A vibrant and endearing three-year-old, Sourabh was brought to CHF this year (2021) because of a serious heart problem. He was diagnosed with Patent Ductus Arteriosus, a condition where there is an opening between two blood vessels leading from the heart. It becomes a matter of concern when the PDA is large, as it makes the heart and lungs work really hard. Infants may have trouble growing at a normal rate and children may breathe faster & harder than normal.
Unfortunately, Sourabh was facing this issue and needed urgent treatment.Sourabh’s family hails from Noida, Uttar Pradesh and his father, Manoj works as a field worker. They have been facing a serious financial crunch as he is the sole earning member of the family and has a lot of responsibilities to shoulder, including taking care of his old mother and her health-related expenses. With an annual income of Rs. 96,000 and ever-increasing expenditures, Manoj was not in a position to bear the costs of Sourabh’s treatment. Sourabh, was just 10 months old when doctors in Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital, New Delhi had diagnosed a hole in his heart. The revelation was devastating for the parents, but also comforting as they could
finally understand the signs regarding Sourabh’s health that were difficult to comprehend
earlier.Because of his health condition, he would always be sick and unwell, often not being able to participate or engage with people like other normal kids. However, what completely broke his parents was the cost of the treatment, and the money they needed to deposit. They knew that failure in doing so meant that the treatment would be stalled, and sadly, that is what happened. They could not go ahead with the procedure as they were unable to raise the money for Sourabh’s treatment. During one of the visits to Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, Manoj, and his wife were routed to Child Heart Foundation. The doctor suggested them to visit the NGO as they needed money for the treatment. At the clinic, all the required tests were done, and
the proposed treatment for Sourabh’s condition was the PDA Device Closure device. The total expenditure was Rs. 1,35,000 including post-operative care. Immediately, the appeal to Concentrix was made, and with collective efforts, CHF was able to get his treatment scheduled.
The entire phase, from discovering the problem to its treatment, was emotionally, mentally, and physically challenging for Sourabh and his family, but the end surely brought smiles to everyone’s faces.
