A MUM who claims she was sent away from her local hospital used the internet to save her baby from being permanently disfigured.
Madeeha Sheikh says her four-month-old daughter Alayna would be facing years of plastic surgery if she had put her faith in Rochdale Infirmary over a birthmark.
Alayna was delivered by forceps at the hospital. Madeeha spotted a pink mark on her face - but says she was told it was only a forceps' mark which would soon fade.
As weeks passed and the mark got darker, the 29-year-old legal adviser and her partner Shahraz Yakub, 29, from Marland, suspected something was seriously wrong. Alayna's lips also swelled and painful sores grew on her face.
After researching on the web, the couple raised their concerns with medics at Rochdale health centre Nye Bevan House, but claim they were again told there was nothing to worry about.
Alayna was later referred back to the infirmary and diagnosed with a `strawberry' birthmark.
But Madeeha emailed photographs of Alayna to Great Ormond Street Hospital.
A phone call from the top children's unit the next day said Alayna needed to travel to London for urgent treatment on the birthmark.
Madeeha said: "I felt I had to fight to get a referral. I was concerned it could cause blindness if my daughter did not receive urgent treatment. She was struggling to feed as she had ulcerated lips and was screaming in pain. Seeing my baby like this breaks my heart. If we had waited for treatment then it would have left her disfigured and destroyed her life."
The couple have written to demand an apology from Pennine Acute NHS Hospitals Trust, which runs the infirmary.
Madeeha said: "Alayna is receiving brilliant treatment at Great Ormond Street. She is being given a wonder drug, so we hope she will be fine within a year and will have no scarring."
Rochdale MP Paul Rowen has written to the secretary of state for health Andy Burnham to demand a full investigation and an apology.
Pennine Trust spokesman John Lindars said: "We have investigated the concerns raised and are arranging a meeting between doctors and the family."
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Tezza, Tyldesley (10/08/2009 at 13:01)
And what exactley is an apology going to do? NOTHING so get on with getting that beautiful little girl better
Jacob Molloy (10/08/2009 at 14:09)
I would want an apology too!
Services will only improve through dedicated parents making noise in order for current processes to be reviewed and improved!
Angie33 , Manchester (10/08/2009 at 14:57)
Andanotherthing, Mcr (10/08/2009 at 16:20)
Congrats on your lovely little girl, and thank god that she has the treatment needed.
garfield (10/08/2009 at 17:53)
is there a reason why the doctors told these parents there was nothing to worry about??? maybe short staffing/training or general lazyness.
It comes to something in this country when the public who are paying taxes have to search for a diagnosis on the interent and chase up there own daughters treatment.
well done to the parents for not taking the response that the hospital gave them in the first place.
Angie33 , Manchester (10/08/2009 at 20:58)
AnonM (10/08/2009 at 23:07)
The aim of this story is to get just an apology, raise awareness and educate professionals and parents of this condition, and to questions professionals on diagnosis. You must admit that there are members of our society whether through perception or language difficulties trust the medical professionals wholeheartedly, with their lives and others. I hope that these people will now ask for a second opinion, educate themselves and question professionals on treatments.
AnonM