Rare Heart Disease - Her Heart Beats at 140: Nazreen Awaits Her Last Hope

At 41 years old, Nazreen Mahomedbooram requires Rs 727,800 for a crucial operation. In her small house in Tyack, the morning silence is pierced by a familiar sound: the rapid beating of her heart, clocking in at 140 beats per minute, and it never stops. Even at rest or while simply trying to breathe, her heart races.

Nazreen is not living; she is merely surviving. Each breath is a struggle, each step a challenge. Her life has become a medical nightmare from which no escape has been found. Suffering from severe tachycardia—likely Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia—Nazreen battles against her own body daily.

Adding to her plight is an invisible but real threat: the risk of cardiac arrest at any moment. Her last hope lies in a surgical procedure in India, costing over Rs 700,000, an amount that is insurmountable for her as she lives with her 70-year-old mother.

Nazreen's story did not begin with her heart issues; it started at age 12 when she began experiencing severe joint pain. After a diagnosis of severe rheumatism, she was prescribed treatments at the Rose-Belle hospital, yet the inflammation only worsened.

By 25, her body began to deform, starting with her right hand, then her knees, and progressively affecting most of her joints. Doctors attempted to alleviate her pain with injections directly into the joints—an agonizing process repeated dozens of times. Movement became increasingly difficult, ultimately leaving her unable to work, relying solely on a disability pension.

In 2018, after years of rheumatism and harsh treatments, her heart began beating differently—too fast and too hard, with relentless palpitations. A cardiologist from the private sector referred her to the Cardiac Unit at SSRN Hospital, where they managed to stabilize her somewhat, but the arrhythmia persisted and worsened.

In 2021, the Ministry of Health sent her to India for an ablation of the sinoatrial node, but the doctors found nothing abnormal. She returned home, her heart still out of rhythm.

Months later, in December 2021, she traveled again for an ablation and pacemaker insertion, but once more, nothing was found. "They didn't find anything abnormal," she recalls, her voice still tinged with disbelief.

In 2024, during her third attempt, the Indian cardiologist refused the procedure, explaining that inserting a pacemaker would mean "restarting her heart," significantly reducing her life expectancy. The hospital preferred to send her back to Mauritius.

Once again, Nazreen returned home without a solution and in deep exhaustion. Today, in her small house in Tyack, she and her mother, both frail women, try to support one another amidst illness, fatigue, and financial struggles. Her mother, weakened by age, feels helpless to protect her daughter, while Nazreen, too ill to walk for more than five minutes, faces a life filled with pain, dizziness, and sleepless nights of anxiety.

"My heart beats at 140, I walk for five minutes, and I'm exhausted. My right hand is unbearable, and my feet are too," Nazreen confides with heartbreaking sincerity. Every day feels like a battle, and each discomfort serves as a reminder that time is running out.

Faced with this deadlock, Nazreen reached out to the OMCA Foundation. After extensive searches, the organization found a specialized hospital in Bangalore willing to perform the pacemaker insertion she desperately needs. Aster Hospital, under the renowned electrophysiologist Dr. Naveen Chandra, can provide the procedure that Mauritius cannot: an ablation of the sinoatrial node followed by a permanent pacemaker insertion.

The doctors have made it clear: there can be no further delay. Without this surgery, her heart will continue to weaken. Her body, already fragile from years of suffering, won't last much longer.

For the first time in a long while, Nazreen sees a glimmer of hope. But this hope comes at a price: Rs 727,800. This amount covers medical evaluation, surgery, a three-week stay in India, plane tickets, mandatory medical accompaniment, and unforeseen expenses. For a family living in poverty, this is an astronomical sum.

The OMCA Foundation, led by Tawfick Dilloo, has issued a call for solidarity to the Mauritian population, businesses, and NGOs, to everyone who still values human life. In his public letter, Tawfick Dilloo states: "Your generosity can truly make a difference and help save a life." The organization also specifies that Nazreen is fully eligible for Zakaat contributions, for donors wishing to direct their gestures within that spiritual framework.

Time is of the essence. The doctors recommend an immediate departure for Bangalore. Every contribution, no matter how small, brings this woman closer to a procedure that could change her life or simply give it back to her. This is not just a donation; it is a gesture of life, compassion—a gesture that could truly save a soul in distress.

Nazreen's heart cannot wait any longer.

Why an ablation and a pacemaker?

Nazreen suffers from a severe heart rhythm disorder: her heart races even at rest, putting her at risk. The ablation neutralizes the area responsible for these erratic beats. However, once this "regulator" is weakened, the heart cannot control itself anymore. This is why a permanent pacemaker is essential: it takes over and imposes a stable rhythm, avoiding dangerous accelerations or decelerations. This double procedure is currently the only option to give her a real chance of survival.