A little girl whose head swelled to three times its normal size has made a ‘miraculous’ recovery – and has even now celebrated the birth of a baby brother.
Doctors believed Roona Begum, from a village in northeastern India, wouldn’t live past her first birthday after she was born with an extreme form of hydrocephalus – when fluid builds up on the brain.
But thanks to emergency surgery to reduce the circumference of her head from a staggering 37in to 23in, Roona will celebrate her fifth birthday in November.
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Shocking: This is Roona Begum in 2013, after she was born with a condition that caused fluid to build up on her brain and her skull to grow to three times its usual size
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Remarkable: In what her parents have described as a ‘miracle’, Roona has survived and was even able to celebrate their birth of her new baby brother
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Family: Roona’s parents were told by doctors that she would not survive, but to their delight their daughter’s condition has continued to improve. They described it as ‘beautiful’ to see her bonding with her little brother Akhtar, who is now five months old
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Concern: Roona’s parents, Abdul (left) and Fatema (right) were worried about having another child after the stress they went through over Roona’s condition – but they say it’s good for them to know that baby Akhtar will be able to ‘take good care of his sister when they are older
Her parents, Abdul and Fatema Rehman, have put the remarkable recovery down to their daughter bonding with her new little brother Akhtar.
‘We were definitely worried about having another child but it was important for us to think about Roona and make sure she has company,’ Abdul, 23, told MailOnline, from their home in the village of Jirania, in the state of Tripura.
‘It’s good to know that our second child is normal and well. We are relieved.
‘We are contented with what we have now and I feel happy knowing Akhtar will take good care of his sister when they are older.’
Roona first hit international headlines in 2013, when Norwegian students Jonas Borchgrevink and Nathalie Krantz started an online campaign and raised almost £25,000 towards her treatment.
Doctors at Fortis Hospital in Gurgaon, outside Delhi in northern India, drained around 10 litres of excess fluid from her brain cavity over seven operations while she spent 105 days in hospital.
Roona suffers from hydrocephalus resulting in a swollen head
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Treatment: At the age of just three years old, Roona had to spend 105 days in hospital and undergo numerous surgeries to remove some 10 litres of liquid from around her brain and to reconstruct her skull
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Bleak: Due to the extent of the damage to Roona’s skull, doctors at Fortis Hospital in Gurgaon, outside Delhi in northern India, still didn’t believe she would survive the drastic surgery
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Help: Norwegian students Jonas Borchgrevink and Nathalie Krantz started an online campaign in 2013 and were able to help raise almost £25,000 towards Roona’s treatment
They were also able to carry out reconstructive surgery to reduce the size of her skull, which had grown to accommodate the excess cerebrospinal fluid filling Roona’s head.
Roona was still not expected to survive the surgery but, much to the delight of her parents, she is now crawling and often attempts to communicate and play with her brother Akhtar, who is now five months old.
‘Roona still can’t do much, but now her little brother tries to play with her,’ said her mother Fatema, 25.
‘He holds her hand and plays with her. He tries to communicate with her and she responds to him equally with smiles and giggles. It’s so beautiful to see the two bonding.
‘Roona loves to interact. She loves to see people talking to her and trying to play with her and wants more. She is extremely social and wants people to pay her attention.
‘She even responds by turning her head when we call her name.’
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Difficult: Roona’s condition put a lot of pressure on her parents, as she was able to do very little for herself. Now, however, she can crawl around and sit up by herself, and has even started to communicate
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Worry: Roona’s father confessed that ‘there is no better feeling than when she calls out our names’, and he is confident that his daughter’s condition is continuing to improve. Pictured, Roona in 2013
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Extreme: At its largest, Roona’s skull swelled to a staggering 37 inches due to the vast amount of liquid pressing on her brain
Her father, a labourer who earns just Rs 4,000 (£40) is also confident that Roona’s health is improving.
‘She is doing fine,’ he said. ‘The pain she suffered in the past led to constant tears in her eyes, which is not the case anymore.
‘It is absolutely amazing to see her happy and lively.’
‘She shakes her hands and feet when she is excited and cries when she’s hungry. She shouts ‘mummy’ and ‘daddy’ and then we forget all our worries and problems.
‘There is no better feeling than when she calls out our names.’
Roona and her family have come a long way from the days when the toddler would be mocked and insulted by their neighbours, and the family had little reason to believe she could ever recover.
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Recovery: As her condition has gradually improved, Roona’s parents have noticed her appetite improve and she now eats dal and rice given to her by her mother
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Communication: Roona has now developed to such an extent that she can communicate with her parents, including by shaking her hands and feet when she is excited and crying when she’s hungry
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Future: After believing for so long that Roona could not survive, her parents are thrilled with her progress and now hope that one day she will be able to go to school and live a normal life
‘I can’t even think of those days now,’ said Abdul.
‘I remember the time one person told us to leave our daughter at an orphanage; my wife was devastated and she told them so.
‘My wife and I had also hoped she would get better one day. And I am glad that day came and awful comments stopped. People now express only love and concern towards her.’
Fatema continued: ‘The help we received was a message sent by god. I am certain she is a blessing on this earth.
‘She survived even when doctors thought she would not. It was certainly a miracle. My happiness is to see her alive and cheerful.
‘I only hope to see her getting better so that she can live a life filled with dreams and aspirations.’