In the heart of a remote village named Pahdanwalin, in the district of Mandi Bahauddin, lived Shahid Kouser, a 30-year-old electrician, and his wife Shezana, aged 28. Their world was filled with immense joy when their first son, Ahesem, came into the world in 2006. Two years later, they welcomed Abdullah, their second son. Life seemed perfect, a picture of blissful contentment. However, fate had a different plan for this humble family.
Their world shattered when their daughter, Mursleen, was born, bearing a cleft lip and palate, followed by another daughter, Muntaha, with severe forms of the same condition. A sense of unfamiliarity and fear crept in. The family had never seen a child with such an ailment, and whispers of gossip began to surround them.
“We had never seen a child like this in our life,” said Shezana. “People started asking different questions, if maybe we had done bad things and this was our punishment. Some even said we were being punished by God because we’d been very proud to have two sons. But all these gossips didn’t trouble us. We were just worried about our daughters and what had happened to them, and how will they survive.”
In this isolated village, hope arrived in the form of a visiting doctor who told Shezana and Shahid about Cleft Hospital just 40 kilometers away in the city of Gujrat.
Shahid, the sole breadwinner surviving on odd jobs, gathered every ounce of determination to provide his daughters with a chance at a better life. The family, supported by their loved ones, scraped together every penny they could for the bus fare to the hospital. Yet, their financial situation was dire, with no room for any extra expense.
“We were very worried about the treatment, but when we visited Cleft Hospital, we were welcomed and guided through the whole treatment plan,” said Shahid. “Our daughters underwent surgeries, followed by a number of follow-up visits without us spending a single penny on their treatment.”
Today, Mursleen and Muntaha, aged six and four, sit in their classroom at Arqam Model High School, just like any other children. Their smiles radiate the pure joy of living, a testimony to resilience and the power of transformative medical care.
“Our daughters are now happy, healthy, and beautiful girls who love life. This would not have been the case without the team at Cleft Hospital Pakistan www.clefthospital.com, and we will be forever grateful for their work.” Shahid’s eyes glistened with gratitude as he spoke these words, a father filled with hope and appreciation for the miraculous change that had come to pass in the lives of his precious daughters.Top of Form