This BBC News video discusses the story of Sanika Ahmed, who was born in Portsmouth, England, and recently made international news after the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) denied the 8-month-old and her family a life-changing medical treatment. Ahmed has Erb’s palsy, which is slowly paralyzing her arm. Erb’s palsy is a disability caused by a birth injury to the brachial plexus, an important network of nerves that controls the functions of the hand, shoulder and arm. Early treatment of Erb’s palsy is crucial to halt progression of the condition and help individuals potentially regain lost movement.
However, Ahmed will not be able to receive the nerve graft surgery needed to stop the paralysis of her arm due to her parent’s immigration status in the UK. While her father held a legal permit to work from the summer of 2008 to the fall of 2009, the family stayed illegally in the UK after the visa expired. The NHS had refused to treat Ahmed even though she was born within the UK because they view her as a dependent of her parents, and therefore, not eligible for the free treatment.
The clock is ticking down, though, because the surgery Ahmed needs is only beneficial before the age of 9 months. “Most consultants would not operate after nine-ten months for nerve graft surgery because the results would be so disappointing,” a spokesperson from The Erb’s Palsy Group, Karen Hillyer, told the Huffington Post UK. “There’s a variety of ancillary surgeries you can have after this point but nothing would restore nerve function in the arm.”
If you or someone you love is caring for a child with a disability that was caused by injuries sustained during his or her birth, talk with our birth trauma lawyers to discuss how you may be eligible for compensation you deserve for a hospital staff’s negligence. Tell us your experience of your traumatic birth, and we will evaluate the merit of your case in a no obligation, free review.
[Did You Know: Nerve injuries heal very slowly, and surgery such as a nerve graft surgery to treat Erb’s palsy may take up to two years to fully heal.]
Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP – birth trauma attorneys
