A BRADFORD mum has spoken about how she feared for her child's life not once but twice whilst they underwent major heart surgery.
Attika Khan's daughter Sawda, a Horton Grange Primary School pupil, has had several huge operations in her short life - with two, in particular, leaving her mother praying that she would make it through.
After surviving the latest, last September, the six-year-old is back on her feet thanks to the amazing work at the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit (LCHU).
The Great Horton mum was 16 weeks pregnant when she found out Sawda would be born with congenital heart disease (CHD).
The baby had multiple heart defects including Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA).
Back in 2015, at just 11 days old, Sawda was forced to have open heart surgery due to her condition being too complicated to be corrected fully.
“We were told to hope for the best," Attika said.
"The surgeon who performed her operation said they didn’t know how she made it out from theatre alive. They thought they would be coming out with bad news.”
One day after her surgery, Sawda was off the ventilator and the procedure had started to show it was working.
She was allowed to go went home 14 days after surgery.
Subsequently, the young girl was seen regularly by the LCHU, and had more heart surgery in 2016. It was decided that Sawda needed surgery yet again in 2021.
Attika added: “We waited for 13 hours to find out if she was going to make it. I was hoping and praying that this surgery would give her a good chance at life."
The operation was a success and Sawda went back to school in November. She will need more surgery in various stages of her life, but nothing like the surgery she had last year.
Children's Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF) has been by Attika and Sawda's side all the way, offering key support and accommodation for the family.
Attika said: “CHSF told me they had accommodation in the hospital that I could use because I lived far away, and my daughter would have to stay awhile in the hospital.
"The accommodation was a great help - especially during the days she was critical. Welcomes Packs are a sweet gesture from CHSF, especially when you come to hospital in a hurry, and you don’t bring much with you.”
CHSF also provides a dedicated family support worker, Sarah Cherry, and Attika says: “Sarah really helped me cope when I was told Sawda wasn’t going to make it. She just listened when I was at my lowest. If I didn’t have Sarah that day, I don’t know what I would have done.
"We are forever grateful for every person we have met through this journey. Please give what you can to CHSF over Ramadan and help families like mine.”
Donations this Ramadan could help save other children like Sawda. To donate, visit www.chsf.org.uk/ramadan.
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