2-Year-Old Girl Who Can Barely Walk with 6.6-Lb Arm Is Shunned for Fear She’s Contagious

All children deserve unconditional love and acceptance. Sadly, this ideal isn’t happening all around the world. Babies who turn out different from others are reviled, mistreated, and subject to some of the most horrible treatment in society.

Take the case of a two-year-old girl in Bangladesh named Shakiba. Shakiba had the misfortune to have been born with a tiny lump under her right arm that grew into a gigantic lump.

The lump soon spread throughout her hand and chest.

Living in a rural village, her parents sold all they had and took out loans from relatives and friends in the hope of securing a cure. Unfortunately, the doctors they could afford have recommended further treatment they could hardly pay for.

Meanwhile, Shakiba’s lump grew to immense proportions until it reached its current weight of 6.6 lbs. (2.99 kilograms).

For a wisp of a baby weighing just 4.4 lbs. (1.99 kilograms), her arm makes her virtually a dead weight.

The arm has impeded Shakiba’s normal growth as a toddler. She can hardly stand, much less walk from the massive limb.

And she falls over every time she tries to run.

Her condition has made Shakiba a pariah among other children in their village. Parents of healthy children tell them to avoid Shakiba for fear she is contagious.

Kids shun her simply because she looks different. This treatment turned a happy toddler into a recluse with very low self-esteem.

Such a heartbreaking way for a baby to grow up.

Shakiba is thought to have a non-cancerous tumor called a haemangioma. Her father Abdul Sattar, 23, a laborer who earns only £30 ($38.74) a month, said primary care doctors advised them to travel to the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka for more advanced treatment.

However, the family couldn’t afford the fare and the hospital bill, despite selling their belongings and borrowing money.

Meanwhile, his shunned daughter remains heartbroken with all the rejection. Unable to understand why neighbors and other children don’t treat her kindly, she often frowns and cries.

The family’s mobile phone is her best friend and constant companion.

In desperation, the family turned to a local activist, Mamum Biswas for help. Biswas posted Shakiba’s photos on social media, helping spread her situation among 38,000 followers.

Shakiba’s plight reached health department officials and doctors.

“We have faith in God and doctors. We are hopeful for the doctors to find a treatment for my daughter and give her a life worth living,” her father Abdul said.

Dr. Shamim Hossain, a district hospital civil surgeon, assembled a team including two specialists to examine the lonely little girl.

“We have formed a team of three doctors to look into her case,” the doctor said.

“This looks like a case of haemangioma but we can only ascertain the cause once the test results are out. While the condition is curable, this looks like an extensive growth and would require advanced treatment.”

With great hope and a lot of prayers, Shakiba’s family continues to await the day their little girl starts to smile again.