Success Story of Mr. Masaad Al Ghamrawi

Success Story "Bahraini Pilot"! 

Where there is a will, there is a way!

I did not fully realize the power of will until the day when I saw Sultan, a 23-year old tetraplegic patient. I shall never forget the first time I saw him; he came to my office wearing a brown thobe and was escorted by his younger brother (almost 17 years of age at the time). Sultan’s eyes were teary, but he hid the tears with a shy smile and asked for a favor. He wondered if the HHC (Home Health Care) staff could give him a shower once a week!

Over a year ago, a few HHC staff members expressed concerns about the patient; they noticed potential indications of abuse inflicted by his father. Although it was a serious issue, we neither had the right nor the authority to get involved as care providers given the limited evidence.

At that point, I decided to visit the patient’s house to observe the family’s social circumstances. I also wanted to try and sense if he was indeed an abuse victim. Consequently, I went with Nasser Al-Shammary (HHC assistant), Luzelle Pietersen (RN), Maryline Reonal (RN team leader), and Ali Al-Rwaily (HHC-Assistants Team Leader). Sultan was lying down on his bed, while Nasser and Luzelle were preparing him for the session. He was overjoyed to see the team. I approached him and asked, “How is our team treating you Sultan? Is there anything we could do for you?” He said: “could you please ask Dr. Abdullah Rababah to recommend me for admission again, I feel that my condition had deteriorated after I was discharged”. Assigned Physical Therapists supported his claim. I then asked him, “where is your mother?” He got all emotional and told me “she was divorced and used to live with her brothers”.

When I went back to the department, I told Mr. Ibrahim Al-Saif (Patient Affairs Assistant Director) that our patient wishes to be admitted again. It is a concern that many may overlooked but it meant a life time for Sultan. Ibrahim gratefully helped out as always by booking him an appointment with the doctor. I also discussed with the assigned psychologist to see him, and addressed our suspension of abuse and depression indicated by the patient’s crying over his situation in our presence.

A few months later, Sultan came to visit HHC on his wheelchair. He was wearing a blue pair of jeans and a white t-shirt this time. This outfit suited him a lot better, it made him look young and fresh. His eyes spoke volumes on how relieved he was. I later knew that Therapeutic Recreation staff, Mohamamd Al-Shareef, went shopping with him as a part of his treatment activities. Budoor Al-Shwaigi and Noura Al-Johar – HHC Coordinators- welcomed him with excitement as if they saw a family member. As we asked how he was doing this time, he said “thanks Allah, at least I am clean”. Then, he opened up and shared a few painful memories about how his father made him feel worthless. Later on, he came to my office and asked me to pick up an envelope from his lap. I did, inside it I found an A4 paper with a printed big heart surrounded by ten little hearts. Each had a staff member’s name. He also wrote “this is the first time I use my hand after the accident, thank you HHC for the services you provided me with”.
We were deeply touched by the gesture. He was determined to show his appreciation further, so he bought a big cake and gathered us to recognize our efforts before he was discharged.

During this case, Sultan was lucky enough to deal with our capable psychologist Ms. Noor Al-Khudair. She worked with him on the ability to make dramatic changes in life no matter what. She also showed him options beyond his occupied thoughts. The take-home lesson was: where there is a will, there shall be a way! This turning point in Sultan’s self-belief took him all the way to India for a new treatment; he had heard about it from another patient and decided to give it a try. While being there, he used to call from time to time to check on how everyone was doing.

On his return to Saudi, he rented a bigger apartment in which he now lives with his beloved mother and younger brother. He also finally bought his dream car. Despite his physical limitations, seeing him lead a happy life is like a healing breath. There is no doubt that it takes a combination of a strong soul, as well as a competent team to make such a significant impact.

Thanks’ to the team who was behind this success story, every one of you helped and supported the patient in his/her way. And I’m sure you all know now that a kind word has a power to endure even if it is the only thing we can provide.

Nasser Al Shammary BN#2460, Ali Rwaily BN#1600, Nourah Al Johar BN# 2752, Budoor Al Shwaigi BN# 2893, Pamela Beltijar BN# 2732, Maryline Reonal BN# 1914, Claire Dumagat BN# 1912, Ibrahim Al-Saif BN # 1145, Noor Al-Khudair BN# 1105, Ritzel Rara BN# 1515, Maryann Elgin BN# 2631, Jane Fikster BN# 1929, Luzelle Pietersen BN# 2269 and Barbara Adams BN# 2270. You are great, each and every one of you, I salute in you the sense of humanity, the world needs more people like you to become a better place.

Sincerely,

Eman AL-Ghuraibi

HHC- Manager

27-03-2011