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A Bangladeshi toddler is unable to live a normal life because her arm weighs more than her body. Unfortunately nothing has been done because her parents cannot afford to travel for advanced medical care.
The Deccan Chronicle reported that two-year-old Shakiba struggles to walk or run because her 3kg arm weighs more than her 2kg body.
"She yearns to play with other children in the neighbourhood but people fear that their children will also catch the disease," her mother told the Daily Mail. "It is painful to see people behaving rudely with our child."
Born with a lump
Although Shakiba’s condition has not been diagnosed, it is thought she has a condition called haemangioma.
Her parents noticed she was born with a lump under her arm. They tried to get medical treatment for her and had to sell various household items to afford it.
Shakiba's mother and father, Chabina Begum and Abdul Sattar, told the Daily Mail that they believe in God and doctors, but they are struggling with funding to see a medical practitioner who can tell them what their daughter is suffering from and what needs to be done to treat her.
Advanced care needed
The child's parents approached activist Mamun Biswas and asked him to post about Shakiba’s condition on his Facebook page. Following his post, the little girl was taken in by the local clinic where three doctors examined her.
They have run tests and are waiting for the results to come back so they can give Shakiba's parents an accurate diagnosis and prognosis.
Unfortunately the doctors will not be able to do much for Shakiba when they receive the test results because of how far her condition has progressed. They said that she would need advanced, specialist treatment and care.
Haemangioma
A haemangioma is a benign tumour. It develops in the lining of the blood vessels and is fairly common in children. There are different types, however; the most common one presents at birth, but shrinks and disappears on its own. This usually happens by the time the child reaches the age of 10.
Another type, the one Shakiba may be suffering from, is the type that presents at birth but continues to grow and cause abnormality.
The Daily Mail reported on another little girl who experienced something similar to Shakiba. Nicole Cloke was born with a congenital haemangioma on her leg and her mom said that when she gave birth, her daughter looked like she had a tumour the size of a tennis ball on her leg.
Doctors put Nicole on a rigorous course of sclerotherapy where several creams are used to shrink the damaged blood vessels and now the child is able to run, jump and play with her friends without being self-conscious about the appearance of her leg, or her capabilities.
