Fatima's Story

I was blessed with a little angel on 03-11-98. My daughter, Fatima so cute and lovely baby had born with Bilateral Club Foot. Within twenty four hours we went to a private hospital to consult orthopedic surgeon. It is so strange in Pakistan that government hospitals don't give the proper treatment to such type of patients as they are crowdy and doctors run their own hospitals. X-rays were taken three dimentially and casting was done immediately. Doctor advised that there will be two or three castings per month and it may take six months. And if needed, then surgery will be done. I am a working person with little earnings i.e; US $50/-per week. My wife is a house wife and all the time she is busy with her two year's son and the newly born daughter.
We are a very grieved family. You may not know that Club Foot despite its common occurance was not curable in Pakistan in the recent past. One can see hundreds of people with this disease walking down the streets. One thing which scares both of us is that with huge amount which we are spending on our beloved daughter will be fruitful or not. I have read many stories of the Club Foot babies on web pages and experiences of their parents and almost in each case they have described that initial casting was done regularly with the intervals of four to five days. But in our case we have been advised to come to hospital after fifteen days.
We are caring for the baby to our best but are scared about the treatment. The ratio of healthy patients after treatment in such cases is very low in Pakistan due to mainly two reasons;
1. Specialised doctors
2. High medical costs.
We are doing our best what we can do in arranging the money but now we feel that for a period of six months as advised by the doctor, we will not be able to meet the hospital requirements. And if surgery is needed, it will be impossible for us to arrange the money. In this whole world is there any body to help us? All the parents are sharing their views of the healthy babies. What will be our views if our daughter is not healthy after some time? Is this her destiny or the negligence of the society? Children have no religion, cast, color or country. They are only children. I and my wife will be highly obliged if any body can help out our problem. Please come forward and help us. We have learnt that in the west there are so many organizations who help the needy children on purely humanitarian basis. Now we will see in genuine case like ours who takes this matter as his personal. May God keep away all the new born babies from this disease.

$3,000 is needed
We are taking advice as well as serial plasters from a private hospital which is very expansive according to Pakistani standards, it may cost about US $ 3000 which is equal to my annual salary. Initial castings approximate cost US $ 1000.00 and surgery if needed, US $ 2000 additional cost. At this stage we even do not want to think about surgery as all the time we pray that may God keep her healthy with initial castings and no surgery be done. It is too early to say any thing about surgical cost.

Fatima6.jpg (7837 bytes)

Many thanks
to the TIPS correspondents who have donated
$3,100 (Australian)
so that Fatima could have surgery.

Updated 6 January 1999
Fatima had her fifth castings on 29-12-98. Doctors are satisfied with the progress and said that she is improving well and apparently it seems that the feet are little bit more flexible and can be turned. Now she is getting best medical facility one can imagine in Pakistan. The consultant orthopedic surgeon Dr. Khalid Aslam who is practicing in Shifa International Hospital (Pvt.) Islamabad,(one of the best hospitals in Capital) is a highly qualified and experienced doctor. His experience from USA is a great contributor in Fatima’s treatment. He is satisfied by the progress so we are. The sixth procedure will be on 16-1-98.

Updated 25 January 1999
Many things have changed in this period. Fatima had her sixth castings on 16-01-99 and now doctor says that seventh will be after one month. As he is busy in this period and will go abroad to visit his children in USA. It is alarming as in the fifth casting, the plasters were slipped on the right foot and we had to go for another castings just after two days. I do not know why this is happening to us.

Updated 27 February 1999
It was very painful month for us. Fatima had her last plasters on 16th January and now doctor has come back from USA and we were in hospital on 23rd February for check up. This is so strange and funny. As I had already told you there is something special happening to us. Now there were bruises on her right ankle and we will go to hospital after one week.
Doctor say surgery will surely be needed in late march.

I had enquired about getting treatment in Australia from "widdison@cryptic.rch.unimelb.edu.au" and they have told me about ten weeks treatment with an approximate expenditures of A$ 9000.00. This is a very big amount for me without travelling cost. I have asked from travellinmg agent who says for return ticket of my family from pakistan to Melbourne, it will cost me about Rs; 200,000 or little less. It is not possible for me to arrange such huge amount. Boarding and lodging can be arranged in Melbourne as I had told you about my friend living over there.
Today we will be going for another castings after one week and not after two weeks. Fatima had some bruises on right foot last time. But it seems to be ok now. Today doctor will say how much she has improved.

Updated 10 April 1999
Today we went to hospital for Fatima's regular check up. X-rays were taken three dimensionally as were in past. Doctor says that she has not improved from her position as was before. He says that 20% children do not improve in the castings and our little Fatima is one of them as the tendons are very stiff. Today he has not done plasters to both of her feet. He has recommended that with in two to three weeks Fatima should get surgery.

Updated 15 April 1999
I consulted the doctor who was kind enough to give operation date 19th April. I am sure there are many who will be praying for our beloved Fatima's successful operation. It will be 6.30 (PST) in morning as the doctor is busy and has to operate others too. We are anxiously waiting for that moment. It will be a big event in our lives. Tahmina is in tears and very concerned. As she is mother who like others are little hearted. God may keep Fatima in His blessings all the time. The real test will be post surgical treatment care. God may keep us successful in this hard time. We are hoping for the best. Pray for Fatima as she needs only prayers at this time.

Updated 20 April 1999
At last we were through this tough time. We were there with all of prayers behind us. Surgery time was early in the morning. I am late in writing all this as I was too busy with Fatima's recovery. Operation was about an hour which ended at 8.00 and from 8-15 to 14.30, it was very painfull. Fatima was in great pains and even all the efforts of doctors at one stage seemed very bleak. She was all the time crying which made us very concrned. Pain killer injections did not work at all. But after 14.30, suddenly she started sleeping. And with the intervals of thirty minutes she was sleeping. Doctor says the surgery is quite a success and we will go there for change of plasters after twelve days. At 20.00 we are at home. Fatima is sleeping and we are all very happy. This day, we were waiting for so long time, at last ended in great hopes.

Updated 29 April 1999
We have an appointment with the doctor on 1st May at 17.00 PST. It will be first plaster change after surgery. Fatima was in pains in first twenty four hours as you had informed. After that she was OK. She is very good girl as she does not weep much and does not create any kind of trouble. The plasters are heavier than applied before. Many days after surgery she could not move her legs properly. Now she is happy and we believe that with the grace of God Almighty and prayers, we will be happier very soon.

Updated 17 May 1999
Fatima had her second plasters change today. She is doing well and doctor says that only one more plaster on 1st June will be applied and they will be changed on 19th June. That day 19th June will also come and by the grace of God we will be able to see the miracle. This is the first case in our whole family that is why every body is so concerned. We have not asked yet from the doctor as she will need splints or not. Neither he has given any hint about this.

Updated 27 March 2000
Fatima is fine but since one months, we did not go to see the doctor. In our last visit, he had advised a second surgery after couple of months. No splints and no special shoes for her as there is no improvement. He say unless she walks and puts load on her feet, it is difficult to judge the correct position of the feet. And it may take another six to seven months in her walking. She just crawls and still can’t stand at the age of sixteen months. The right foot's tendons are more stiff than the left one.
Surgery is not the matter. The actual problem is post surgical care. Which I am afraid, was never proper in our case.
The doctor advised for second surgery. On 11th April, the second surgery will be done. It will be in two phases, one foot and then after 15 days the other one. With all our efforts, the tendency of feet, we could not stop. So we have no other option than the surgery. You know almost a year ago the surgery was done i.e. on 19th April, 1999.
The other problem is that she has very weak legs too. As she can't stand and walk. Now we have decided after surgery, physiotherapy of the legs. But that is bit late.

Updated 22 April 2000
Fatima's right foot was operated and they call it as STR (soft tissues release). In doctor's opinion, it was better to operate one foot and after fifteen days, the second will be operated i.e; on 23 May. She is fine by the grace of God and we hope that it will be all OK. You might know in her first surgery, only stiff tendons on the back of feet were released. Now all the tissues of heel, fingers and thumb of the foot are released. The foot looks in stable condition. Let us hope on 23rd May when the plasters are removed, everything will be OK. The doctor is very hopeful. He has advised if in future any problem occurs, in later years, the bones edges may be grinded to shape up the foot. But that is still far away. Let us hope she will be all right by this surgery. You know, how painful this experience is for parents as well as for the child.

Updated 30 May 2000
On Tuesday, 23rd May, Fatima's left foot was operated. The surgery was quite a success. The doctor says that heel of this foot does not move freely as of right foot. In the first surgery no margins were left behind so it was quite difficult to release the soft tissues. It was STR case as you know. After couple of days we will go for change of plasters.
Some of my friends (doctors) suggested to have MRI of Fatima's brain why she can’t still stand? But I am not agreed to this. I think first of all we must concentrate on her feet and then go for other things.
We are applying the basic physiotherapy exercises to her legs. Still she can’t sit in her proper position as she is habitual now crawling like frog and putting her feet behind.

Updated 30 September 2000
Now Fatima has started to stand with the bed and tries hard to walk in walker. She also has started to speak plural words like papa, mama etc. All her reports are absolutely normal like, hormones, chromosome analysis, urine metabolics etc. It is just God's will and all our prayers which she needs.

Updated 18 October 2000
Fatima is fine with the grace of God and day by day improving. Fatima has started to stand with bed sides. But her both feet tend to come inward. As physio says that she has developed habits during crawling by putting her feet inward and under her legs. In country like ours there is no single company, individual or organisation which make special type of walkers, braces or orthotics. So sad! I have searched a lot but could not find anyone who is helpful in Fatima 's case. Basically it is hip position which is to be kept stationary as to place the feet straight. No one here has any idea about making that kind of walker which should support the child and grip the hips so that feet are kept straight and she could walk.

Updated 24 October 2000
I have consulted doctor and he has told us that Fatima has mild TEV (talipes equinovarus) now and mild Cerebral Palsy Diplegic (a medical term). Her legs are internally rotated at hips. This is technical information which is very important. Now the doctor says that with mild TEV she has also mild CP . That is alarming to us. We had in our mind before that she has speaking and growth problems. This type of children has tendency to grow slow and lack behind than a normal child. But we have to cope with the situation. This problem is now overshadowing the TEV.

Updated 28 October 2000
We are much concerned with Fatima's health. I was wondering why Fatima recovering well after surgery again goes into miserable condition. This was only due to Cerebral Palsy which she is suffering. Now as the surgery is almost finished (no further surgery required), she needs just splints. But as she cant walk properly due to intoeing and inward movement of legs from hips, it is most important at this stage (she will be two on 3rd Nov. 2000) to put her in suitable walker. I have searched a lot on internet for most suitable walker and found that there are many walkers available for such type of children. But most suitable is Hart Walker.