD is a birth defect in which there is a hole in the wall (septum) that separates the 2 upper chambers (ventricles) of the heart. This leads to extra blood being pumped into the lungs and forces the heart to work harder. If this is not repaired the risk of heart failure or other complications like a stroke increases.
Uswa was suffering from the symptoms of VSD, which include shortness of breath and paleness, as an infant. Seeing this, her parents first took her to a local doctor who after examining her recommended a doctor in Peshawar.
That’s when they were told to get an echocardiography (ECHO), a cardiac ultrasound, done. The results in the report indicated that Uswa had a hole in the heart that requires immediate surgery.
The required procedure was quite expensive and one that Uswa’s father found unaffordable. He is a labourer in Malakand who solely supports his whole family, including his wife and 4 children. He needed financial support.
He then made his way to Lahore and visited one of our partner hospitals, Bahria International Hospital Orchard, for help. That’s where he learned of PCHF and wasted no time in contacting us.
After meeting with him and his family, we went through Uswa’s case and decided to schedule her surgery at the same partner hospital with Dr. Aitzaz Uddin, a renowned Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon, to carry out the procedure. A world-class allied healthcare team would also be alongside him.
As Uswa went in for surgery after all formalities were taken care of, her parents were told that everything possible had been done to save their daughter’s life and it was now time for them to pray and show their strength just like Uswa was going to.
A few hours later, we were thrilled to inform them that Uswa was now a ‘CHD Warrior’! The surgery was successful, with one of the key reasons being the support of our incredible donors. Together, we paved the way to Uswa’s hopes and dreams.
Uswa’s family was delighted beyond measure and immensely satisfied with their whole experience. Her father mentioned how he wished his daughter would grow up to help others in need, like her own family, as this was the greatest thing one could do. Truly inspirational words after overcoming adversity.
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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