‘When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.’ These are the words of encouragement and hope that Unesh’s mother keeps on sharing.
Unesh, 11 yrs old, from Nepal, was detected with brain tumor in the lower part of the brain which consists of the spinal cord, brain stem and cerebellum. The last month have been strenuous and testing for the family.
An active child, Unesh is an avid football player and an outstanding member of the basketball team at his school. With no family history of brain tumor, the diagnosis shook the entire family. “Just like any teenager, he loves to eat junk. The entire day he wants to munch on chips, chocolates and eat noodles. The first time he complained of headache, the local doctor thought it to be migraine. He advised us from restraining him from eating processed food. However despite ensuring that he eats healthy food, the headache refused to subside. The worst was when he started complaining of severe throbbing headache and kept on vomiting. He complained of nausea and I even suspected fever. My hyperactive child looked fatigued and troubled. That’s when as a mother I sensed that something is amiss,” shares Unesh’s mother, who is also a nurse at a hospital in Nepal.
The local neurologist at Kathmandu recommended an MRI and some diagnostic tests. The same revealed a brain tumor. Dr Pawan the neurologist was associated with Dr (Prof) VS Mehta, Padamshree, Director of Neurosciences, earlier. His instinct made him recommend Dr. Mehta to the family.
According to Unesh’s mother, “Kathmandu is a modern city, but it still lacks the provisions of modern healthcare. Sighting the complexity of the brain tumor and its location, I insisted that we consult Dr. V S Mehta. My husband is a researcher in New Zealand and his online search about Dr. Mehta strengthened our decision.”
According to Dr. V S Mehta, “The MRI highlighted a brain tumor in the Posterior Fossa – 4th venticular tumor. A brain tumor is one of the most devastating forms of human illness, especially when occurring in the posterior fossa. Brainstem compression, herniation, and death are all risks in tumors which occur in this critical location. Tumors in the posterior fossa are considered critical brain lesions. This is, primarily, because of the limited space within the posterior fossa and the potential involvement of vital brain stem nuclei. Some patients should undergo an emergency operation, especially if they present with acute symptoms of brain stem involvement or herniation. In Unesh’s case also he required an immediate surgery.”
The surgery was done using the latest image guided tumor navigation technology. This technology ensures 100% precision and aids the neurosurgeon in providing 3D images during the procedure.
Post surgery Unesh required minimal rehabilitation and will soon be going back home. Unesh’s mother shares, “The minute we met Dr. Mehta, it felt that we have come to the right place. I can’t explain the strength and confidence that I got. It felt that my boy just has to go through a simple procedure and would soon be with me. Hats off to him, he instils the best feeling in you when you are the most vulnerable. For us Dr. Mehta stands for Hope!”
Unesh is back to his bubbly self and is all excited to go back home. You ask him how he feels, he smiles and says, “Great! The best is now mummy won’t stop me from eating chocolates!”
