A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD Pakistani girl is desperately waiting for a surgery to remove a lump bigger than a cricket ball protruding from her stomach.
Fiza Channa suffers from an extreme case of umbilical hernia, which is growing at a fast pace, and it weighs over two pounds.
Fiza, the first child to parents Sami Ullah Channa, 28, and Kanwal Channa, 27, cannot walk or run like kids her age or fit in clothes properly.
The condition is forcing the toddler to live as a pariah as children in the neighbourhood make fun of her.
Fiza’s mother, Kanwal, said: “Due to this hernia, my daughter can’t wear tight clothes. She can’t run or play like normal children.
“Her friends would make fun of her quite often and she would come back home crying and asking me to remove this hernia.
“She has to live like a recluse. To see your child in such a condition is very painful for parents.”
Fiza was born through a normal but premature delivery and has had the hernia since birth. However, it is growing with time.
Kanwal said: “I was only six months pregnant when I delivered Fiza. It was a premature delivery. She was very weak at the time of birth and was kept on ventilator for almost a week.
“Since birth, she had this hernia on her belly button but it was small. We are worried about our her condition and want it to be surgically removed as it is causing her a lot of pain.”
Six months ago Sami Ullah and Kanwal moved to Karachi with Fiza and their newborn baby. The aim was to get their daughter treated in a bigger hospital.
Sami Ullah, who works as a rickshaw puller and earns a mere £4 a day, says: “We have shown our daughter to several doctors in different government hospitals in Karachi.
“They suggested several tests and medicines but were reluctant to give a date for surgery. We can’t take her to any private hospital as we don’t have money for her treatment.”
WHAT IS AN UMBILICAL HERNIA?
An umbilical hernia occurs when part of the intestine protrudes through the umbilical opening in the abdominal muscles.
Umbilical hernias are common and typically harmless. They are most common in infants, but they can affect adults as well.
In an infant, an umbilical hernia may be especially evident when the infant cries, causing the baby’s bellybutton to protrude. This is a classic sign of an umbilical hernia.
In children, many umbilical hernias close on their own by age 1 or 2, though some take longer to heal. To prevent complications, umbilical hernias that don’t disappear by age 4 or those that appear during adulthood may need surgical repair.
However, to Sami Ullah’s luck a social worker named, Ali Mohmmad, who lives in Karachi but hails from his hometown, Dadu, has come up for his help.
Ali has not only showed Fiza to doctors at a private hospital in Karachi but has also launched a fund raising campaign for her treatment.
He said: “Two weeks ago, Fiza had serious breathing issues. Her x-ray suggested that her chest was too congested that it could even led to bronchitis if timely medication was not started.
“Doctors have given her medicines and told us they will perform her surgery, once her chest congestion is cleared.”
Fiza’s parents are hopeful that the hernia would be removed and the toddler will lead a normal life like any other child.
“She had a painful life so far but I wish everything goes well and the hernia is removed from her belly button so that he can go to school and play like normal children,” said Kanwal.
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