By: LakshmiPS
The mother of a five-year-old with brain injury is seeking Italian citizenship for her daughter.
During a press conference on Wednesday (16), Shelina Begum, mother of British-Bangladeshi girl Tafida Raqeeb, thanked doctors at Gaslini children’s hospital in Genoa for believing in Tafida’s recovery.
Tafida, from Newham, east London, was transferred to the hospital in Italy from the Royal London Hospital on Tuesday (15).
Begum said: “I visited Tafida this morning, she is stable, she was awake, fully awake, turning her head from side to side. I told her that mummy and daddy are here and the whole family are coming.”
“I just believe that since Tafida is in Italy it will be wise for her to have Italian citizenship.”
She said: “My hope for Tafida would be to see her improve every day, something that she has been doing in the last eight months.”
On October 3, the parents won a legal fight with the Royal London Hospital bosses, who had refused to transfer Tafida to Italy.
Specialists in London had suggested further treatment would be futile because Tafida had permanent brain damage.
Tafida was left brain damaged in February when a blood vessel burst in her brain.
Mr Justice MacDonald ruled in favour of Tafida’s parents after analysing evidence at a High Court trial in London.
The judge was told that the youngster could not swallow, taste, see, breathe for herself, or “experience touch” in large parts of her body.
Shelina told Mail Online that she is aware that even with treatment, Tafida wouldn’t recover fully.
“We aren’t deluded. We know that — even with treatment — Tafida is very unlikely to ever be the same. But this gives her the best chance.
“She was such an energetic, happy girl with a big smile and a huge heart. I don’t know whether she will ever tear around on her bike again with her dad or whirl around the kitchen showing off her ballet steps.
“But I hope and pray that one day she will run into my arms. Just to hear her call me ‘Mummy’ again would be magical.
“Whatever happens — whatever adaptations we have to make — we will bring her home and love her.
“Her life is precious and our love for her is unconditional. It isn’t based on what she can or can’t do.”
(Eastern Eye)
