For 36-year-old woman Eman Ahmed, more than two decades of her life have been spent lying down and trapped in the confines of her room in Cairo, Egypt. At nearly 500 kg, she’s the world’s heaviest woman – a ‘living bombshell that could blow up any moment.’
Ahmed dropped out of school in the fifth grade as her thyroid problem worsened and made her lethargic. Her knees began to give way and her legs could barely support her then 11-year-old body. Finally, a stroke two years ago has left her completely incapacitated.
After more than three decades of struggling with her disease, however, there is hope for Ahmed and her family. A social media campaign started by Ahmed’s sister Shaimaa caught the eye of Mumbai-based leading bariatric surgeon Dr Muffazal Lakdawala.
Dr Lakdawala has agreed to carry out a free surgery and Ahmed is all set to fly to Mumbai to give herself a fighting chance. But it is not easy for a 500-kg person to make a trip to the bathroom, let alone fly overseas.
Dr Lakdawala is now seeking money on crowdfunding platform BitGiving to help Eman lead a healthy, normal life.
The Visa Hurdle
To begin with, Ahmed was denied a visa by the Indian Embassy in Cairo as she couldn’t physically go to the embassy herself. Dr Lakdwala wrote a letter to the embassy, explaining the situation and asking for special consideration. But this too didn’t help.
Eventually, Dr Lakdawala tweeted External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, requesting her to step in.
Swaraj, herself admitted in AIIMS for a kidney transplant, responded promptly and within a day, Dr Lakdawala tweeted saying her visa had come through.
The Next Hurdle - Arranging a Plane
No carrier offers direct flights to Cairo. No airline agreed to organise a chartered plane for her either.
Jet Airways rules, as explained on its website, say its stretchers can carry only patients who weigh less than 136 kilos. Air India chairman told Mumbai Mirror that the national carrier does not fly to Africa at the moment, but would be happy to consider it if a formal request was made.
Dr Lakdawala said he had spoken to air ambulances, but the matter is complicated because of her weight.
Air ambulances normally have a bigger door because they allow stretchers.Dr Lakdawala to CNN
Besides, Ahmed will be unable to sit and will have to lie down through the journey. Provisions for that too will have to be made.
Ahmed's family cannot afford a chartered flight to Mumbai.
We are trying to generate the funds needed to airlift her. The rest we can manage. I have promised her free surgery, which is slated to be performed at Saifee hospital. We will waive all the expenses, including the hospital stay.Dr Lakdawala to Mumbai Mirror
Other Preparations
Dr Lakdawala and his team have also taken into account that Ahmed comes from a Muslim country and may not be as comfortable being looked after by men. An all-female team has been put together for her, and Dr Lakdawala will be the only male staff member operating on her.
A team of doctors (comprising an endocrinologist, cardiologist, physician, dietician, anaesthesiologist, neurologist and nephrologist) has been assembled and Mumbai’s Saifee Hospital has offered to set up a specialised facility to host Eman and address her unique medical requirements.
The team hopes to get Ahmed to a stage where she weighs under 100 kg and can bend and move around. If the operation is successful, she will have to stay on in Mumbai for recovery. The whole procedure will entail two operations over at least three years.
Shaimaa collected the visas on Wednesday. She said Ahmed was always hopeful, but in the last few years her spirit has been bruised.
Their family, however, is hopeful that Dr Lakdawala will deliver the miracle they need.
(With inputs from CNN, Mumbai Mirror)
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