Malaika Hanif will be Deeply Missed

Malaika Hanif's Story

Malaika, a 23-year-old woman from Lahore, had been suffering from breathlessness and chest discomfort since birth. With time, her condition worsened, and carrying out her routine tasks became significantly challenging for her. She was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot and her open-heart surgery was done for total correction in March 2014. After some time, she experienced the same symptoms. She went to a nearby hospital and consulted a doctor, who, after a thorough examination, diagnosed her with Tricuspid Regurgitation and Pulmonary valve Regurgitation. Therefore, her doctor advised Redo-open Heart Surgery for Tricuspid Valve Repair. However, Malaika’s family was unable to pay for the surgery.

Malaika lived in a rented house with her six family members. Her father is retired and her brothers are daily wage laborers. The family’s monthly income was insufficient to cover even their household expenses. Due to their financial constraints, affording Malaika’s much-needed surgery was impossible for them. Determined to save their daughter’s life, Malaika’s family turned to Transparent Hands and asked us for help. Understanding the critical nature of her condition, we registered her case.

On 8th July 2024, Malaika was admitted to the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital. Malaika received pre-operative care and the surgery was scheduled for 19th July 2024. Dr. Faiz Rasool performed her surgery. After the procedure, complications arose. Tricuspid valve replacement was successfully done, but Malaika’s heart failed to recover after the surgery. She was managed vigilantly by the ICU team. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, her heart went into cardiopulmonary arrest and Malaika passed away on 26th July 2024.

The loss of Malaika was overwhelming for her family and all of us involved in her care. We are grateful to you and Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation for supporting them in this difficult period.