Broken Heart Syndrome
Fathers spend a lifetime caring for their children, guarding them against threats. This is especially difficult for parents across Syria, as they embark on displacement journeys and try to get life-saving items when everything is so scarce. Despite their best attempts, some lose their children to war and the heartache begins.
13,000 children were killed as a result of the war. Fathers grieved their loss and the dark future that was left unknown. This means at least 13,000 fathers lost their babies due to indiscriminate bombing, unlawful actions, unregulated conditions and never-ending sieges.
This is the story of Hatem* whose heart couldn’t bear the loss of his child, it eventually broke.
Hatem, 49, is a loving father of three children. They lived in the Southwest of Syria where he owned a butcher shop and earned a decent living. Children were happy, were going to school and life was fine.
But at the onset of the Syrian war, clashes began sparking insecurity among families like Hatem’s.
Sieges were enforced to control the situation. Blocking entrances for vital support. Food became scarce. Wounded people succumbed to their fate. Soon, Hatem’s village became quarantined leaving the family cornered. This lasted for five years pushing residents into starvation, crops died, bodies weathered so people began eating leaves to sustain their frail figures. This was happening and ruthless attacks didn’t stop.
Then tragedy stroke, his eldest son lost his life due to the situation. This fractured Hatem’s heart and he knew they had to escape. Life was never the same after this, “The loss of my son was excruciating, but my fear for the rest of my family prompted me to migrate”.
His heart was carried the pain of losing his child and burying it deep inside.
Amending a Broken Heart
In 2012, the family escaped these horrors and sought refuge near the Lebanese border. They secured a place and Hatem found a job as a butcher to earn a living.
Finally, after years of torment, the siege ended and the family returned home. Upon arriving, he went to his butcher shop but, it was demolished. His heart was broken, Hatem dedicated his life to this shop and seeing it in ruins hurt him.
He had no choice but to work as a butcherer for another shop owner to bring income. He shares, “it is painful to become a worker for shop owners when I used to have my own shop. I hope to reopen my shop again”.
That was the breaking point for Hatem; years of heartache, difficult economic conditions and constant stress led to complications in his heart. It was in September 2022 when his body gave in and he began experiencing shortness of breath and unimaginable fatigue. Stairs were impossible to climb.
He understood it was fatigue and health complications that he got due to Syria’s challenging living conditions. He realised he need support and visited a pharmacy to get over-the-counter medicine. He received a temporary relief but things worsened two weeks after. He visited a cardiology clinic for consultation. After taking the prescribed medications, Hatem felt breathing was a luxury he couldn’t afford. Upon reading the complications paper that accompanies medications, he was astounded, severe shortness of breath was a common side effect of that medication.
Based on a friend’s positive personal experience, they decided to seek medical help in World Vision partner’s cardiology clinic. “We did an եlectrocardiography, echocardiogram, x-ray, and appropriate tests. He was diagnosed with heart failure and cavities dilatation,” explains Hatem’s doctor.
His heart wasn’t pumping enough blood to his organs risking them to shut down. The father went against the sealed fate and was provided with the needed medications. “I asked him to visit a week after to monitor the improvement. A medication was replaced because of the side effects such as coughing. So it disappeared”.
Hatem had continuous consultations every 15 follow days to make sure everything was going well. The father feels healthier now, “these free clinics are a mercy for people in difficult economic and living conditions because in paid clinics the costs are so high”. He also shares, “majority of patients in this town receive treatment in this clinic since the other clinics are far and the transportation adds high cost to medical expenses. That is why we go to free medical centers”.
These clinics are vital for people’s survival. More than 9,400 Syrians sought medical help at this centre in the past year only. Patients who suffer from cardiological, internal organs, gynecological, kidney and children's diseases benefit from the services provided by the clinic. The clinic also provides specialized support to malnourished children. The health project also provides medical consultations, dispenses free medicines, conducts x-rays, and laboratory tests, and provides the dialysis service.
*Name is changed to protect identity.