Zainab’s Success Story
Since inception in 2012, we at Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation (PCHF) have helped fund 3559 life-saving heart surgeries/interventions. This is the success story of 3-year-old Zainab, who was diagnosed with a Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) called an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD).
An ASD is a hole in the wall (septum) between the two upper chambers (atria) of the heart. This hole increases the amount of blood that flows through the lungs. A large, long-standing ASD can damage both the heart and lungs. Symptoms include irregular heartbeats, fatigue, swelling etc.
Zainab’s case was quite peculiar. Her family had travelled to Lahore for a wedding and took her along. Right after returning to their hometown, Faisalabad, Zainab started having stomach issues and her parents thought it was probably food poisoning.
After being observed by a doctor, the family was told that Zainab was underweight for her age and to their surprise, they were told to get her an ECHO (Echocardiography), an ultrasound of the heart. That is when her ASD was discovered and surgery was recommended.
Zainab’s family was in a state of shock. Suddenly finding out that their daughter had a life-threatening disease had them worried beyond measure. They were quick to initiate the search for her treatment which eventually led them to us.
Zainab’s father was jobless at the time he came to us, despite being an MBA degree holder. The perils of our nation’s economy had hit his family, which includes his wife and 3 children, quite hard. He was in desperate need of financial support to save his daughter’s life. Fortunately, he came to the right place.
We provide the highest quality of care for children with CHD, irrespective of their financial means. Every year, around 60,000 children are born with this disease in Pakistan, and a large majority of them are unable to get the treatment required. That is where we step in.
Following a swift initial registration process, Zainab’s surgery was scheduled at our very own world-class Cardiac Care Center at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital (ULTH). This is a facility which is second to none when it comes to CHD treatment.
Our donor base, exceptional individuals and organizations supporting our cause, was called upon for around half of the required funds with Zainab’s father commendably arranging the rest. Our world-class doctors and allied healthcare professionals were also on board for the impending heart surgery.
Once Zainab entered the operation theatre and the procedure commenced, her family instantly started praying for it to be successful and for her to come out of it stronger than ever. A truly difficult time for all of Zainab’s loved ones.
A few challenging hours later, it was an absolute pleasure for us to tell Zainab’s parents that her surgery was a resounding success! She now had a new heart which would be the pillar of her empowerment.
Zainab’s family, especially her inspirational father, was tremendously thankful to us for everything we had done for them. They wished us continued success in all our projects and left with Zainab after she was discharged as a ‘CHD Warrior’.
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 suffering from 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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#PCHF #CHHRI #Donate #Charity #Zakat
#PlayYourPartSaveLittleHearts #CHD
