Share
“The last thing he said to his mother on the phone was “Mumma, don’t worry, I’m coming home soon.” But since that night, he hasn’t woken up. On some days he has more than 10 episodes of seizures in just an hour. Sometimes, his hands and legs move because of the seizures, and other times it’s happening in his brain. It's quietly killing him. ” - Amjad, Saheb's father.
4-year-old Saheb has been in the PICU on ventilator support for 5 days now. Amjad spends all day in the waiting room, eyes fixed on the door of the PICU, waiting for any news that the nurse brings about his child. When he gets a chance to go in for a few minutes, he tries talking to him. But Saheb lays there with eyes closed, and motionless. Without continued PICU care, Saheb may never wake up again.
What started as a mere fever, turned into multiple, life-threatening seizures
It was just 10 days ago that little Saheb Hussain was happily playing with his cousins during Eid. Amjad and Sultana also had another reason to celebrate – they were blessed with a baby girl 2 months ago. Saheb was thrilled to have a younger sister and begged for his mother to let him carry her. In all their happiness and chatter, little did they think that just 4 days later, he would fall critically ill.
“It started as a fever and within a day, he started to have seizures. When it began, his hands and legs would move. Now, he’s unconscious and has multiple seizures in one hour. The only reason it’s being controlled is because of the anaesthesia. Without treatment, he won’t make it. ”
Due to excessive neural activity in the brain, Saheb has recurring epileptic seizures. He’s on medication and anesthesia for the same, but only continued care and close medical attention in the PICU will help him survive.
Saheb's parents have done everything in their power to start treatment, but are now at a dead end
While Amjad stays in the hospital, Sultana is with their newborn at home. She constantly calls Amjad and recalls her last conversation with her son. A feeling of helplessness overcomes her as she pictures her son alone in the PICU.
“Every other hour she calls me to find out if there’s any improvement in his condition. Sometimes she starts to cry and at other times, I can’t help but break down. We try to give each other strength and pray that our son gets through this. I just want to see him open his eyes again. I want to hear his voice. take him back home, healthy and alive.”
Amjad works as a home guard for the police and earns Rs. 15,000 per month. He has spent more than 2 lakhs for Saheb’s treatment in just a week. Amjad and Sultana have sold the little jewelry that they had and borrowed from relatives to start their son’s treatment, but they don’t have the means to go on without help.
