Naeem, a Hafiz of 27 Chapters of the Quran, Afflicted with a Rare Disease; Treatment Halted Due to Lack of Funds

 Md. Sakhawat Hossain, Faridpur District Correspondent:

Despite suffering immensely from a rare skin condition known as Lamellar Ichthyosis since birth, Abir Hossain Naeem harbors no complaints about his life. Naeem continues to develop himself amidst agonizing pain and sickness.

Naeem, who is 16 years old, is the eldest son of Habibur Rahman and Rabeya Begum from Shukarhata village in Alfadanga Sadar Union of Alfadanga Upazila, Faridpur. His six-year-old younger brother, Nur Hossain, is suffering from the same condition. Eager to live a healthy and normal life like everyone else, the family has made an earnest appeal to the wealthy members of society for financial assistance for their treatment.

The physical illness could not deter the prodigy Abir Hossain Naeem from Shukarhata village. He continues his studies while fighting a battle for life, and he is now a Hafiz of 27 chapters of the Holy Quran. His teacher is hopeful that he will complete all 30 chapters within the next year.

Naeem is a student in the Hefz (Quran memorization) division of Ichapasha Qadiria Hafizia Nurani Madrasa and Orphanage. He previously achieved a GPA 5 and a scholarship in the fifth grade at school.

Naeem shared his plight, saying, "I have a lot of pain in my body and cannot walk properly. My eyes are constantly watering. I can't sleep at night. While treatment was ongoing before, it has stopped now due to lack of money. My parents tried hard. I don't share my pain with anyone because I don't want to cause them more distress. I also wish to be healthy and move around normally like others. Still, I have no complaints about my life. Putting my faith in Allah, I believe that I am as He deemed fit."

Naeem's eyes, face, hands, feet, nails, and entire body are cracked and bleeding, creating wounds. He needs to bathe 3 to 4 times a day and pour water over his body every hour to keep it moist. Most of the time, his hands and feet curl up (cramp).

The two brothers are struggling with unbearable pain due to the lack of treatment. They need to go to India or some other developed country for treatment, but a financial crunch has made that impossible. It is extremely difficult for their father, a tea stall owner, to provide proper treatment for his two sons.

Anup Kumar Sarkar, Headmaster of Shukarhata Government Primary School, said, "Abir Hossain, the elder son of tea vendor Habibur Bhai, studied at our school. He is a very talented student and received a GPA-5 in the Primary Terminal Examination. The younger son, Nur Hossain, cannot be enrolled in school because everyone is afraid of him and refuses to interact with him. No child in the area wants to play with them out of fear."

Mufti Abdullah Al Mamun, Mohtamim (Director) of Ichapasha Qadiria Hafizia Nurani Madrasa and Orphanage, said, "When Abir Hossain first enrolled here, many people used to avoid him. That problem has lessened now, and everyone has accepted him normally. He is a very talented student and never quarrels with anyone."

He added, "Naeem has memorized 27 chapters of the Quran. By the grace of Allah, he will become a Hafiz next year. He urgently needs good medical treatment. The government and the wealthy members of society should stand by them and offer assistance."

The father, Habibur Rahman, stated that he has exhausted all his savings and assets while trying to treat his two children. Now, only the homestead remains. Besides running a tea stall, he also works as an electrician. As his two sons grow up, his worries continue to increase. Their treatment has been completely stopped for several months.

The mother, Rabeya Begum, shared that five minutes after a normal birth, the children's skin color turned black. Since then, her two children have been growing up with this physical pain. Despite his physical suffering, Naeem interacts with everyone. However, his younger son, Nur Hossain, is shunned by his peers, which constantly upsets him. As a mother, she cannot bear this. She appeals to the government and compassionate wealthy people of the society for help to bring back normalcy and health to her two children. She believes that treatment can offer them a better life.

For assistance, please send aid to the following contacts:

 * Md. Habibur Rahman, Account No.: 2801922968001, City Bank Limited, Alfadanga Branch, Faridpur.

 * bKash and Nagad (Personal): 01923529932