The multidisciplinary medical team at the Specialized Rehabilitation Hospital - Capital Health in Abu Dhabi managed to treat a 6-year-old child who was suffering from paralysis and loss of speech, through a treatment plan that lasted less than 5 months, using an advanced rehabilitation devices and robots based on artificial intelligence and virtual reality, in addition to hydrotherapy.
Dr. Mishal Al Kasimi, CEO of Capital Health Group - Specialized Rehabilitation Hospital and Health Shield Medical Center - said that the child, Ahmed Al Ghafli, had been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes weakness in the entire body muscles, including breathing muscles.
"Ahmed suffered from losing the ability to swallow and move the lower part of his body, and his weight was much less than the normal weight for children of his age," he added.
Al-Ghafli underwent an advanced rehabilitation treatment that lasted about 5 months, and was discharged from Rehabilitation Specialized Hospital after returning to normal, as he was able to move, speak, eat and breathe without relying on the mechanical ventilator. The multidisciplinary medical team consisting of pediatric consultants, rehabilitation consultants, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech & language pathologists of the pediatric department treated the child according to an intensive medical and rehabilitation program, in addition to the exceptional effort made by the nursing team to follow up around the clock.
It is worth mentioning that the child's family had a major role in supporting him during the treatment journey, and they were part of the rehabilitation program by supporting the child and staying by his side throughout the treatment period, and the true hero of this successful story remains Ahmed, who worked hard, persevered and cooperated with everyone.
It is noteworthy that Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare medical condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves, causing paralysis of the legs and sometimes ascending to the breathing muscles and then the nerves of the head and neck, and these symptoms quickly spread until the entire body is paralyzed.
Guillain-Barré syndrome is considered a medical emergency if it is severe, and people with it are hospitalized for treatment.
The exact cause of this syndrome is not known, and the disorder usually appears several days or weeks after exposure to a respiratory or digestive infection.
