Second Skin: Mujhee's third body splint for postural support.

Early this year Mujhee's Second Skin became really tight (the yellow one) because, masha Allah, she put a lot of weight during the summer school holidays. I remember I went to the Second Skin clinic to loosen it up. By the middle of the year it was way too tight for her and wouldn't fit on her anymore so the therapist at Second Skin suggested a new one.

At that time we could not get any funding so we missed the May clinic. Alhamdulillah by September 2012 Mujhee's funding was granted through the Association of the Advancement of Brain Injured Child (WA) Inc. and we got into the September clinic. In October her custom made suit was ready. She choose orange for her new suit. Masha Allah, you can see how much she has grown from the picture above.

Why does Mujhee need the second skin postural suit or body splint? Mujhee has difficulty to sit up, stand and walk because she has tight and stiff muscles as a result of the brain injuries during birth. The part of her brain that controls movement is affected. Some time she can't even hold her body and head up. This suit gives her stability for sitting, standing and walking (insha Allah one day). It can also improves her posture while reducing the risk of injuries that associate with poor postural. 

Mujhee had her spine x-ray last year and it showed a 15 % curvature. With this suit, which is designed for the management of scoliosis or curved spine, insha Allah, her spinal alignment can be improved and at least prevent it from a greater curve or spinal deformities.  

Masha Allah, it is not only giving stability and postural support but also helps with respiration and blood circulation. Insha Allah you can see why someone with spastic cerebral palsy like Mujhee is in need of this suit.

Alhamdulillah Mujhee gets the postural support that she needs not only from the second skin postural suit but also from her seating system.

For more info about Second Skin Postural Suit read here and postural support from seating system read here.

When you miss someone

There are moments in your life when The Most Highest teaches you and it hits you right into your heart. Well today there was a lesson that He taught me through a young man who I thought would never in a million of year stop and talk to me. You know how the young kids are. They think that talking to older people is not cool.

That day (Oct, 2012) Mujhee had her dentist and Botox under anesthesia  It was in the late afternoon and I was rushing home to avoid the traffic. When I reached the car park a car came and parked next to my car. Mujhee was on her wheelchair in between ours two cars. There was a young man around the age of my eldest son driving that car. I was worried and thought that he had bad intentions because he kept staring at us.

It came as a surprise to me when suddenly the young man has an interest about Mujhee and asked me, "what is her name?". After that he asked how old is Mujhee. Not only that, he also asked me if she has cerebral palsy. Then he told me that he has a brother who also has cerebral palsy. I asked him about how his brother but sadly he said that his brother passed away when he was seven.

That young man taught me about remembering the loved one. I could almost feel how much he missed his brother. Subhana Allah, I have been asking myself about  how I would remember my loved one when they are not with me anymore? The answer is I don't know

All I want is a hug.

Bed time on 15th November 2013.

Mama: Bed time. You go to sleep.
Mujaheeda: Moving mouth and vocalizing.
Mama: Do you have something to say?
Mujaheeda: Slightly nods her head and moving her mouth.
Mama: Wait! I'll get PODD  book.
Mujaheeda: Vocalizing.
Mama: (Showing her the communication book)
Mujaheeda: Something to say. It's time for. Hug/cuddle.
Mama: Teary...

Goodbye and I love you.

"Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return." Quran 2: 156

"And to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And all matters go back (for decision) to Allah."  Quran 3:109

How could you be happy on your birthday, when a few days before your dear friend passed away? Last month was Mujhee's birthday. A few days before it, her dear friend, Aliyah, passed away. Mujhee was sad and I could sense it.

I asked Mujhee about Aliyah using her PODD communication book and here what she said

I don't like this, sad. Chat words, uh oh. More to say - chat words, goodbye. More to say - chat words, I love you. More to say - chat words, finish.

The day when I mention to Mujhee about Aliyah's funeral, she had tears on both of her eyes. I went to the funeral alone but I promised to take her to Aliyah's perfect resting place one day.

Mujhee at Aliyah's cemetery.

Our family are extending our deepest and heartfelt sympathy to Aliyah's family, especially to her amazing mum and wonderful sisters. We are deeply saddened to hear of their lost. Our prayers are with her family during this time of sorrow.

God saw Aliyah getting "tired" and a cure was not to be. So He sent His angel to her and whispered "Come back to your Lord." With tearful eyes we watched her, and saw her pass away. Although we loved her dearly, we could not make her stay. A golden heart stopped beating, hardworking hands at rest. God broke our hearts to prove to us, He only takes the best.

Aliyah brought so many gifts to our life and we will never forget her smiles and her giggles. This world will not be the same without her.

We miss you much.

We love you much.

See you later Aliyah, in Paradise!

Everyday should be a Mother's Day.

Alhamdulillah, o thank you Allah

mama home, alhamdulillah

abah home, alhamdulillah

thank you Allah for your blessing on me.

I remember singing the above nasheed with my children when they were little. This song makes me remember that parents are blessings from Allah and I must be grateful to Him and appreciate my parents. Without them there wouldn't be a story of my life. No lightnur! 

For Mother's Day, do you want to know what Mujhee wrote about me at school? She said that I am good, great and clever. Her words touched my heart deeply and tears ran down my checks. Subhanallah, how Allah put immeasurable unconditional love between us. How Merciful is He? Extremely!

She also paint a portrait of me. I'm so proud of her painting. For me she is my Picasso. I love you, Mujhee. 

I remember years ago when Niifah and Kay asked me what gift I want for Mother's Day. I told them that we don't set aside special day to honour our mother because it is not enough to celebrate for only one day in a year. You have to remember her struggle and sacrifice as she carried you, gave birth and raising you up. You should love, respect, obey and be grateful for your mother and your father everyday. 

There is no doubt that in Islam, we have high respect for mothers. The Creator of human beings has commanded us through His words in the Quran, to treat parents with kindness and to respect them at all times. We have to appreciate what they do for us.

"And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship, and his gestation and weaning [period] is thirty months. [He grows] until, when he reaches maturity and reaches [the age of] forty years, he says, "My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to work righteousness of which You will approve and make righteous for me my offspring. Indeed, I have repented to You, and indeed, I am of the Muslims." [Noble Quran 46:15]

 We were asked to obey our parents and take a good care of them especially when they get old.

"Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility and say, "My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood." [Noble Quran 17:23-24]

In our household, we do nice things for each other through out the year. Anytime of the year we appreciate one another and not just on a special holiday or when the card company decides. 

As parents, it is my job to bring my children up as a righteous people and be responsible for their on deeds. I should love, take care and provide my children with what they need. My children has to understand that the kind treatment and respect towards me and their father will only bring them closer to Allah. 

I work hard every day but I don't ask anything in return because I do it for love. My wish is that my children will always pray for me after I passed away. Most importantly, I pray that we all will be reunited in the paradise on the hereafter. I also ask Allah to reward my parents with the best rewards for what they did to me.

Oenanthe Crocata.

Mujhee was on prescribed homeopathic remedies since she was one and a half years until she was maybe around five years old. We stopped seeing her homeopath because she moved back to the UK. It was a great loss for us. After that Mujhee developed seizures and was unable to sleep at night. She was also more stiff than before. Generally she was not alert and not very happy either. Now she is on Clonazapam and Keppra to manage her seizures.

As a family we still use the homeopathic remedy for general illness particularly for cold and flus, teething and fever but nevertheless, I wish we have a homeopathy to prescribe us remedies for serious illness.

A few months ago I decided to seek medical advice from a homeopathy again. I call a brother from As Shifa Clinic who is a Naturopath in our community and prescribe homeopathic remedies. When we came for our initial appointment, he happen to know Mujhee's father very well. I thought, well man, specifically my husband, is he really present and what is he really doing? Just a circle of sleep, wake up, eat and go to work! Hello! We have problems here. We need a solution. We can't just swept it under the carpet and pretend it's gone.

Right, to cut the story short, Mujhee's homeopathic prescribed her oenanthe crocata 700c remedy recently. The first time I gave it to her was at night before she went to sleep at 9 pm. She fell asleep at 11 pm. After that night, her sleeping got better and better every night. I feel like I have a new Mujhee. Most impotantly, she is so much more alert and I can see the brightness in her eyes. I haven't see serious seizures in 10 days, however she does get seizures when she was unwell from coughing recently. 

Alhamdulillah, since that initial appointment we have done a couple of reviews. Insha Allah, we will get the right remedy for Mujhee's seizure and I'm hoping to see more Mujhee. Ya Rabb, I ask You to give her shifa, ameen.

This is a great reading, Epilepsy - Homeopathy treatment and Homeopathic Remedies by Homeopathy Doctor Bhatia. Other links are here and here.