Heart Wrenching Sunday

It was supposed to be a lazy Sunday...but I woke up yesterday to a very heart wrenching news. Mr Hubby got a message from a friend - telling us that a friend had lost a daughter to dengue that morning.

We decided to pay our respect and condolences to the family. My heart was in knots, and I felt tears welling up. Once I was there, I saw the mum - who was very weak and looked so lost....I can't kept my tears anymore - especially when told that she lost 2 daughters in 2 days!!!!

It turned out that she lost her elder daughter in the wee hours of Saturday. The girl was having fever for a couple of days and unfortunately, diagnosed too late. She died of hemorrhagic dengue at the tender age of 4. While the elder sister was fighting for her dear life, the younger - 2 years old - sister was confirmed to be infected as well. As the family was preparing for the burial on Saturday evening, they were informed that the younger sister was then in critical condition. She succumbed to the hemorrhagic dengue in the wee morning on Sunday....

Being a mother myself, I can imagine the anguish the family is feeling. Losing not one - but 2 daughters - in 2 days - is a lot...What's more, the mum is still confinement - she had just delivered a bouncing boy, less than a month ago. Being in confinement, she is definitely not in a physical state to soldier on. I mean, there is no mother strong enough to accept that her angels are gone forever....But being a Muslim, we believe in Qada' and Qadar...we trust in HIM, as HE knows the best....Dari DIA kita datang, kepadaNYA kita kembali.....

I can still remember - the elder girl - a cute, cherubic girl - a friendly soul, just like the (eldest) brother. I still can't stop my tears from falling - every time I think about the family...

I have a similar story to share...

Back in 2004, my 8 mths daughter was having a restless night. She kept crying and almost inconsolable. We were worried as she is not the colic type. A day later hubby and another daughter had fever which went on and off. We were referred to a private hospital - did blood test - which confirmed that the whole family (minus the maid) had contacted dengue. The baby (bless her) was already in recovery. Our body were weak - with itchy joints and skins. We were slowly recovering, but not my eldest (3 yrs old) daughter. She was wheeled to Intensive Care as she had contacted the dreaded hemorrhagic fever.

Her condition turned from bad to worse... With the hospital running out of A+ blood, hubby appealed to his friends and subordinates. We were overwhelmed....a lot of our friends and hubby's engineers were at the hospital to donate the crucial blood. Families and relatives were also flying and flocking to the hospital.


At that time my daughter's conditioned worsened - her hair falling and liver swelling. I was by her side...I remembered her, begging me to bring her to her toilet to pee - she was toilet trained about 6 months before - refusing to pee in the urine canister. When we tried to lift her, she cried in pain - as her swollen liver hit her small frame. She refused to eat (coaxed by me, hubby and her fav auntie) and was getting weaker by the hour...

As I am writing this, I am crying...I remembered crying my heart out - inside - no tears outside - a brave front to my daughter to keep fighting. I remembered pleading to Allah, to give me and my daughter strength....

Alhamdullilah....my prayer was answered, after about 5 days in ICU, my daughter made a sudden turn, for the better...after more than 5 packs of blood, her platelets counts slowly increased and the swelling in her eyes subsided. After 2 days of recovery, she opened her eyes and asked for MacDonald!

We were told by our physician, that our daughter's case was the worst he had treated so far...and he was relieved that she made it through. He confessed that after 4 days, he was in despair...and had to ask for his colleague (a lady pediatrician) to be there for him - to give him the much needed moral support (plus double check whether he has done all that is possible). He likened the episode in which my daughter is already lost in a forest - and miraculously see the light at the end of the tunnel...

Until now, this pediatrician has a soft spot for my daughter...

As for us, we were blessed to be still given the chance to be with our daughter...I made it a point to cherish that - be thankful that we are a family that loves each other. I will try to fulfill their needs and wants...as you don't know what lies ahead...life is short - dunia in hanya pinjaman....