Habibur Rahman, diagnosed at age 12, with rheumatic fever

“Shortly before Habibur Rahman became a sponsored Children’s Hope student, he was diagnosed, aged 12,  with rheumatic fever. However he didn’t receive proper treatment and by the time he was 24 years-old, and a second-year university student, he developed difficulty in breathing. Then he consulted a Children’s Hope doctor (he was a sponsored child from 2002) who referred him to a consultant doctor, he was diagnosed with life-threatening rheumatic heart disease. Habibur had a three-month course of treatment at the National Institute of Cardiac Vascular Disease Hospital, but his condition didn’t improve – and surgery, by then, was the only option. He received over $3,000 (£2450) for full treatment from Children’s Hope and underwent open heart surgery. As his home in a slum was not a suitable place to recover from major surgery, he remained in hospital to recuperate. All the costs were funded by Children’s Hope. At present his condition is good, and he receives regular check-ups and medication. Thanks to the intervention, Habibur was able to graduate in management in 2012 and now runs a grocery business, which helps support him, his parents and four brothers who live with him in Dhaka.”