Large-hearted Mumbai embraces Pakistani teen with rare illness

We may not share the best of neighbourly love with Pakistan but itrsquos totally a different story when a child across the border needs a strong helping handTake the case of 15yearold Saba Tarikh Ahmed who is undergoing treatment in Jaslok Hospital for a rare condition called Wilsonrsquos Disease in which copper accumulates in the bodyrsquos vital organs It occurs in around 1 to 4 persons in a sample size of 100000 people Not only is a team of medical experts going out of its way to help her total strangers are also chipping in to support the treatment financially and emotionallyFighting all odds Saba Tarikh Ahmed with her mother Nazia at Jaslok Hospital Peddar Road Pic courtesyShailesh BhatiaFeeling at homeSabarsquos mother Nazia is a single parent mdash her husband remarried and deserted her and their three children Nazia said that the doctors in Karachi could not initially diagnose her daughterrsquos rare ailmentldquoHigh doses of wrong medication have taken their toll on Saba who has become frail and weak Eventually when the right diagnosis was made doctors back home advised that they were illequipped to handle the situation and India was the optimum choice keeping in mind our financial constraints What we are experiencing is total love and affection which one would expect only from close family membersrdquo said Nazia She adds that India has been an incredible experience for her and though itrsquos her first visit people here have embraced her family like one of their ownSaba Tarikh Ahmed recieved R15 lakh from strangers for her treatment PicShailesh BhatiaHope runs deepNazia makes it a point to pray at the nearby Haji Ali Dargah seeking blessings for Sabarsquos recovery whenever she has a little time on her hands She said that when she came to India nearly three weeks back she could only depositRs 80000 ldquoWith the hospital bill accumulating total strangers such as Shabia Walia a social worker who came to know of our plight came forward and gave us over R15 lakh In a short span of time I now feel I have a new family in Hindustan but now with my funds totally depleted I am exploring the option of going back to Karachi against medical advice Kisi ka itna bhi ehsaan lena munasib nahi it is not advisable to milk someonersquos generosityrdquoldquoI got a WhatsApp forward about her from a friend and on instinct decided to meet the family On getting the stunning facts of the case we at the lsquoBluebells Communityrsquo who basically work as messengers of help have managed to pay off a major chunk of her bills by raising R16 lakh for her treatment through many benefactors who came forward with small and big amounts She also wanted some Urdu books and we complied with her requestrdquo said WaliaMedicalspeakDr Pettarusp Wadia a senior neurologist at Jaslok Hospital who specialises in movement disorder botulinum toxin therapy and deepbrain stimulation said that Saba was reacting adversely to high dosage of medicines which are required to flush out the copper from her body If left unchecked the condition could have longlasting serous and irreversible implications The patient would also require regular physiotherapy treatment to regain her motor skills ldquoKeeping this in mind we have to limit the dose but this would invariably result in a longer duration of stay in the hospital The hospital has offered a lowercost bed which is normally not given to foreigners but at the end of the day the family will require additional financial and social support in Mumbairdquo said Dr WadiaDr Abbha Nagral liver specialist and senior gastroenterologist at Jaslok Hospital who is treating Saba opined that the patient whose liver and brain have been severely infected was in no condition to travel back to Karachi ldquoSaba has a genetic disorder and the family has come to us with great faith Keeping in mind the seriousness of the case we have advised the mother to keep the patient mdash who has limited movement mdash in India for at least two months as close daytoday monitoring is required in a scenario where the smallest of infections can blow up We doctors have also raised some funds for her shortterm treatment which could cost nearly R5 lakh which the family cannot affordrdquo she said