I am Ahmad Raza, 21 years old person with Hemophilia A (moderate). I am eldest son of my parents, born in Rawalpindi Pakistan. When I was 11 days old I had my circumcision which bled a lot but stopped luckily without any special treatment, my parents and doctors couldn’t get an idea that I am suffering from serious disease so they treated me like a normal kid, sometimes I would get bruises on my body, but they never took is serious.
When I was 8 months old, I got my first bleed in mouth as it got hit by a bucket and this time also it stopped with just a stitch so again hemophilia was not diagnosed. I was 2.5 years old when I was injected first Factor-IIIV for my muscle bleed somewhere near the kidney. I was diagnosed with hemophilia, but my parents did not know about any hemophilia society or such NGO they only knew that Factor-VIII or FFP. With the help of Allah my parents managed my bleedings with Factor-IIIV even though its market price was very high and not easy to manage for my father as income was very limited.
One morning my mother was watching TV and Dr. Tahira Zafar (Director HPWS RWP) was sitting in a talk show on hemophilia day briefing the symptoms of this disease which were all found in my, it clicked my parents and they took me Hemophilia Patients Welfare Society Rawalpindi. I was registered at age of 6.
My life has been full of challenges for me and my parents both. When my parents took me to Government schools for admission, they refused to give admission as I am suffering from bleeding disorder and require special care. A private school finally agreed to give admission, but the school fee was very high which was difficult for my father to pay as the income was very limited, but he still managed. I would get minor bleeds almost every week and sometimes serious bleeds which was also a big hurdle for me to manage my studies but still I was always in the top 5 of class and get awarded scholarships due to good result.
During the board exams of 10th class my writing hand got numb and I couldn’t even hold a pen or write, nobody was being able to figure out what happened still I managed to clear the exams and scored 80% marks. I took admission in college and my college life was also very challenging due to my disease but again with help of Allah and continues struggle and support of my parents and doctors I was always successful to overcome all the hurdles.
I am in university now doing my bachelors in English literature form International Islamic University Islamabad. I worked in a call center for 6 months and I give tuitions to children.
I have one sister and one brother, my brother is also suffering from Hemophilia A (moderate), he had two major surgeries at little age but by grace of Allah he is studying and we both are living a normal life as others.
Sometimes I used to get very discouraged due to reactions of people around us, my classmates would make fun of me when I would go to school with a bleed, sometimes teachers used to punish due to absents or late homework submission, not understanding the fact that I am not a fit person. I still get upset sometimes when I see people playing sports but I cant because Hemophilia does not allow me to, still I am happy in my life and especially when I see some hemophiliacs around me who got deformities in joints because of continues bleeds I say thanks to Allah, my parents and my doctors as today I am physically totally fit and living normal life due to them and I believe this is my biggest success of life. HPWS RWP and HFP played a major role in brining me up to a live a normal life.
I am working as a volunteer in society and at national level with HFP for my Hemophilia family, always trying to do the best I can and starving to do even better for them. I want to be get highly educated and get very high post so that I can do a lot better for future of Hemophiliacs not only in Pakistan but around the world, this would be my biggest goal and success. My parents also volunteer for this cause, my mother served as HFP women group member and my father is HPF NEC member and EB member in HPWS RWP. I am very happy and satisfied with my life Alhamdulillah.
Ahmad Raza
HFP Youth Group Member
Volunteer HPWS RWP
Reg# 90