Teenage girl battles painful rare disease

SEEKING ASSISTANCE: The 13-year-old girl is suffering from a painful disease that has caused severe swelling in her legs, arms and face.

RIYADH: A 13-year-old girl in Hafr Al-Batin is suffering from a rare disease that is characterized by severe swelling of the legs, arms and face.

“My daughter’s disease is rare. It started when she was only four years old. It ravages the body and causes intense pain,” Abdullah Al-Thibaiti was quoted as saying by an online report.
He said there is severe swelling in her legs, arms and face. He said he took his daughter to Germany at his own expense for treatment, which lasted six months.
“This was because Bayan could not be treated in the Kingdom. I took her to various local hospitals but her disease could not be cured,” said Al-Thibaiti, adding that he was advised to to seek treatment abroad.
“The six-month treatment in Germany drained our resources. Eventually, we received assistance from the Ministry of Health, for which my family and I are thankful,” he said.
However, he said, the assistance from the ministry stopped for reasons he does not know.
“I decided to bring my daughter back to the Kingdom because I could not afford the high cost of the treatment, not to mention expenses for daily needs,” he said.
Al-Thibaiti said that before he and his daughter returned to the Kingdom, the doctors advised that she should undergo continuous treatment for eight weeks twice in the same year. “Hence, I appeal to the government and kind-hearted individuals for help,” he said.