Health Tips › Neurosurgeon 2

Family Matters

When Mohamad Farzad Aariz Amin’s parents brought him to Mount Alvernia with Meningitis, they were worried about how they would cope with a sick baby and being far away from home. Sensitive to their needs, the hospital staff rallied round the family from Bangladesh and made sure they got all the support they needed to get through the testing time.

Consultant dermatologist Fawzia Irfanahuq was at work one day when she received a call from her daughter Jasia. The seven-year-old sounded anxious and told her mother that her six-month old brother Aariz was running a temperature and had vomited several times. Each time they tried to rehydrate him, he would regurgitate.

The worried mother rushed home and sent the baby to a local hospital in Bangladesh where the family lived. She also called her husband, an interventional radiologist who was in Singapore for a medical fellowship programme at that time, and he flew back soon after.

A series of tests and CT scan revealed a lumbar puncture, brain hemorrhage and tumour in the brain. The 34-year-old mother was stunned. She had enjoyed a smooth pregnancy with no complications and the family had no history of such a condition so this was shocking news.

As parents, Fawzia and her husband Amin felt lost. “I felt so helpless because he was so young and yet in so much suffering,” recalled Fawzia. “Although my husband and I are both doctors, we were not able to do much to relieve his pain.”

As time passed, Aariz’s condition did not improve and to add to their worries, the doctors the couple consulted in Bangladesh were very apprehensive about operating on the baby because they had not handled such cases before.

As immediate surgical intervention was needed, the couple decided to transfer their son to a hospital in India where the medical team tried to remove as much of the blood clot and tumour as possible.

The relieved parents thought the ordeal was over. However, two weeks later, Aariz was still drowsy and could not recognise or respond to his parents. The problem was later traced to excess fluid causing pressure in the brain.

Singapore Operation

Once again, the couple elected to fly the baby out for treatment, this time to Singapore, which would allow Amin to continue his fellowship at the same time. Soon after arriving in Singapore, Aariz went to a local hospital to drain off the excess fluid in his brain.

Though the procedure was a success, a post surgery complication resulted in Aariz contracting Meningitis. The implication: Aariz had to be hospitalized for an extended period until things cleared up.

In view of the unexpected twist of events, Fawzia opted for no pay leave from her job to care for Aariz. On their doctor’s advice, the family also decided to transfer the boy to Mount Alvernia Hospital for follow up procedures and treatment.

What followed was an emotional roller coaster as Aariz went in and out of the Operating Theatre for a series of procedures to tackle the infection and other complications. All this took a toll on the toddler who had to endure bouts of fever, lethargy and feeding difficulties.

Kind & Concerned

It was tough on the family but Fawzia thinks being at Mount Alvernia really made a difference. “Everyone here is very sympathetic to the patient’s needs and condition," she said, adding that they were touched by how the staff always strove to provide what was best for her son and make him feel better.

After nearly three months of treatment under the watchful eyes of the hospital staff and attending doctors neurosurgeon Dr Tang Kok Kee and paediatrician Dr Phuah Huan Kee, Aariz finally turned the corner and was well enough to be discharged.

The prognosis was also very good. Although a small residual tumour remained in the brain, Dr Tang said it should remain stable.

One person Fawzia is especially thankful for was Sister Lim Sem Choo, the Nurse Manager of the St Gabriel’s Paediatric Ward at Mount Alvernia, whom she described as “like a mother to me” and always there to provide a listening ear.

"She was always very concerned, not just about Aariz but also my daughter and me. Sensitive to my emotions and worries, she constantly encouraged me to seek solace in the hospital’s prayer room,” shared Fawzia.

Throughout the two and half months Aariz was warded, Sister Lim ensured that he was under close supervision by her nurses. She also made an effort to speak to the parents from time to time to give them moral support.

“This is very important especially for foreign patients who have no support from family and friends when they are hospitalized,” explained Sister Lim. “We try to be the 'family' who is not present to support and help them through every step of this journey.”

Spiritual & Emotional Support

The hospital’s Clinical Pastoral Care (CPC) team also did what they could to give the family support. Knowing that the family was Muslim, Ms Rose Goh from the CPC team arranged for an Iman, Enchik Hajis Jaffar to come to the hospital to visit the family and offer them spiritual support.

The prayers and words of comfort offered by the religious priest went a long way towards helping the family cope emotionally. Fawzia was impressed not just at the thoughtfulness of the hospital staff, but their open mindedness as well. “Everyone here is very considerate to our religion despite this being a Catholic hospital,” she said.

On the day of little Aariz’s discharge from hospital, the staff organised a surprise birthday party for him. It was a joyous celebration for the whole family – Aariz, Jasia, Fawzia, Amin, the doctors and everyone at Alvernia.