An 8-year-old Pakistani girl has turned out to be a hero and not only did she save the day, and her sister’s life, but has given countless people an important message.
Residing in the United Arab Emirates, baby Afeefa, who is just 9 months of age had been suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a type of blood and bone marrow cancer.
“Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is one of the common cancers in children, but it needs to be treated aggressively. Once we confirmed the disease, we further evaluated the little one’s bone marrow. The advanced genetic test revealed that a high risk of a genetic mutation was driving this leukaemia. As per the international protocol, the only chance to cure her disease was through bone marrow transplantation,” said Dr Zainul Aabideen, HoD pediatric haematology, oncology & BMT, Burjeel Medical City.
In order to survive the little one needed a bone marrow transplant, while trying to find the perfect match, the medical team at Burjeel Medical City in Ajman led by Dr. Zainul Aabideen, found that her sister Nazia is a match.
Pakistani Girl Nazia Zahra to the Rescue!
Without giving it much thought, this Pakistani girl agreed to go through with the process and ended up saving her sister’s life. Although the surgery was conducted last month, the news circulated afterwards of her heroic act.
“I was sad when the doctors told me my little sister was very sick. I felt happy when my parents told me I could help her improve. I was a brave girl and was not afraid. Afeefa is like my twin sister now,” said the third grader.
“The success of the bone marrow procedure in a patient so young offers hope to more children in need of such care. The procedure demonstrates our capabilities and expertise in bone marrow transplant. We are proud of this new milestone and thank the authorities for their encouragement.” – Prof Humaid Al Shamsi, consultant and director, of oncology services, Burjeel shared.
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Even though the transplant was successful baby Afeefa was going through some medical complications including seizures and infections in the days following, but the medical team managed to pull her through.
The parents and the sister are relieved that the little one is now doing better and that the months of her pain and suffering have come to an end.
“The indications for bone marrow transplants in paediatric patients are varied. The procedure can be performed in paediatric patients from one month and above. Every transplant comes with its challenges, and the indications are different. Afeefa’s situation has been challenging due to her young age, but we overcame the odds together. She will continue to follow up with us in the outpatient clinic for the next year to ensure she is doing well,” said Dr Sachdev.
Lesson We Learnt from the 8-YO Pakistani Girl
Nazia Zahra, the brave young Pakistani girl who saved her sister’s life has given us a very important lesson that nothing and no one comes before family and that we all need to be more empathetic and sympathetic towards one another.
Sympathy and empathy are important for children to develop as they help them understand and respond appropriately to the feelings of others. Sympathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person, while empathy is the ability to understand and feel the emotions of another person as if they were one’s own.
Both sympathy and empathy are important for building strong relationships and for children to develop social skills. Children who have a strong sense of empathy are better able to form friendships, understand the perspectives of others, and respond appropriately to the emotions of others. Additionally, when children can empathize with others, they are less likely to bully or be bullied.
Furthermore, children with a well-developed sense of empathy and sympathy will be more compassionate and caring towards others. They will also be less likely to harm others and more likely to help others.
In summary, Sympathy and empathy are important skills to develop in children as they help them understand and respond to the feelings of others, which will help them form strong relationships and develop social skills. Additionally, it will foster a compassionate and caring nature in them.
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Kudos to young Nazia, we hope the celebrations at home are in full swing.
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Source: Khaleej Times
