"Abdul Hadi Nadir's tiny body wears down quickly when the fever sets in. His skin turns yellow, he stops eating, and his mother, Rimsha Nadir, knows exactly what that means it is time for more blood. At a quiet but packed clinic in Lahore, Rimsha cradles her three-and-a-half-year-old son while sitting among other families with children. Abdul Hadi is one of the youngest in the room. Around him, children sit quietly, some tethered to their IV drips and receiving blood."
"Nearby, a mother sits at the foot of her 12-year-old son's reclining chair, gently massaging his leg. Rimsha places her son on a chair beside her and hands him her mobile phone. The toddler is momentarily distracted by a video on what will be a long day of having to stay still. Rimsha is awaiting the blood transfusion that will restore her son's energy, if only for a few weeks."
"At just nine months old, Abdul Hadi was diagnosed with beta thalassaemia major the severest form of a genetic blood disorder that causes the body to produce abnormal haemoglobin, resulting in chronic anaemia. The condition requires blood transfusions the only known treatment. Rimsha had known about thalassaemia before her son's diagnosis. Her husband's nephew died of it at age nine."
A three-and-a-half-year-old boy with beta thalassaemia major experiences fever, jaundice, and loss of appetite that signal the need for another blood transfusion. Regular transfusions temporarily restore energy and appetite, but require long monthly clinic visits. The condition is a severe genetic disorder causing abnormal haemoglobin and chronic anaemia, with blood transfusions as the only known treatment. Families face emotional and logistical burdens, and prior deaths in relatives underline the consequences of missed or irregular transfusions. Clinics in cities such as Lahore and Karachi provide transfusions while families struggle with limited access to donated blood.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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