Codman race to help save Aqueela's life.
The impact that the Codman BACTISEAL shunt plays on people's lives all over the world was recently graphically illustrated by their intervention in the case of little Aqueela Essopjee, a baby girl who was born in Lusaka, Zambia, in May last year.
Born to Sadick and Nazarene Essopjee, Aqueela was diagnosed with hydrocephalus when she was six weeks old.
Nevertheless, Aqueela had her first shunt inserted just two days later. When this failed, a second one was fitted at the beginning of August. But this also blocked and her condition began to deteriorate.
Naturally her family, including extended family in England, were now very concerned about her. Her great aunt Kay Butt lives near Watford with her husband Dean and they got right on the case in the search for a solution - to locate a shunt that would work. After trying everything from Yellow Pages and directory enquiries right through to Great Ormond Street Hospital they were still getting nowhere until Kay brought home a brochure about ASBAH from the nursery where she works as a support worker. Straightaway they were on the phone to Rosemary Batchelor.
Says Dean: “When we contacted Rosemary we were quite frustrated and helpless. Speaking to her was like a breath of fresh air. It was a relief to find someone who spoke the same language as us, because at that point no one seemed to understand us. She put us in touch with Mark Attenborough at Codman, who was quick to tell us that his colleague Graeme Loughlin, UK Country Manager, would get back to us; true to his word Graeme got in touch with us.”
Graeme told us that he could possibly supply a suitable shunt valve with an antibacterial impregnated catheter system, known as the BACTISEAL shunt, to try to combat the high risk of infection.
“Because of his kindness and professionalism he arranged for two shunts (one back-up) to be flown to Lusaka from the UK at his own personal expense. At the same time Aqueela had had two seizures but the shunt arrived, after some hair raising moments, two days after these on 25th September. She was operated on that night and was already better the next day. She was out of hospital within a week. We will never ever forget Graeme's kindness.”
Aqueela's grandmother in Lusaka, Mariam Bhana, has written to Kay and Dean with the latest news following a check-up in mid-March: “All's well: no vomiting, no stiffness, she moves well, has gained weight and can sit without a support behind her head. Head size is as normal as it should be in her case. Her doctor says that it's only five months since she had three ops, so by 18 months she will show a big improvement.”
Aqueela - update
Here's Aqueela Essopjee outside Great Ormond Street Hospital in July (picture left) with her mother, Nazarene; aunt, Kay Butt; cousins, Shabeena and Hamza; Codman's Graeme Loughlin and ASBAH's Rosemary Batchelor. Aqueela went to GOSH to have squint surgery on her left eye. The operation was a complete success and Aqueela went back home to Zambia one very happy little girl.