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“His parents cry every day unable to see Mohammed’s pain getting worse with his condition. They blame themselves for neglecting his illness and not giving him the timely care all those years ago. He may be 22, to Rizwana he is still a child. She is extremely attached to him and just wants him to pull through the pain, get better and come back home.”
Mohammed Vais, 22, from a small village in Bainganwadi, has a congenital heart disease that went untreated when he was a child. While he looked healthy, his condition worsened developing a hole in the septum and weakening of the valve. When the physical symptoms finally caught up, they revealed that he had Rheumatic heart disease necessitating an urgent VSD closure and Aortic valve replacement at the earliest.
Born to a toymaker, Nasim Ahmed and his wife Rizwana Banu, Mohammed enjoyed a perfect childhood even though they lived on a small income of Rs. 10,000. When he was 3 years old, they found out that he had a heart problem. They could not find the proper care they needed in the village, and while consulting a bigger hospital, an estimate of Rs. 1-2 Lakhs dissuaded them from pursuing treatment.
“I remember a doctor saying that he does not need immediate treatment, and over time it may resolve itself. So we did not pay heed.” – Nizam
As the years went by, everything felt normal. Mohammed’s older brother got married and moved out. He joined as an apprentice under a tailor so he could start contributing towards the family income.
“It began with a stomach ache. Nizam and Rizwana got very anxious because he was doubling over in pain. It was unbearable. Nizam took him to the local doctor who prescribed medicines for acidity. It became obvious that the problem was something else when he developed palpitations and sweating." – Aqueel Shaikh (Nasim’s cousin)
The family admitted him to JJ hospital. After 20-21 days there, he showed no improvement, if anything, his condition deteriorated. Aqueel suggested they move him to HHF where Dr. Hamdulay could look over his reports.
Dr. Hamdulay diagnosed him correctly and noted that surgery was imperative if Mohammed has to make it alive. His heart was enlarged and the symptoms showed how critical he had become. Now, treatment has helped alleviate his pain, so he can gather strength for the surgery. Without this, Mohammed cannot survive for long.
“My cousin’s family lives in an 8x9 room. They hardly have anything on them right now, and I have tried to help as much as I can. They still need assistance to get Mohammed out of this terrible situation. The surgery is estimated to cost Rs. 4,50,000. When we thought there was no hope, Allah showed us a path to you. Please help us save Mohammed.”
His life has just begun. Give him a chance to live it fully. Your contribution will make a huge difference to this family.
