A Dubai labourer paralysed from the waist down after developing a spinal tumour has thanked doctors for helping him to walk again.
Mohammed Nouman, 30, collapsed after suffering severe back pain in May at his labour accommodation in Al Qusais.
His roommate called for an ambulance and Mr Nouman was soon transferred to the nearby Aster Hospital.
Doctors discovered he had a tumour in the spine which had caused damage to the vertebral bones and severe compression to his spinal cord.
He was left bedridden after losing sensation in both legs.
The medical team removed the 10cm tumour and began an extensive treatment and rehabilitation programme to help the Pakistani citizen get back on his feet.
He will require chemotherapy once he has recovered from the surgery, because the cancer has spread to his chest.
But he is looking to the future with optimism.
Hope restored
“I felt I wouldn't survive but the doctors restored my hope. I got a new life thanks to the amazing team of doctors in Aster Hospital,” Mr Nouman, who works as a carpenter, told The National.
He described the moment when he collapsed at home , saying "I noticed that I couldn't feel my legs".
"I fell and couldn’t get up again," said Mr Nouman, who has lived in Dubai for ten years.
Vinay Kumar Gurumath, a neurosurgeon at Aster Hospital in Al Qusais, said the road to recovery was challenging for the patient.
“He had no sensation in both legs and no muscle power in his legs and no control over his bowel and bladder when he presented to us,” Dr Gurumath told The National.
“He underwent surgery for excision of the tumour and decompression of the spinal cord. He also required stabilisation of the spine with instrumentation after removing the affected vertebral bones.”
A biopsy report showed the tumour was cancerous, meaning that surgery to remove it was essential.
“It was a complicated surgery as this cancer is rare," Dr Gurumath said. "We removed the 10cm tumour and part of the bones.
"The patient gradually regained sensation and muscle power in his legs. With regular physiotherapy, he regained strength in both legs and is now able to walk with minimal support,” Dr Gurumath said.
Mr Nouman was discharged from hospital on Tuesday, after receiving crucial care for 27 days.
He will return to hospital next week to have the stitches removed and to plan chemotherapy sessions to follow his recovery from surgery, to address the spread of the cancer.
The cost of treatment was covered by his insurance company.
Mr Nouman expressed his gratitude to Aster Hospital staff for their round-the-clock support.
“I can walk slowly now without walker support, thanks to the amazing team of doctors and healthcare staff. No words can express my feelings now. I can feel with my legs, and this is a new hope to me,” he said.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Company%20profile
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What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
