Abu H., 4

The child is a cheerful 4-year-9-month-old boy with a congenital heart condition who has experienced recurrent respiratory infections, breathing difficulty, cough, poor feeding, easy fatigability, and inadequate weight gain since birth. His father and guardian, Md. Masum Shaikh, works as a rickshaw puller and is the sole earner, earning approximately USD 57 per month, while the family of three depends entirely on this limited income, making it difficult to afford Abu Huraira’s cardiac treatment. The family was referred through hospital staff and sought support for his treatment. Recent echocardiography showed a large secundum ASD measuring 10 × 11 × 15 mm with significant left-to-right shunting and increased cardiopulmonary burden, for which transcatheter ASD device closure has been advised. Without timely treatment, the ongoing cardiac burden may continue to affect his breathing, feeding, growth, and overall health and may lead to further cardiopulmonary complications.

According to the treating doctor, the child requires pre-procedure evaluation and transcatheter ASD device closure, followed by appropriate antibiotics, metabolic correction, and monitoring until stabilization. Successful closure of the large atrial septal defect is expected to reduce the left-to-right cardiac shunt and associated cardiopulmonary burden, which may improve his breathing, feeding, activity, and weight gain. If left untreated, the significant ASD may continue to place strain on the heart and lungs and contribute to recurrent respiratory infections, breathing difficulty, poor feeding, fatigue, and inadequate growth. Timely definitive treatment may help reduce these ongoing complications and support healthier development.