Baby Akeelah completes successful brain surgery

Two-year-old Akeelah Etwaroo is recovering at the Georgetown Public Hospital after undergoing a successful brain surgery, performed by Guyana’s lone neurosurgeon, Dr Amarnauth Dukhi.

The case was brought to Dr Dukhi’s attention after the News Room first reported baby Akeelah’s case and so he decided to do the surgery free of cost.

Akeelah was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital on Monday after she was examined by Dr Dukhi.

The baby’s mother, Phyziena Etwaroo spoke with the News Room on Wednesday.

“On Monday morning I had an appointment with Dr Duhki for Akeelah, when we came to the hospital he said we have to do another CT scan for the baby and I did the CT scan and it came back that the baby had a lot of fluids in the brain on the right side and the surgery [needed] to be done as soon as possible, so baby was admitted to the hospital,” the mother.

The hospital had diagnosed baby Akeelah with meningitis last year while a private hospital in March this year determined that she has chronic neurological disabilities and severe brain abnormality.

Dr Dukhi was able to reduce the fluid in the brain which has resulted in the baby having fewer seizures.

“The seizure ease up, for last night [Tuesday] she only had one seizure and she had fever this morning but I didn’t see she get any seizure for the day [Wednesday],” the mother said.

“The doctor said that its gonna take some time, because meningitis is not something that can cure like that, she do the surgery yes but we cannot expect her to start doing things, she would need a lot of therapy and he said they get 40 ml of fluid out of the brain,” the mother said.

But the mother is still hopeful that her baby would recovery and has somewhat of a normal life.

“This morning when she woke up and I talk to her she look at me and she smile, I saw the changes in her face and I’m happy for that change,” the mother said.

The mother is grateful to everyone who donated to support her only child.

“I would like to thank everybody that reach out to us and donate towards my baby, I appreciate it and God bless you guys, because you guys did a lot for the baby and I appreciate it,” the mother said.

“Today is her birthday and it’s her second birthday in the hospital and it’s like really hard to deal with, to see her here again in the same place,” the mother said.

Meanwhile, the mother said she received reports that persons are using her baby’s photos to collect money and she is asking that these persons desist from this.