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For one family hailing from Multan, the joy of parenthood had been repeatedly shattered by an unimaginable tragedy. Before six-year-old Ayan was born, his parents had already suffered the devastating loss of four children. Each of them had passed away suddenly after suffering from severe, inexplicable physical shocks.
When little Ayan was born, the shadow of this mysterious affliction loomed large. At just three months old, Ayan experienced his first seizure episode, confirming the worst fears of his parents. The family plunged back into a desperate cycle of hospital visits, as Ayan endured agonising seizure episodes every two to three months while doctors tried everything they could, treating the little boy with continuous injections and medications.
It was eventually discovered that Ayan was suffering from a highly rare and dangerous condition known as CPVT (Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia). This condition causes the heart’s rhythm to become violently disturbed and can easily prove fatal.
Under the care of Dr Muhammad Mohsin, Paediatric Cardiologist at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Ayan was fitted with a special device to help regulate his heart, alongside taking heavy medication. While this initially saved his life, the device was forced to administer frequent shocks to Ayan to keep his heart beating correctly. The medical team knew this was not a permanent solution; the recurrent shocks were a warning sign that the condition was overpowering the device, and a life-threatening episode was merely a matter of time.
Realising they were running out of time, Dr Mohsin sought out one last hope. He contacted Dr Saleem Islam, Paediatric Surgeon and Chair, Department of Surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) with a bold proposal: a highly complex surgery that had never been performed in Pakistan, and was only limited to a few elite medical centres in the United States.
Knowing the stakes and the history of Ayan's siblings, Dr Islam and the multidisciplinary team at AKUH—comprising surgeons, anaesthesiologists, cardiologists, and ICU specialists—decided to take a leap of faith. They embarked on the groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind operation in the country. The delicate procedure involved permanently removing specific nerve clusters on the left side of Ayan's chest that were responsible for sending the dangerous signals to his heart.
The pioneering surgery was a resounding success.
Seven weeks after the surgery, when this story was captured, six-year-old Ayan had not suffered a single shock. For the first time in their lives, his parents could breathe a sigh of relief, watching their son thrive without the constant, looming threat of another seizure attack.
Filled with immense gratitude, his father credits the collaborative brilliance of Dr Islam and Dr Mohsin for breaking their family's tragic cycle and giving Ayan the gift of a long, healthy life.
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