Taqlima Jahan Nitu, a 10.5 years old girl is suffering from Progeria, a rare genetic condition. She was born on the 10 September, 2007 in Habiganj, Bangladesh. Her father Kamrul Hasan is a day laborer and her mother Mrs. Josna is a housewife. Nitu is the 4th child of her parents and they are 3 brothers and 3 sisters.
When she was around 3 months old, her mother suddenly noticed that her body seemed a little harder than the other similar aged children and she was rapidly losing her hairs. She got worried and one day discussed it with one of her neighbors. Her neighbor got worried too and advised her to consult a physician. Thereby they took her to a local doctor. The doctor assured them and prescribed some gastric medicines. Unfortunately, the doctor diagnosed wrong and all her hairs were falling overnight as soon as she consumed those medicines. Her parents got scared and immediately took her to a district level hospital at Sylhet. The doctors at that hospital referred her to Dhaka for better treatment. Finally, the Doctors came to a conclusion and confirmed her parents that she is a patient with a rare disease called Progeria that causes a child’s body to age fast. They also warned her parents that there is no known cure for this disease and most kids with this disease do not live past the age of 13. Her parents could not believe the doctor’s statement and repeatedly requested for medicine. They still believe that one day she will be cured.
Despite her severe illness and pain Nitu is quite a lively girl. She likes to play, she likes to roam around. A doll is her most favorite toy. She is reading in class 2 at a local school and she likes her study very much. She can draw well.
Nitu has accepted the truth positively. Unfortunately, the society could not accept Nitu due to her different look. She is a case of isolation to the society, not a case of the disease. She is growing older and slowly getting isolated from the surrounding and so do her family. No kid wants to play with her. They used to get scared by looking at her. Sometimes people brand her as a curse, pass bad comments and pose ill manner towards this little kid and her family. Sometimes people ask by indicating her that what this thing is! Usually, she does not go to common places, because curious people surround her and starts alien attitude towards her.
Nitu can understand the negligence towards her. She has realized the hard fact that the society could not accept her. She often queried her mother that why Allah has sent her, why Allah is not taking her away.
As per the Doctor’s statement, her expected lifetime is as little as 13 years. But, this short span of life is full of negligence and insults. We cannot help her by expanding her lifespan but we can easily help her live a better life. We can be little compassionate and change our point of view towards her. Our little care and attention can let her live her small life meaningfully and leave this earth with some sweet memories.
Nitu is bravely fighting Progeria
She goes to school as any other kid
She enjoys drawing while keeping getting better at it
She loves to use make-up
And bangles are her favorite
She spends a lot of time at home
Where she needs a pillow to sit
Here's how Nitu's playtime looks like
She is used to playing with her sisters
She likes to play ball
She was very happy when she went to a local fair and bought all of these
Her sisters are her best friends
She is very good at drawing henna tattoos
She has a tremendous bond with her father
Her mother and her family is her ultimate support
The little Angels
She loves to go out, but she often feels that the society can't accept her
Only a little care and compassion from us could give her a better life
She is not alone, and hopefully the society will get beside her and her family
