Mysterious swelling ails boy

IPOH: What started out as an ordinary bruise has become a major problem for a 15-year-old student, who has been bedridden for the past eight months.

Last August, Mohd Nur Hakim Hasram fell down and hurt his ribs while playing with his schoolmates at SMK Dato Hj Mohd Taib in Chemor near here.

Thinking that the swelling on his right side was nothing major, the family left it unattended after a visit to a clinic.

Harrowing illness: Ahmad Husni comforting Mohd Nur Hakim at his home in Taman Klebang Jaya, Perak yesterday. With them is Mohd Nur Hakim’s father, Hasram Mat Jamal.

His mother Nor Hamizah Ali, 43, said that three months later, the tiny bruise swelled into a growth the size of a watermelon.

“We did not think very much of it after the visit to the clinic.

“It was when it started growing out of proportion that we realised something could be wrong,” she said, adding that Mohd Nur Hakim had lost weight drastically since then.

Mohd Nur Hakim, she said, used to weigh a healthy 50kg.

“Now, he is only 30kg. He can’t walk much as the swelling hurts him. So he lies in bed all the time,” she added.

Mohd Nur Hakim is currently receiving treatment at the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital here but doctors cannot seem to determine the cause of his ailment.

“Doctors have carried out numerous scans on him but can’t find the cause of the swelling.

“The last scan was taken in February and has been sent to Kuala Lumpur for analysis.

“We are still waiting for the outcome,” said Nor Hamizah.

Moved by Mohd Nur Hakim’s plight, Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah visited the boy at his home in Taman Klebang Jaya yesterday.

Ahmad Husni, who is the Tambun MP, said he would make the necessary arrangements to ensure Mohd Nur Hakim’s case was looked into speedily.

”I will ensure his case is given priority,” said Ahmad Husni, who gave a personal donation of RM1,000 to the boy’s family.

Warm Regard, Sara Pandian