Mim Akter P., 17

Mim Akter Payel is a bright, determined, and hopeful 17-year-old girl who dreams of recovering, continuing her education, and building a better future for her family. She lives with her parents and siblings in a family of four, while her father works tirelessly as a day laborer, earning only BDT 9,500 per month, an income that is barely enough to meet their daily needs and far from sufficient to cover the cost of complex open-heart surgery. After doctors at NICVD diagnosed her with severe blood clots blocking the pulmonary arteries, she was admitted to the CCU, and Dr. Tomal introduced the family to Helpster Charity, giving them hope when they had no other financial options. Despite their determination to save her life, the family cannot afford the urgent pulmonary thrombo-embolectomy she desperately needs. Without immediate surgery, the blocked pulmonary arteries could lead to worsening heart failure, severe oxygen deprivation, cardiac collapse, and even death, putting Mim's young life in imminent danger.

With Helpster’s support, Mim Akther Payel was admitted to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases on May 20, 2026, to treat a critical pulmonary arterial blockage. Medical teams initially administered thrombolytic therapy with Streptokinase and Tenecteplase to stabilize her low oxygen levels and attempt to dissolve the severe clot. When medication failed to clear the blockage, surgeons performed an emergency open-heart pulmonary thrombo-embolectomy on June 25, 2026. Tragically, despite immediate surgical intervention and the best efforts of the medical team, Mim suffered an acute hypertensive crisis and passed away on the day of her surgery. Her journey remains a deeply poignant reminder of the critical urgency behind timely cardiac care for children facing severe, life-threatening heart conditions.

The treating cardiac surgeon has advised urgent hospitalization, thrombolytic therapy, and pulmonary thrombo-embolectomy because Mim's pulmonary arteries are severely blocked by blood clots. If the surgery is performed successfully, blood flow to the lungs can be restored, oxygen levels are expected to improve, strain on the heart will decrease, and she has a good chance of recovering and returning to a normal, active life with regular follow-up care. Close postoperative monitoring and long-term anticoagulant therapy may be required to reduce the risk of future blood clots. If left untreated, the blockage may worsen, leading to severe heart failure, persistent oxygen deprivation, circulatory collapse, and sudden death, making this a life-threatening emergency.