Recently Nasir Masood from Pakistan wrote to us to tell us about his two-year-old niece Ayesha.

"When Ayesha was born the doctor told her mother that Ayesha had a ‘little disability’. Because of the sensitive nature of the culture in Pakistan the family were told to keep quiet about this. Not even all the members of the family were aware of this ‘little disability’.

During the first months of Ayesha’s life her close family noticed how flexible and floppy Ayesha’s limbs were, and how she seemed to move and respond more slowly than other babies. She was often sick and they also noticed her breathing was very fast.

When she was a year old they brought a sickly Ayesha to the doctor.  This day a young doctor mentioned that she might have Down syndrome, and also suggested that she have an Echocardiogram.  The results of which showed that Ayesha had a heart defect. Two days later she underwent surgery successfully. Around this time it was also confirmed that Ayesha had Down syndrome.

For the next six months or so Ayesha’s recovery progressed. She started to grow bigger and to put on weight, occasionally she suffered from bouts of fever and vomiting.
During February of this year Ayesha fell ill again, suffering from fever and laboured breathing, all of which was affecting her sleep. Her parents brought her to the hospital where they thought she was suffering from pneumonia.
Fourteen days later, just as the doctors where going to start preparing for her to leave the hospital they did one last x-ray of her lungs, where they found another cause for concern.
Ayesha had a Morgagni’s hernia which was depressing one of her lungs. At one stage parts of her face started to turn blue so she was operated on straight away.

Again, thankfully, surgery was successful and Ayesha made a great recovery. Her right lung expanded back to its normal healthy size and she is enjoying her newfound good health. She is sleeping much better and is now asking for more food –something that makes her family very happy!"

Ayesha is pictured at her second birthday party, which was just after her hernia operation. And as you can see she really is thriving now!

Thanks to her uncle Nasir for writing to tell us all about Ayesha.