My Real Life Story – Raheel

My name is Raheel, and I am a Severe Hemophilia Factor VIII patient. I am also registered with the Hemophilia Welfare Society. I want to share my story to help others understand what life is like for a person living with hemophilia.

When I was born, no one knew that I had hemophilia. As time passed, symptoms started to appear, such as frequent nosebleeds, joint bleeding, gum bleeding, swelling in joints, and severe pain. Because of these challenges, my childhood was very difficult, and my education was affected.

Despite all these hardships, I did not give up and completed my studies. Due to my condition, one of my joints—my left elbow—was permanently damaged. During my school days, I used to sit aside while other children played. I would watch them and silently pray that one day I could also play with them, ride a bicycle, and live a normal life. But because of my condition, I was unable to do those things.

After completing my education, I applied for many jobs, but unfortunately, I was not selected. The main reason was the lack of awareness about hemophilia. People were afraid and believed that this disease could spread to them, which is not true. This behavior made me feel very depressed. I often cried and questioned why this was happening to me.

During this difficult time, my family stood by me. My parents took great care of me, supported me, and gave me strength. I also have a brother and a sister who are healthy. We belong to a poor family, but their love and support meant everything to me.

At the age of 15, I started working and learned computer hardware, where I worked hard for about 3 years. After that, I worked at different places, but many times I was removed from jobs because of my health condition. Still, I never gave up and continued trying.

Later, I worked at a computer shop for about 3 years. At the age of 18, I fell in love with a girl who was my schoolmate. We got into a relationship, but I did not tell her about my condition at that time. For about a year, everything was going well, and I started feeling like a normal person.

However, when I finally told her about my condition, she and her family rejected me. She told me that if I did not have this condition, she would have married me, but according to her, I had no future. Those words broke me completely from the inside. I cried a lot and could not bear the pain.

Eventually, I attempted suicide by taking a full bottle of sleeping pills, which caused severe internal bleeding (GI bleed). I was admitted to the hospital for 15 days, and at that point, I had completely lost hope in life.

But then, my life changed when I found the Hemophilia Welfare Society. There, I was made to realize that I was not alone. The organization supported me, encouraged me, and gave me hope again. The CEO of the society not only guided me but also gave me a job and helped me become a capable and confident person.

Today, I am happy and satisfied with my life.

Finally, I want to say to all my brothers living with hemophilia: never lose hope. Stay strong, keep faith, and believe that time can change. Work hard, continue your education, and try to stay positive.

I will always remain grateful to the Hemophilia Welfare Society Karachi for giving me a new life.