Selamat Datang (Welcome)

Hi.

This blog is dedicated to my lovely late daughter, Aina Nadirah Mohamed Nazlen (also called Baby Borhan, during her stay at Children Hospital of Boston). My wife, Haniza binti Borhan, my daughter, Alya Najihah, my son, Mohamed Azim, and myself missed her dearly. Surely she is with Allah watching over us, especially her mother and two siblings.

Al- Fatihah for her.

Aina Nadirah with her two simblings.

2004 ... When it's all started

It started around April 2004, when we was called by my wife's doctor, Dr. Nadra Samaha, at her office at Vanguard Medical Associates of Burlington, MA. We were told that she is suspected something wrong about the baby, by ultrasound test, though she was very-very careful in her words, so that they will not create uneasiness on us, and extra pressure on my wife. We really thank Dr. Samaha for her dedication, friendliness, and superb treatment!

She asked us to go for another ultrasound test, at Boston Ultrasound Consultant at Brookline, MA. This clinic provides detail study through ultrasound test, more powerful one. The test is called Second trimester, for comprehensive (level 2) fetal survey, genetic sonogram, and amniocentesis guidance.

When result came out few days after, it's confirmed that the baby has hydrocephalus, but not only that, the baby also has extra fingers (digits) on both hands and legs, called hydrolethalus syndrome. Then, the golden question came from Dr. Samaha. We have to decide within 24 hours either to to keep the baby or to abort, since it's already late in pregnancy, and doctor think we might not be able to abort if we were taking too long to decide. And she told us the consequences of keeping the baby, as the baby might not be able to survive before delivery, right on delivery, few days of life, few months, or few years. She told us that some even live until 70 or 80, and all depend on luck, and God!

Can you imagine we have to decide between life or death of our long awaited baby? My wife, a very strong lady and mother, came into tears, right in front of Dr. Samaha. Later, we consulted our lovely Malay friends, Kak Laila, Kak Saerah, Kak Aida & Abg Azmi, Sabri & Kartini, and few others. They were very helpful, and mostly advised us to keep the baby, and lets Allah decide the fate of the baby, with His miracle.

5 long months

The next five months is the longest five months in our live. We have to go though many-many diagnoses, which include meeting with the genetic specialist. Ohhh I forgot to tell you that we, my wife and my self, are cousin, not so distance cousin. My wife is a daughter of my uncle with his 2nd wife. We didn't know each other well until we get engaged. And we did not tell our doctors about this, until we met the genetic specialist, in which we have to tell the truth, nothing but the truth.

Anyway, the day was getting closer and closer. Dr. Samahah has setup the operation on October 22, 2004 at Beth Isreal Deaconess Medical Center Boston. We went to hospital really early in the morning, worried about traffic jam.

Here are few pictures I took before and during the operation.

Morning of October 22, 2004.
Left our house at Billerica, Massachusetts.

My wife on her bed, wearing patient cloth.
Spaceman... at hospital!
In the operation theater, before the operation.
After the operation

OK. Enough about us. From now, I will focus more on Aina Nadirah, since this is her blog!

Really .. It was my BIRTH day

You don't believe me? Here is my temporary and permanent birth certificate .. hehehe

I was born like any other baby, except the pressure inside my head is mounting, because of that, my doctor(s) have asked my father for permission to undergo an operation, to put some tube from my head to inside my stomach. The operation has to be done as soon as possible to reduce the pressure inside my head. Here are some more pictures of me on my BIRTH day, while I was at Beth Israel Hospital (before I was moved to Boston Children Hospital)

I was at Beth Israel Hospital for less than a day, then was moved to Boston Children Hospital to prepare for operation. The hospital just across the street, but since it was snowing outside, they have to use ambulance for that. my father forgot to take that moment.

Here are some more pictures of me at Boston Children Hospital on my birthday ...

One Day Old

Happy one day old for me.. hehehe... These are pictures taken after my big (for me) operation.

Under the warming light ...

The back of my head, where they inserted the tube. and the put a valve to control the flow.

My lovely nurse (my father told me this .. opps don't tell my mom) and my maktok (grandma).

and these are pictures on my two lovely siblings ... kakak Alya and abg Azim. They are cute and hansome, right?

My mom was still at the other hospital. She hasn't seen me yet in this situation. I really sure she missed me a lot ...

They put a Cerebral Shunt inside my body. So, you know what Cerebral Shunt is? According to wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunt_(medical), it is "a one-way valve is used to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid from the brain and carry it to other parts of the body. This valve usually sits outside the skull, but beneath the skin, somewhere behind the ear."