A two-week-old Indonesian baby, Muhammad Nafi, has entered the world with a significant facial tumor on the right side of his face.
This growth has led to his head taking on a heart-shaped appearance, as the tumor has been growing rapidly even before his birth, leaving him with a severely swollen and distorted head.
Muhammad Nafi is grappling with a significant and rapidly expanding tumor on the right side of his face. In their race against time, his parents are urgently seeking financial assistance to cover the costs of his treatment.
Muhammad is the second child of his parents, Mailani, 22, and Buasin, 32, who earns a living as a farmer in a remote and secluded region of West Kalimantan. Mrs. Nafi expressed her feelings of confusion, stating, “I am unsure of what steps to take for my son’s condition. I can only surrender to fate.”
Currently, Muhammad is under the care of St Antonius Hospital in Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan province. Remarkably, he was born with a healthy weight of 7 pounds, with the assistance of a midwife. Mrs. Nafi mentioned that, aside from some nausea beginning in the fourth month of her pregnancy, there were no significant issues during her pregnancy.
Muhammad’s parents are desperately trying to raise money for him to have surgery to remove the tumour
However, because the couple live so far from a hospital, she was forced to rely on medicine from small shops in nearby villages.
Mr Nafi said: ‘Well, what else should I do? I’m completely flustered. I can only be resigned to accept it.
‘At first my son was hospitalised in Sukadana in Kayong Utara Region, then he was referred to be taken care at a hospital in Ketapang Region.
‘There, they couldn’t do much for my son’s disease either. Therefore, we took our son to the Regional Public Hospital (RSUD).’
Unfortunately, the tumor has hindered the proper formation of a portion of Muhammad’s skull, making the prospect of surgery to remove it a complex and risky one. In their quest for the best care possible, the parents decided to transfer him to St Antonius Hospital from a previous facility where they were dissatisfied with the treatment received.
Currently, the family is actively seeking financial support to cover the costs of removing the tumor. However, this surgery cannot take place until Muhammad is at least three months old. The delay is necessary because the tumor has left the right half of the baby’s face with an open and undeveloped skull, leaving his delicate brain exposed. This presents significant challenges and risks that need to be carefully managed before any surgery can be considered.
Muhammad’s mother recalls that her pregnancy was generally normal, but she began experiencing nausea from the fourth month onwards.
The tumor has had a noticeable impact on the function of Muhammad’s right eye, and further in-depth examinations are required to determine the status of his other organs.
Mr. Nafi expresses hope for his son’s recovery, stating, “Hopefully, my son will make a full recovery.” While some individuals have already extended their assistance, it remains insufficient. Notably, there has been no support forthcoming from the local government of the Kayong Utara Region, adding to the family’s challenges in securing the necessary medical care for Muhammad.