Rashmi Rao, 14, is a shy girl from Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. Despite having three siblings, she is the youngest and the most spoiled child in the family. Her father, Ramesh Kumar, works as a Laborer and earns Rs. 3500/month. With his present wage, it is nearly hard for him to support a family of six, and their extended family occasionally assists them financially.
Rashmi's parents were informed of her problem when she was six months old. They went to a government hospital, where the doctor discovered a hole in her heart. The parents were distraught, but they quickly realised they had to take command of the situation and gather some bravery for their daughter.
After a few years, the parents decided to get her echo done at a hospital in Lucknow based on her condition and symptoms. What happened next destroyed them even further. The physicians informed them that she had ASD & VSD and that very few infants survive in this grave condition.
They sought advice from a few individuals and visited many hospitals, including Sri Sathya SaiSanjeevani Hospital. Rashmi's health deteriorated worse. The parents even sought the advice of Dr. K.K. Aggarwal of Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. Given their difficulties, the Heart Care Foundation of India stepped up and financially assisted them with the first surgery, Glenn, in 2019. However, their grief was not over since she needed another operation to live a life free of dread and stress. They approached many hospitals, including AIIMS in New Delhi. Unfortunately, the procedure at AIIMS will not be possible until 2023.Things moved slowly, and they had nearly given up hope. Fortunately, a friend of theirs had already called Child Heart Foundation, and the latter had assisted the family with financial aid and surgery. They phoned the CHF team right away and went to the centre. Dr. Vikas Kohli performed an echo and discovered she had Hypoplastic LV, VSD, DORM, and PS/SP Glenn. Dr. Kohli notified her parents of the diagnosis and that she required FONTAN surgery, with a treatment cost estimate of Rs. 500,000.
The parents feel concerned and guilty since it has been two years since her last therapy. They would not have waited as long if they had the money. Rashmi had also been coughing up blood, and each day had been a nightmare for her parents. On their second visit to CHF, the team decided to help them with the finances. She was suffering and in danger as she waited.After a long wait, her funds were arranged. Immediately her parents were instructed to come to Delhi for the planned surgery. And, with God's help, she had successful FONTAN surgery.
She never gave up and battled until she was victorious. She had gone through a lot as a youngster, and her biggest dream was to live a life without shortness of breath or fainting. It gives us great pleasure to see her navigate the stairs without trouble. We wish you a healthy heart and a long and prosperous life.
