Muskan hopes for cure

Sitting on a tiny bed on the sixth-floor of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), tiny Muskan hopes of one thing only -- to go back to school and continue studying.

Often the eight-year-old stares at the open sky from the window and wishes to be free, free from the constant pain she has been suffering for a long time.

Hailing from Rupganj of Narayanganj, Muskan Akhter Shuma has been afflicted by a disease mainly in her right hand, the condition leading to her arm swelling up almost like 12-year-old Muktamoni of Satkhira.

Muskan underwent an angiogram at the hospital yesterday. She was admitted to the burn unit of DMCH on August 13.

After she was born, her parents noticed a small reddish swelling on her right arm and chest. Soon marble-like protrusions appeared underneath her right armpit.

Thus began a round of treatment that has been continuing till this very day. The family tried hard, spent a lot of money for her cure but to no avail.

Halima Begum, Muskan's grandmother, who is staying with her at DMCH, said earlier, she was admitted to two hospitals in the capital. She even went through a surgery at one of those. But there was no improvement.

Halima said they had given up hope and went back to their house.

Still, defying all odds owing to her resilience and perhaps a dash of luck, Muskan continued to survive, in anguish but with anticipation of a better future.

The family finally saw a ray of hope after hearing about Tofa-Tahura, Abul Bajandar and Muktamoni, especially how they were treated, and brought her to the hospital.

When the newspaper met Muskan at DMCH yesterday, all she could talk about was her school.

Still, there were times the first-grader at Sonar Bangla Cadet Model School in Rupganj was having trouble speaking due to the pain in her right arm. She cannot use the arm anymore due to the swelling.

“The school was only 200 yards from our home. But I could not go there alone,” she said. “My grandmother used to help me…”

“Since I got admitted here, my teachers and classmates wished me a speedy recovery,” she paused and added, “I miss them.”

“I never missed my classes. I was never late. I want to go back to school again,” said the resilient girl.

Her grandmother, Halima Begum, said Muskan lives with her. Muskan's father, Shafiqul Islam Sumon, is a Saudi expatriate while her mother, Yasmin Akhter, left home around four years ago as Sumon remarried.

“Yasmin visited her twice at the hospital,” Halima added.

“We have already spent around Tk 8 lakh for her treatment.” Sumon is now facing hardship to afford the treatment cost as he his suffering from a spinal cord injury, she added.

Meanwhile, an eight-member board has already been formed at DMCH for Muskan's treatment. Doctors suspect she has been suffering from hemangioma (vascular tumors) and blood deficiency like Muktamoni.

Dr Samanta Lal Sen, a member of the board, said they are examining her. “Soon we will conduct surgery on her right hand,” he added.

When this correspondent was leaving the hospital, Muskan looked at him and said, “Pray for me so that I can get better and go back to school again.”