Updates on Samaah

He has a name!

2010-06-29T11:41:00.004-06:00

The latest addition now has a name! He is known as Rashid Okasha Hassan.

And of course, he has his own blog as well.

rashidokashahassan.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

And then there were three...

2010-06-22T13:26:00.000-06:00

Asalamu Alaikum all,

Now Samaah is the eldest of three, subhan Allah!

First Zaid and now a new brother to add to the mix, I wonder what her reaction would have been! Allah knows best! :-)

Between Zaid and the latest, yet unnamed, additional bundle of joy, the house will surely be full of love, laughter and cheers of encouragement! An overwhelming gratefulness for Allah's bounties and limitless generosity settles in the heart, while in the quiet moments, the mind reflects on Allah's wisdom and plans for each and everyone of us.

Allah's plan for Samaah was clear. She was to be a beacon of what was to come. Her strength is ever present in Zaid as he falls head first into a table, then stands up and laughs it off. Her soft smile shown across her new brother's face as he slept in complete stillness on his first day in the world. And her enduring spirit is evident in both of them when you look in their sparkling eyes and see a light of unending joy and curiosity.

And as many times before and likely, many times again, I miss Samaah. Her brothers do not replace her, but they fill the space in the void that she left behind. And I pray for the day that we will all be reunited by the will and mercy of Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

I ask Him, the Provider and the Protector, to grant my nephews with many blessings and make them among the righteous. Ameen!

Fareheen

2007-10-20T13:40:00.001-06:00

Asalamu Alaikum,

For more information about our new addition, go to his own blog:

http://zaidhassan.blogspot.com/

1 week old and has his own blog. Nice.

A year later...

2007-10-07T10:39:00.000-06:00

Subhan Allah, Surely after difficulty, there is ease. Surely after difficult, there is ease.

Today, on the 25th night of Ramadan, Samaah had a baby brother. His name is Zaid Bukhari Hassan.

I don't know if there is any resemblence between the two siblings as I haven't seen a picture yet. So I wonder if he has Samaah's sparkling eyes or her sweet smile. I wonder if he has her innate curiosity or her quiet charm.

Today, on the 25th day of Ramadan, I miss Samaah. She taught me so much in her time on this earth but insha allah, Zaid will do the same and more.

May Allah protect my nephew, grant him health, and make him amongst the beloved of our Creator. Ameen.

2007-01-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

Flowers from our Friends :)

2007-01-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

Samaah Grave Plot in Saskatoon, SK. Top left Papa looking over Samaah's Grave. Top Right Nana looking over Samaah's Grave. Bottom Right, (from left to right) Sahar, Naila , Nanu

2007-01-23T15:39:00.000-07:00

Chilling at home after the Jannazah Salaah in Saskatoon. Above Left Hassan and Naila. Above Right Sahar, Ma (Naila's) , Naila

2007-01-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

Pictures of the Jannazah Salaah

Samaah's Coffin being carried to the masjid

2007-01-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken inside the masjid area and in the reception area with our friends from Saskatoon including two of Samaah's nurses

2007-01-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

These pictures are from the day of Samaahs Janazah in Front of the Saskatoon Masjid. Above is Sahar and I . To my left is Sis. Yasmin (saskatoon buddy and I)

2007-01-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

An Upside down picture of the man behind the sceen of Sahar's Trip down to Saskatoon! or Maybe it is right side up, after all everything in Ontairo is backwards.....

2006-11-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

Asalamu Alaikum,

Here's some video of my delicious Chamaah Mama! Look at her gorgeous smile.

2006-11-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

Assalamu Alikum, this is the room Samaah was in for the last few days.

Keep on checking the blog, inshallah we will be posting more pictures up!

Wassalamu Alikum

2006-11-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

2006-11-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

2006-11-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

2006-11-14T23:31:00.000-07:00

Assalamu Alikum

These pictures are from Samaah's Photoshot the day before Eid!

Oct. 22, 2o06

2006-10-29T13:34:00.000-07:00

Asalamu Alaikum,

Jazakum Allahu Khair to everyone who was able to attend Salat-ul-Ghaib Janazah at the Islamic Forum of Canada - Naila and Hassan are really grateful for your attendance and duas. Also, to everyone who has made dua for them, stopped by our house, called them, etc, I'm sure when things are settled down, they update this blog to show their appreciation insha Allah.

Just one quick update, insha Allah Naila and Hassan won't be leaving until next Monday, November 6th, Alhamdullilah!

If anyone would like to come to the airport, their flight will leave at 9:10pm and we have to be at the airport by 8:10pm insha Allah.

2006-10-27T09:29:00.000-06:00

Asalamu Alaikum,

Insha Allah, a second Janazah prayer for Samaah will be offered at the Islamic Forum of Canada.

Date: Friday 10/27/06
Time: 7:30PM
Place: Islamic Forum of Canada (200 Advance Blvd)
Prayer to be led by Imam Faisal Abdur-Razzak

From 401/403
410 North
Exit on Steeles East (Right turn)
Right turn on Dixie
Left turn on Advance
First left and masjid is on the other side of the building

We apologize for the late notice, but insha Allah, your presence and duas will be greatly appreciated.

2006-10-26T19:40:00.000-06:00

Flight information below:

AIR CANADA
AC8838
10/26/2006
23:29
TERMINAL 1

If anyone needs parking, for the best parking at Terminal 1, see below:
Enter Departure ramp of Terminal 1
Entrance to garage will be on left hand side
Enter Short Term Parking
After getting ticket, turn right in first or second row
Drive to end of row (Glass doors are the entrance to bridge that will take you to the terminal)

Call if you need any help. 647-297-2967

2006-10-25T00:46:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

May this message reach you in the best of health and high Iman inshallah. Our little Princess Samaah’s Janazah (Funeral Prayer) will be held at 10:30am at the Islamic Association of Saskatoon inshallah. 222 Copeland Cr.

We encourage all of you to attend. We invite the staff from the Royal University Hospital, GE Health Care and all of our friends in Saskatoon to attend.

At this time we would like to say Jazakallahu Khairun to everyone for their support, their help and Du’ahs (Prayers) .
Wassalamu Alikum

2006-10-24T19:04:00.000-06:00

Asalamu Alaikum,

The Janaza will take place sometime tomorrow morning insha Allah in Saskatoon. Alhamdullilah, they were able to schedule it as soon as possible.

Upon Naila and Hassan's arrival to Brampton, insha Allah, I'm sure they will be wanting to meet with each and everyone of you, so they would like to plan some type of dua/prayer at the Islamic Forum of Canada insha Allah.

Further updates will be provided as to date/time insha Allah.

May Allah have mercy on us and forgive us for our sins. Ameen.

Fareheen

2006-10-24T13:04:00.000-06:00

A few notes:

1. Insha Allah, my mother-in-law and Br. Abul Ala are leaving tomorrow at 6am to arrive in Saskatoon at 9am.

2. Insha Allah, they will return with Naila and Hassan on Thursday evening. Their flight (Tango) will arrive at 11:43pm on Thursday Insha Allah. Feel free to meet them at the airport insha Allah.

3. Also, some people have requested to come and see my in-laws tonight. Your prayers and thoughts are very much appreciated, so if anyone would like to come, please come around Maghrib prayer tonight.

Maghrib
~6:20 PM

32 Neville Cres
Brampton, Ontario
L6S 5K9

Directions:
From 401 or 403

Take Hwy 410 Brampton (North)
Exit at Bovaird Drive
Turn Right (East)

At First Traffic Light, Turn Right (Nasmith Street)
At First Stop Sign, Turn Left (Newport Street)
At First street, Turn Left (Neville Cres)

32 Neville Cres (Left hand side)
Home Number: Naila’s Parents 905-454-8297
Home Number: Naila’s Brother 905-454-2967

Jazak Allah Khair and please continue to make dua.

Fareheen

2006-10-24T10:47:00.000-06:00

Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi ra ji oon. Samaah Leem Hassan passed away this morning at 09:52AM Saskatoon time.

2006-10-24T09:40:00.000-06:00

Just got a call that Samaah has passed away.

2006-10-24T08:46:00.001-06:00

Just received a call from Naila. Samaah may be in her last moments in this life. Allah knows best and please make dua.

2006-10-23T00:29:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum!

EID MUBARAK!!!! May Allah SWT shower everyone with a great and fun filled EID!!!

EID….Oh yeah….OH YEAH!!! ( a cheer the Ali monkeys and Musa Busa made up! Mind you they chat it EVERY where they go!)

Alhumdulliah Samaah had a great day today. She was pretty ill and still has the same issues since yesterday and they are monitoring her kidneys and so on, but she was a little calmer today than yesterday.

Her photo shoot went great! The pictures were taken in the morning, but all the night nurses were talking about it….word must of gotten around. Papa had a lot of fun posing with Samaah…inshallah the pics will be posted up once we get them.

Inshallah on Monday Samaah will be partying it up with the nurses and the other staff at RUH…(Royal University Hospital) for her very first Eid!

Wassalamu Alikum

P. S did we meantion that Sahar is coming to visit Saskatoon on Tuesday?!

2006-10-22T02:19:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

May this message reach you in the best of health and high Iman inshallah. Pray all is well. Alhamdulillah yet another Ramadaan is about to pass. We pray that inshallah Allah SWT showers everyone with His mercy and blessings. May He allow us to cont. to carry ourselves the way we did during Ramadaan. May He Save everyone and their loved ones a spot in Jannah. Ameen

Alhamdulillah Samaah had a great day with Papa today. Below are the pictures from their exciting day together….for the last week….lots of time with Papa, hopefully he will buy her a present for Eid.. maybe a Lexus, or we ( I mean she) can settle for a BMW!

Samaah's update

-she had a fever last night until this morning, it came down around noon
-she is pretty dehydrated
-started saline in the morning to help her body clear out
-found some waste in her blood stream, but they will help clear it out (not sure how)
-She went for some blood tests
-Her Lysix was paused for a little while to help her body relax, may cont. in the morning
-was able to nap a little more today, which was nice, will give the body a chance to relax inshallah.

Samaah needs all the rest she can get tonight….she has a photo shoot in the morning :P inshallah a photographer will be coming in to take pictures of her. Life of a Diva is very challenging ! A gift from a dear friend. May Allah SWT shower her and her family with His mercy and blessings. Ameen.

2006-10-22T02:09:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

So I think this is it, Samaah was sold out by Papa this morning....she was chilling..while he was sleeping...I mean babysitting....:P Check out her MC Hammer Pants....Can't touch this...

2006-10-22T01:58:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Papa and Samaah time again...interesting how Samaah seems to sleep everytime Papa tries to play with her.....

2006-10-22T01:49:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Samaah and Papa time...bonding in a weird way. Papa is showing Samaah how to make fists...teaching her to defind at an early age..just in case her peeps (the bears) get out of hand...

2006-10-21T01:05:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Pray All is well inshallah! Allhumdulliah there are still a few more hours of Ramadaan left to rake in the blessings! May Allah SWT have mercy on all and may all your ibadaat be excepted. Ameen.

Samaah has been moved into her own privet suite :P She has her own bathroom and sofas, I…I mean she will be very comfortable.

Today her feeding tube has been changed from a NG tube (that went to the stomach) to a NJ tube (goes to the intestine) it will inshallah help her digest her food. She has been having difficulties keeping her food down. Inshallah Allah SWT knows best.

Allhumdulliah Samaah is a strong girl. She is going through a fair amount right now. Inshallah time will tell what Allah SWT has planned, after all He is the best of planners.

We cont. to pray that Allah SWT grants everyone sabr and much mercy during this month of Ramadaan. Ameen.

Wassalamu Alikum

2006-10-18T19:36:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Pray all is well. Inshallah it is one of the last odd nights of Ramadaan, lets take full advantage of these nights, for we are never sure if we will be blessed to see another one.

Here are the updates of Samaah:

1) Here feeds have changed, she is not able to handle the formula. So now they pushed her back to ones that have less calories to help ease the barfing
2) Her Infection is in the bone. It is apparently very bad. Which surprised the doctors, because they were not expecting this all. Also they were commenting mashallah because of her friendly nature and her excitement, you could never tell how sick she really is. Truly a blessing from Allah SWT. They are coordinating efforts to figure out when they will do the surgery. They are thinking next week between Tuesdays – Thursday. Until that time they will use the IV. They are just worried about putting her on general anesthesia, because last time during the CT scan her lungs filled up with water and she had to go onto oxygen But Allah SWT knows best. She is scheduled to be on the Antibiotics until Nov. 17th for now inshallah
3) The heart doctor today said once they figure out where the infection goes, they will figure out a plan about the heart.
4) Inshallah Tomorrow, they will be changing Samaah into a longer care room. This is also because she has a weak immune system…in short, this means it is PARTY TIME!!!
Take care and will talk to you all soon.

Wassalamu Alikum

2006-10-17T19:02:00.000-06:00

Just spoke to Naila, and there are some significant updates from today.

The Gallium scan was complete and there was a large infection in Samaah's bones. The doctors will be placing her on 4-6 weeks of antibiotics.

Also, they completed another investigative procedure in her heart and they discovered that there is a minor hole in her heart. However, they are not too concerned with this at this point. What they are really worried about is the fact that her pulmonary veins are not developing properly. They will require further investigation of this issues by doing an invasive procedure that will take some pictures of heart, but can’t do that until antibiotic is complete (another 4-6 weeks).

Also, the doctors have put Samaah on a vaccine once a month for children whose immune system is very weak and a higher dose of Lasix due to water in lungs.

Please continue to make dua in these last few days of Ramadan that Allah makes it easy for Samaah. She is so resilient and even in the midst of so much, she is still able to smile.

2006-10-17T01:07:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Samaah last week, Eating, Sleeping...and burping...

2006-10-17T01:03:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Samaah and Babu chilling, together during his suprise visit to Saskatoon...Babu is chilling...but Samaah...well not quiet sure what she is doing...

2006-10-17T00:59:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

This is Samaah, showing who is boss...Juanyd (my newphew) used to do the same thing, but he thought he was Simba from the Lion King...maybe it is time for him to step aside...What you think Junayd?

2006-10-17T00:53:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

This is Samaah Having some quiet time with her friend Mr. Bear from her mobile, last week. Babu (Sayeem) Claims she doesn't like him, but likes the black and white bears (which are also hanging on the same mobile...but I don't know about that :) Below Mr. Bear is the "Sleeping Music"...it is magic! Her eyes start to close right away once it is turned on... a must get for all parents!

2006-10-17T00:48:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Pray All is well. Our dear friend, Ramadaan is about to leave. Inshallah there are a few more days left. May Allah SWT make it easy for us to make it the fullest . Ameen.

One of my teachers, called us while we were in Edmonton, and she told me, always look for the little blessings in life. These things will tell you that Allah SWT is watching over you…..and it makes things easier. Allhumdulliah it is true, the little blessings in life is what really counts. Today I ran into a sister who I have not seen since the spring. We chatted for a little and than we went our separate ways. I went back to Samaah and she went back to work. Later this evening, Hassan and I decided to go to Taraweeh. After we came back, we saw this sister again, this time she was waiting for us to return to the hospital. She baked us cake, brought dates and marshmallows (From her trip to Edmonton). Mashallah it was a great surprise! This is just one of the examples of the “little blessings” we have been seeing. May Allah SWT bless all of you with His mercy and forgiveness, for making this time easier for our family. Ameen.

Samaah’s Update:

- Sleeping for the last two days, only to wake up for tests etc.
- Blood work taken, part of the infection tests
- Results from the Galium Scan not back
- The ECG shows there is a little bit more pressure on her lungs, but inshallah nothing serious (the doctor said)
- Going for a scan for the heart (forget what it is called)
- Had a temperature, but was coming down this evening
- Feeds have not changed
- Waiting for the tests to figure out the next course of actions

Allah SWT is the greatest of planners …

We spoke to Samaah’s Dadi ( Who calls her Gungun) and she informed us her aqeekah will be taking place on Friday inshallah in Bangladesh. The aqeekah has been delayed, but inshallah will be completed very soon :P

Allahumdulliah it is SOOOOOOOOOOO cold here in Saskatoon. It is slippery and snowy. The trees are filled with icicles and the sky is dark. We will take a picture to show all of you guys. A few days ago someone in the hospital mentioned how winter starts after Thanksgiving, and I was like oh…but it seems like it really does ! Isn’t it like against the law for snow to fall before December of something?! Our Saskatoonian friends, does winter really begin this early, or is it a trick? Please do inform us. Man I think I really need to get gloves this year! Where is the UTM book store when you really need it…..

2006-10-16T00:11:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Inshallah everything is going well. This is the update for the weekend:

(Saturday)

-She had the last Gallium Scan
-Went for an ECG for the heart
-Her breathing has calm down since last night
-Her oxygen level has been lowered, still on it though
-Her respiratory rate has calm down a little
-The rest we are waiting to hear about

Wassalamu Alikum

Sunday:

-The oxygen is down now
-RR is staying stead, and calmer
-Sleep most of the day
-Pretty Hydrated
-Has a fever
-Changed her room, so now she is across the hall
-Waiting to hear about what is next inshallah

Allhumdulliah, this weekend was pretty challenging for Samaah. She was not in great shape at all on Friday night. Her lungs had so much water that it was pushing down on her livers, and she was crying non stop for two days, only to break for 20 mins or so to nap. She was on almost a liter of oxygen, which was a huge deal, cause she came off it 2 weeks or so earlier. She must have been in a lot of pain. The doctors were pretty worried through out the weekend, but Allhumdullaih Allah SWT knows best. She is now is pretty Stable. Hopefully we will hear about the results from all the tests on Monday morning. But Mashallah today she was sleeping most of the day, must have been exhausted and pretty week. But she did give Papa a smile (actually a few) before we came home. Which was the first in a few days :P But everything happens for a reason.

A friend of mine (actually all of ours, but she will remain nameless, just because it is more fun this way) sent an email saying: dua is the 'mukht' (bone marrow of ibadat). Mashallah such a great reminder for all of us. Allah SWT always has our backs.

Please make du’ah for everyone, especially those who are suffering.

Wassalamu Alikum

P.S- saw a sign on the way to the hospital this morning “Saskatoon is the Multicultural capital of Canada”…not quite sure what they define as “Multiculture”

Also , Hassan still thinks it is summer, so he has been wearing sandles, and still is. The only thing is, when we left the hospital this evening, it started snowing like crazy!

2006-10-14T00:39:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Pray all is well with everyone. Update for today:

- Samaah is on Pedilite, so still not on feeds
- Going for the next Gallium Scan on Saturday
- Had a few extra x-rays
- There is liquid in her lungs, which is directly related to the heart and chest, which is putting pressure on the liver
- She is on Oxygen now, and on the monitors again
- Waiting to find out what is going to happen to her feeds
- Doctors are meeting on Saturday to discuss her heart condition

May Allah SWT forgive us and have mercy on us and may he release us from hellfire. Ameen.

On a side note: Happy day for Hassan, someone from Bangladesh won the Nobel Peace Prize…Zindabad Bangladesh (Does that even make sense, I don’t know, but it seems like it goes together, Happy (our dear friend) what do you say…please comment….

2006-10-13T01:05:00.000-06:00

A trip down memory lane…7 weeks ago, Samaah chilling with her Dadi ( Hassan’s mom) moments after she was born.

2006-10-13T01:00:00.000-06:00

Diva of the Century…giving us the “look”, she does that quiet often. Kind of like the black in white Charlie Chaplin movies, all movement , but no sounds (not that I ever watched any of the movies or anything….)

2006-10-13T00:41:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Pray that all is doing well inshallah. Allhumdulliah we have entered the last 10 nights of Ramadaan. May Allah SWT make it productive and rewarding for everyone inshallah. Ameen.

The updates for Today:

-Back on Morphine. She was not suppose to be off it yet, it was just a mistake in the orders
-She went for the first of three Gallium Scans today.. Inshallah the next two will be on Friday and Saturday
-They are taking blood work to see if they can figure out the puking issue
-She is off her feeds and on a mix, which is basically sugar and water, this is to give her body a rest from puking, although she still manages to puke every so often, but Allah SWT knows best.
-She is still boarder line dehydration …. But the nurse said “her eyes still look glazy” so apparently we are okay (hehehe)

The weekend is approaching, which means inshallah she will be able to rest a little. They usually don’t do too much, unless it is an emergency, which means she will be able to party all weekend!

Allhumdulliah she has made some new friends today. There are three new babies who joined her in her room today. The moms are very friendly mashallah .

Her cute moment of the day: She had been sleeping all day, and pretty restless (kind of like Hassan without food, I am sure everyone knows what I am talking about..muahahahah) but in the evening when Hassan was putting her to sleep she smiled in her sleep…so now Hassan really thinks he is the man, cause she smiled for him (although I am sure it was gas!)

Side note, man Saskatoon is COLD…it is only the second week of Oct. and it is freezing..wondering what the winter has in store for us…so anyone want to come visit us now…did we ever tell you that you have to plug your car in, during the winter so the engine don’t freeze over…..

2006-10-12T11:49:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

May this message reach all of you in the best of health and high Iman inshallah. Inshallah everyone’s Ramadaan is going ultra amazing. If it is not as amazing as you expected….it is still not too late yet! There are still few more days to rake in the blessings inshallah and to train ourselves for the rest of the year! May Allah SWT help everyone achieve the goals they set for themselves this year. Ameen.

Here are the updates about Samaah or Chamaah (as her Mamima, Fareheen calls herself)

- The CT scan last week showed that there is enough room for the brain to grow for now inshallah. They were checking to see if the skull had already developed fully, or if there was room for the brain to grow
- The CT scan on the Chest….did not show what they expected, They will be doing a Gallium ( I think that is how it is spelt) scan this week inshallah.
- She started her feeds after about 30 hours of being off them last week For the CT scan…Unfortunately she is not tolerating her feeds that well
- She is on continuous feeds again. I guess she likes getting her meals in small portions all the time….hehehe
- The infection in the chest is not healing the way they were expecting that is why they are doing the Gallium Scan in order to see if it spread to tissues or the bones
- She has been throwing up with each feed, so now she is boarder line dehydrated, but the good part is, she is not officially dehydrated, Allhumdulliah
- She is on Antibiotics through IV for the infection, first they were giving it every 4 hours, than 18 now 24, the same amount is being administrated, but her body was not able to digest the amount given at first, so they have increased the time in between to help the digestion,.
- X-rays have been taken to see if they can detect why she is throwing up. They will also inform us if she still has liquid in her lungs. Last week she had a fair amount of extra liquid in her lungs and her head, but that started to drain out after medication
- As of this morning, she is officially off morphine, so inshallah they will see how she does with out it….she has been having withdrawal from it for the last few weeks, which includes shaking, throwing up, sudden jerks, sneezing, coughing but the actions are not as dramatic as they used to be.
- I think that is it for now, we took lots of pictures, so we will be posting them up shortly, especially since Babu (Sayeem) came for a surprise visit this week! Mamima came back to Saskatoon on the weekend with Babu to have some exciting babysitting adventures with Cham Cham (Samaah)

- Over all Samaah is doing very well mashallah. May Allah SWT cont. to shower everyone with His mercy and forgiveness. Ameen.

2006-10-04T15:02:00.000-06:00

This is Fareheen again - I haven't posted for awhile as I have been here in Saskatoon (aka The Farm). As most of you know I am the very proud Mami-ma (Auntie) of dear Samaah.

Anyways, here's my post:

Whoa Naila! Relax with the pictures!!!

Just kidding! I can't get enough of Samaah's delicious cheeks and her oh-so-cute mouth and her huge brown eyes! So keep 'em coming!

For those of you haven't seen Samaah up close and personal, take my word for it, it's a real blessing to be in the presence of such a fighter. Her spirit and curiosity is already very apparent and infectious. You can really see that she is an interesting mix of Naila and Hassan. Samaah has Naila's smile and continous energy. And just like how Hassan won't go to sleep just in case he misses something exciting when me and Naila are talking, neither will Samaah!!! She forces her eyes to stay open!

However, it looks like she got her introspective nature from her Mami-ma (that would be me)!!! HA!!! No but seriously, she spends hours just looking around and thinking deeply (or so it seems).

Anyways, with all of Naila's exciting posts, we haven't really provided any information about Samaah's health, so I wanted to summarize the information below:

Last week, Samaah had to be placed back on oxygen as some fluid in her lungs had developed. Alhamdullilah since then, the fluid has subsided with the aid of a pharmaceutical and her vitals all seem good.

However, a somewhat more serious condition was discovered. It seems that Samaah's skull/head maybe a bit smaller than what should be expected at her age/weight/height etc. The doctors are a bit worried about this as they are unsure if it is related to her original heart condition or not. At this point, they are still investigating using genetics as well as a CT scan that will done on her brain.

Finally, over the past couple days, the doctors have also noticed that a minor infection has developed in the incision of her heart surgery. A CT scan has also been planned for her chest area, but as a precaution they have already put her on antibiotics.

Being here in Saskatoon, one realizes the long term follow-up that will be required in this situation and the patience and optimism that Allah has bestowed upon Naila and Hassan. Their focus, strength and resolve are definitely qualities to admire and insha Allah, will be passed down to Samaah as she grows up.

Anyways, they are at home in the evenings and I'm sure they would love to hear from you guys, so call them when you can insha Allah.

2006-10-04T00:49:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Samaah with mom and dad.

2006-10-04T00:43:00.000-06:00

Chilling with Mamima....

2006-10-04T00:36:00.000-06:00

Chilling and posing for the camera while mami takes pictures

2006-10-04T00:32:00.000-06:00

2006-10-04T00:25:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Mamima meets Samaah...

Gifts mamima brought for Samaah! Her very first princess dresses! All she needs are matching purses and shoes!

2006-10-04T00:17:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

This is view from Samaah's Room.

Samaah's first time sitting in a chair, very confused, very not sure of the situation :)

Wassalamu Alikum

Naila

2006-09-30T11:46:00.000-06:00

Ramadan: a very dear guest

We have a very dear guest visiting us for a month, his name is Ramadan.
Let me tell you some thing about him

Ramadan is the month of the Qur’an (strengthening the link with Allah)
The month of the Fast (strengthening the soul and feeding it)
The month of the Night Prayer in congregation (strengthening the link with Allah and with the community)
The month of Increasing Imaan
The month of Guidance
The month of Mercy
The month of Forgiveness
The month of Wiping the Sins
The month of Duplicating the Reward
The month of Patience (to control our selves)
The month of Charity (a social responsibility)
The month of the Good Character
The month of Closeness to Allah
The month of Supplications and Submissiveness
The month of Emancipation from Hell

These are some of the features of our guest, who came to teach us and train us to be better Muslims throughout the year. So, let us practice these meanings whilst we are fasting.

Print these fifteen points on a small paper and put it in your pocket.
Check it every day and ask your self these questions:

Am I reciting the Qur’an to strengthen my link with Allah?
Am I fasting to strengthen my soul and feed it?
Am I praying the Night Prayer in congregation to please Allah and strengthen the link with the community?
Am I increasing my Imaan?
Am I seeking guidance?
Am I practicing mercy?
Am I forgiving others and seek Allah’s forgiveness?
Am I working on wiping my sins in this month and not on increase it?
Am I looking forward to Duplicate my Reward in this month?
Am I practicing patience: controlling my tongue, my eyes and my limbs?
Am I paying my obligatory Zakat and giving extra Charity?
Am I improving my character, my temper, my behaviour and my manners?
Am I drawing closer to Allah or I am distant from Him?
Am I feeling the sweetness of the supplications or it is just: Ameen, Ameen.
Am I asking Allah truly to emancipate me from Hell?

May Allah enable us to learn and benefit from this dear guest Ramadan, Ameen.

Shaykh Haytham Tamim
Chairman of Utrujj Foundation
www.utrujj.org
London
Ramadan 1427

2006-09-28T12:45:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Allhumdulliah we got some very exciting news earlier on. Samaah's Mamima (aunt) is coming to visit us in Saskatoon inshallah this weekend! She will be staying by Samaah's bed side for the next week, giving Hassan a break : ) inshallah.....party time, by Samaah's crib! The nurses may of thought we were quiet people...I think they will be in for a suprise!

May Allah SWT grant her a safe and rewarding journey to REAL CANADA!!! May Allah SWT allow everyone of you to come and visit us in the near future inshallah. Ameen....

Dhulabhay, do you feel the pressure yet ?!

Wassalamu Alikum

2006-09-28T10:50:00.000-06:00

assalamu alikum,

Samaah's crew red-cousin maariyah, pink scarf -
(aunt) Susmita Fupu, white-cousin ameerah, red -cousin Junayd.

Their trip to Saskatoon this summer for the birth of Samaah...who didn't quiet make it in time for their trip :) She was born after they left, Allah SWT knows best !

2006-09-28T00:25:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Very shortly the first third of the holy month of Ramadaan will be over. Inshallah lets all take a moment to reflect on the goals we have set for ourselves, and see if we have achieved what we wanted to. Here is an article which I read quiet often to remind myself the importance of the tongue. It may also help us to make new goals for the next two thirds of Ramadaan.

May Allah SWT shower His mercy and blessing upon us. May He forgive us. May He make us all steadfast in our salaah and deen. May He accept our deeds. May He protect us all. May He place peace and happiness in our souls. May He grant all of you and your loved ones a spot in Jannah. Ameen

Bismillaah ir-Rahmaan ir-Raheem
Assalamu'alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa baraakatu
The tongue
Author: Unknown.

Pick your teeth! It's one of the greatest sins and yet it's something we do day after day. Sometimes we don't even realize it. You're just chatting away with your friends and you begin to talk about somebody else. Our whole lives are based around 'Home and Away' and 'Neighbors', soaps based on lying, backbiting and cheating. But look at what the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam) said about it:The Prophet (salAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam) was sitting with his companions one day and one of them was speaking badly about someone who wasn't there. As the man got up to leave the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam) said to him: "Pick your teeth!" "But I haven't eaten anything", the man protested. "No", the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam) said "you have eaten the flesh of your dead brother!"As Allah tells us in the Qur'an: "Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? No, you would hate it." [al-Qur'an 49:12]But what if it's true?The Prophet (salAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam) told us, "Backbiting is to say something about someone they wouldn't like said about them ... If what bad you said about them is true, then you have backbitten and if it is false then you have slandered them!" [Muslim]

If you're still not convinced of how big a sin backbiting really is, then look at the punishment Allah has in store for the backbiters. The Prophet (salAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam) described: "On the night of Miraaj (the Prophet's ascension to heaven), I passed by some people who had metal hooks in their hands and were clawing at their faces and their necks with them. I asked Jibraeel 'Who were these people?' He said 'These are the people who eat the flesh of human beings and disgrace them'" [Abu Dawud].This is how big of a sin backbiting is looked upon and yet we continue to backbite without a second thought, next time you lie, talk about somebody, remember Allah (subhanna wa ta'alaa) and the Prophet (salAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam) and put them in front of you before you speak.

Just having a laugh! May be we think it's all right to take the mick out of someone so long as we say it to their face. We'll make fun of the way someone talks, walks, or how they look. Allah warns us against such behavior:"O you who believe, let not some men laugh at others, it may be the that they are better than you. Nor let some women laugh at others it may be that they are better than you. Nor abuse each other, nor be sarcastic to each other by using offensive nicknames..." [al-Qur'an 49:11]Don't forget that Allah made us the way we are, so how can you even think of making fun of his creation?

Cool to swear?Listen to yourself and to your friends speaking one day - nearly every sentence will have a swear word in it, thinking it's cool and macho to swear, copying the idols of TV and the cinema. Is it really 'cool' to swear? The Hellfire is far from being cool. People will wish they were cool then rather than being cool in this world.
Remember! That every time you speak , an angel writes down what you say, and that one day you will have to answer for every single word you ever uttered. So if you swear at someone then it's written down as a sin against you. You're only harming yourself. The Prophet (salAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam) said that "abusing a Muslim is a sin and fighting with him is disbelief" [Muslim].

But sometimes you just have to swear! We've all been there - you're just so angry with somebody and the only way you can express yourself, is to swear at them. The solution? Don't get angry in the first place. A man came to the Prophet (saw) one day and said "Advise me". The Prophet (salAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam) said "Don't become angry. Don't become angry. Don't become angry... when one of you gets angry while he is standing up, he should sit down. Then anger will leave him, and if not then he should lie down" [Ahmad].So let us follow this beautiful advice of the Prophet (salAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam) and remember that anger is from Shaytan. If someone angers you or swears at you then don't harm yourself by doing the same but respond in a better way as Allah says in the Qur'an "Repel evil with what is better. Then he who was your worst enemy will become your best friend." [al-Qur'an 41:33]

It wasn't me who said it! How often do we say such a phrase or say that "I was only joking". We treat lies as being trivial. However we are told that Allah's messenger did not hate anything more than lying [Ahmed]. The Prophet (saw) was once asked "Can a Muslim be a coward?" He (saw) replied "Yes". He was then asked "Can a Muslim be a miser?" and the reply was "Yes". The Prophet (salAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam) was again asked "Can a Muslim be a liar?" The Prophet (salAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam) replied "No! A Muslim can never be a liar". Furthermore, he said "Truth leads to virtue and virtue leads to paradise... Lying leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to the hellfire" [Bukhari].

As we know that one lie leads to another ten lies which lead to bad actions. Remember you can lie and think that you have got away with it but on the Day of Judgment your hands, tongue and feet will bear testimony against you and tell the truth.But it's only words!One day, one of the Companions asked the Prophet (salAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam): "O Messenger of Allah, will we be called to account for what we say?" He replied "May you be lost to your mother! People will be thrown faces down into the hellfire, only on account to what their tongues said!" [Tirmidhi]Indeed the tongue controls the rest of your body. A well controlled tongue will keep us within Islam but a loose tongue will destroy us. The Prophet (salAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam) said: "When a person gets up in the morning, all the parts of his body make a plea to his tongue saying 'Fear Allah regarding us, because we follow you. If you are right then we shall also be right, and if you are wrong then we shall also be wrong'." [Tirmidhi]

Instead of swearing, lying and engaging in useless talk we can use our tongues in better ways and what better than telling people about Islam. Allah says: "Who is better in speech than one who calls (people) to Allah and works righteousness and says I am one of those who bow down in Islam" [al-Qur'an 41:33]Your tongue can save you!Indeed if you control your tongue and speak good then paradise can be yours. The Prophet (salAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam) said: "Whoever can guarantee me two things I can guarantee them Paradise". The companions asked "What, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied: "What is between his jaws (his tongue) and his legs (private parts)" [Bukhari].I must be doomed!"I have lied, backbitten people, and swear all the time. I must be going to hell!" No! Allah (subhanna wa ta'alaa) tells us in the Qur'an: "O my servants who have wronged themselves, never despair of the mercy of Allah - for truly He forgives all sins. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful." [al-Qur'an 39:53]So if you really repent and turn back to Allah and promise not to commit the sin again then truly Allah's promise is true and He will forgive you.

If you've backbitten someone - go and tell the person whom you backbitten and apologize sincerely and ask them to forgive you. But if you think that the situation will get worse then turn back to Allah sincerely begging for his forgiveness then to make up for what you said, go around and talk good of him.The best example As we know that the best person to have ever lived is the Prophet Muhammad (salAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam) and he is the best of example for mankind. If we follow him we can never go wrong. Aisha (radiallahu 'anhaa), the Prophet's wife, described the Prophet's conduct as follows "He was neither an obscene talker nor a user of bad words. He did not shout nor did he repay evil with evil. He used to forgive people and overlook their sins" [Tirmidhi].

Final word of adviceA beautiful saying of the Prophet (salAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam) that will ensure the protection of our tongue. The Messenger of Allah (salAllaahu 'alaihi wa salaam) said "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last day, LET HIM EITHER SPEAK GOOD OR KEEP SILENT!" [Agreed upon]

2006-09-26T23:45:00.000-06:00

2006-09-26T23:25:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Today Aaron left Saskatoon for Regina. It was sad to see them go, but we were all very excited about his new journey. Hannah (his mom) seemed a little nervous, but we are confidant that inshallah she will do well. She is a pro at his feeding, and taking care of all his needs. Hannah’s mom asked God to be with Samaah before she left. Ameen.

Samaah, Allhumdulliah has was resting as we left the hospital this evening. She had an eventful day with the nurses and doctors. May Allah SWT guide us all inshallah.

Wassalamu Alikum

2006-09-26T00:16:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Allhumdulliah we heard some really good news today. Samaah’s friend Aaron from Regina will be going home tomorrow (inshallah) after 5 and a ½ weeks of being away from home. We wish him the best for the future. His mom and I have been chatting a lot about Ramadaan. She knew a fair amount about it from her friend Dr. Mustafa , who is originally from Edmonton. It has been fun being with them and we will miss both of their company.

Samaah went for a heart ultrasound today. On the way there, I carried her, while the nurse pushed her machines behind us. Mashallah it was quiet the experience! She loved the walk there, looking around and listening to the noises (while I think she was doing all that, but makes the story a lot better …). And when we got there, they were worried at first she may cry , and they wanted her to be as relaxed as possible. But than when they put the jelly on her belly and started to check her out she seemed pretty calm and relaxed. She was actually enjoying herself!

2006-09-24T01:57:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Samaah’s doctor decided to backtrack a little bit now. Since she is having a few “hiccups” with her breathing and respiratory system, they decided to let her body rest, and the heart to gain some strength inshallah. For that reason they decided to put her back onto the continuous feed and to keep her on her oxygen for a few days, before taking any more new steps inshallah. Allah SWT knows best.

Wassalamu Alikum
Naila

2006-09-24T01:10:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Samaah sleeps peacefully tonight, as she enters her second day of Ramadaan this evening.

May Allah SWT shower everyone with His mercy and blessings. May He have mercy on our parents as they had mercy on us when we were children. May He make this Ramadaan more rewarding than the ones before. May He grant us peace and happiness. May He forgive us. May He guide us. May He have mercy on those before us, and those after us. May He have mercy on those who are suffering. May He accept all of our deeds as a form of Ibadaat. May He make the Qu'ran the nour of our hearts. May He save everyone a spot in Jannah. Ameen.

2006-09-24T01:02:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

mom and nurse chilling by her bed side last night :)

Wassalamu Alikum

2006-09-24T00:48:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Ramadaan Mubarak to All! Samaah celebrates her very first Ramadaan with the nurses at the U of S Hospital Today!

Wassalamu Alikum

2006-09-23T00:32:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Allhumdulliah Samaah has moved “across the hall” from the NICU, although it is on the other side of the floor. I guess the halls in the hospital are bigger than regular hall ways, but anyways (minor details J)

She didn’t make the feeding quota, but she is getting there inshallah. Slowly but surely, so I guess they thought she was “Pediatric” material and decided she can join their elite group!

The move was something new and exciting for all of us. The best part was, she was reunited with her friend from Regina. A little boy, who was in Edmonton at the same time as her, became her new Neighbor! The little boy’s brother came over to visit Samaah today, and he looked at her, and said “she is neat”. So Allhumdulliah, we got Anthony’s approval!

The rooms are decorated nicely with the “Winnie the Pooh” theme, making the room very welcoming and warm.

The rooms allow moms and dad to stay over night with their children. So Hassan figured out his place for the next few weeks J He already took a snooze … I mean, looked after Samaah for a few hours today!

Samaah had tried the bottle again today Allhumdulliah. She is still looking confused, but not as much as before. She seems to enjoy drinking the milk for a total of 0.5 seconds! The nurses encourage us to try to feed her more, but she totally shuts her month tight, and doesn’t let anything in. So I do get confused when she does that…Hassan’s daughter shuts her mouth tight…

The stitches in her neck, chest and belly are out. They are letting it “cool down” as I would say , cause I totally did not pick up what they are saying. They thought I knew what they were talking about cause I totally went along with the conversation. But I am a good pretender. I am so sure all of you are now thinking back to all the conversations we had and wondering if I really ever understood you….you really thought your opinion counted during all those children’s program eh?! What about in MSA…actually I don’t think my opinion counted than either…

For the past few days, Samaah has been having a little issue with her oxygen level and respiratory system, but Allah SWT knows best. And whatever happens is for the best….guess it is a good reminder though, that nothing happens without the will of Allah SWT.

In halaqa once we were reading "In the Early Hours", they mentioned
1) nothing happens without the will of Allah SWT
2) you can’t make happen what Allah SWT does not will
3) what Allah SWT wills, will happen (and nothing can stop it)

I guess the top three points helps humankind put things into perspective… trust in Allah SWT, and inshallah everything will be okay.

Wassalamu Alikum

2006-09-21T11:35:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

May this message reach you in the best of health and high Iman inshallah. Some very exciting events occurred last night at the hospital. Unfortunately it was the first day I did not take the camera with me to take pictures to share with everyone. Allah SWT knows best J

Event #1

Samaah, was being transferred from her bed, to her father’s lap, when there was a rumble in her belly and she decided to throw up on him! Mashallah it was quiet a sight! It was all over his left shoulders and elbows, on the chair and the floor! The nurse was very apologetic; I was more like “Score”!

Event #2

Last night, around 8 pm, the nurse introduced the bottle to Samaah. She was able to drink 5 ml from the bottle. The rest of her milk was through the pipe. The expression on Samaah’s face was priceless. She was sooooo confused mashallah. I never seen a baby look at the nurse she did. Her facial expressions kept on changing. For a full 2 or 3 mins. She was still looking at the nurse, motionless. Later on in the evening the nurse was trying to give her the soother, which she totally rejected. The nurse was saying that she probably thought something was going to come out of it again!

Event #3

Mashallah Samaah is gaining weight. After her trip to Edmonton, she lost a fair amount of weight. Now she weighs a few ounces more, than when she was born. May Allah SWT cont. to do what He believes is best. Ameen.

Event #4

Well not really an event, but since it already feels like a game show, I thought I would cont. on with the "event’s theme". The Nurses are now trying to bring her feeds to more steady intervals and increase the amount of food, which she intakes. Inshallah once she is able to stomach the food at 3 hour feeds, they will relocate her from NICU to the children’s ward.

May Allah SWT reward and bless all of you. May He cont. to allow you to work for His sake. May He accept all of your actions as a form of Ibadaat. May protect you. May He place peace and happiness into your hearts. May He allow this Ramaadaan to be the most rewarding. May He reunite us all in Jannah. Ameen.
Wassalamu Alikum

2006-09-20T10:30:00.000-06:00

I asked Hassan if Samaah looks more like him or Naila. His reply?

"She is more like Naila.. to be exact, like her family in general. Some people have tried to balance things out by attributing certain non-attributable features like eyes, nails, etc to me. The eyes are very dark but kiddy eyes change a lot..so don't know yet... :D"

2006-09-19T23:52:00.000-06:00

ASsalamu Alikum,

Dad and Daughter :)

Wassalamu Alikum

2006-09-19T23:48:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Samaah smiling for the camera :) Ramadaan Mubarak to all !

Wassalamu Alikum

2006-09-19T13:33:00.000-06:00

Assalamu Alikum,

Samaah being the bright girl she is, just pulled out her continuous feeding tube out of her nose...

this isn't the first time she pulled out a tube, she kicked out her IV a few times :)

Wassalamu Alikum

2006-09-12T13:46:00.000-06:00

I just received a message from Naila. They are transporting Samaah back to Saskatoon insha Allah. Allah knows best.

As for Samaah's health, she's doing better Alhamdullilah. They have removed all machines from her and only her feeding tube remains.

Naila and Hassan are now packing and preparing to return to Saskatoon. May Allah make the journey easy for them. Ameen.

2006-09-05T11:31:00.000-06:00

An update from Kashif

I just finished speaking with Hassan. He was on the way to the airport to pick his mother-in-law up who is arriving in Edmonton today. Both Hassan and Naila seemed to be in high spirits, Alhamdulillah.

As you all are aware, Samaah had a major surgical procedure last Thursday, August 31 (see the August 27/29 post). This was followed-up with a minor surgery yesterday. After the August 31 surgery, there was normal post-operative swelling and inflammation around Samaah’s heart. Consequently, the surgeons had decided to leave Samaah’s ribcage open and kept her on some medications to allow the swelling to normalize. Alhamdulillah, they felt confident that the swelling had subsided yesterday, and decided to mechanically close the ribcage yesterday. This is the surgical procedure that was completed yesterday.

Since the surgery, Samaah seems to be doing well. She is still on several medical support systems, including the ventilator, TPN (total parenteral nutrition – feeding a person through infusions directly into the blood stream), as well as some drugs which are keeping her blood vessels open so that the heart may continue to be well-perfused.

The physicians in general are quite happy with Samaah’s progress, Alhamdulillah. However, it is still not clear how long Samaah will need these supports to be in place, and only time will tell. Keep remembering little Samaah in your duas.

2006-09-04T18:34:00.000-06:00

All praise is due to Allah.

Samaah is alhamdulillah doing very well. She had the last procedure done on her today. I don't have all the details but it was successful. Her heart is now able to function normally, though they will gradually remove life support, to ease her heart to full functionality. Hassan was really, really happy... you could sense the jump in his voice.

Samaah is "drugged up" right now, according to Hassan and will continue to be on medication to facilitate blood flow... I guess we will get Kashif to do a more detailed update...

2006-09-01T13:58:00.000-06:00

Just spoke to Hassan on his way to Jummah.

Masha Allah, Samaah is doing well post-surgery. She had a couple of "hiccups" during the night, but doctors had expected those potential changes in her condition.

2006-08-31T21:05:00.000-06:00

Just spoke to Hassan, and the doctors have decided to keep Samaah off the heart/lung machine that was helping her breathe/pump blood prior to the surgery.

Insha Allah, they will be monitoring her very closely for the next 24 hours to ensure that Samaah is capable on her own.

Also, Hassan wanted to pass the following quick message to all:

“Jazakum Allah Khairyan to everyone and may Allah reward all of you.”

2006-08-31T17:46:00.000-06:00

Alhamdullilah, the surgery has just been completed. The doctors sound optimistic, however the next 24 hours is an extremely critical time and will help determine the success of this procedure.

May Allah make it easy for them.

2006-08-31T13:17:00.000-06:00

Samaah has gone into surgery now. Please make dua for Allah to make this time easy for Samaah, Naila and Hassan.

I just spoke to Naila and she wanted to pass this dua along to everyone:

"May Allah forgive us all. May He shower us with His mercy and blessings. May He place peace and happiness in everyone's heart. May He grant us only what is best and save everyone a spot in Janaah. Ameen."

May Allah reward all of you for taking a few moments from your time to ask the Almightly for the ease, patience, understanding, wisdom, and the many countless blessings that he has bestowed on Naila, Hassan and all of us. Ameen.

May Allah also reward all of you for praying for Samaah, so that He in His Infinite Wisdom grants what is best for her. Ameen.

2006-08-31T08:59:00.000-06:00

Surgery has been moved to 11AM Edmonton time (1PM our time) insha Allah. Allah knows best.

2006-08-30T16:58:00.000-06:00

Surgery is scheduled at 7:30AM Edmonton time (9:30AM Toronto time) tomorrow insha Allah.

Its supposed to take 4-5 hours, but may take longer depending on the progress of the surgery.

Please continue to make dua.

2006-08-30T16:33:00.000-06:00

I talked to Hassan a couple hours ago and he says the surgery will happen tomorrow, inshaAllah. In the mean time, Samaah's getting stronger and stronger mashaAllah and is beginning to open her eyes a lot more now. Hassan says she has beautiful, black eyes. "Pure eyes."

May Allah protect her, give her complete health, and make her a source of pleasure for her parents in dunya and in akhirah.

Hassan and Naila are doing fine as well. Their strength and their belief in Allah (SWT) and His qadr should be an inspiration for all of us.

2006-08-30T08:26:00.000-06:00

Alhamdullilah, Samaah is doing better each day with the help of the heart/lung machine. The doctors are pleased with her progress and feel she is ready for the surgery. They are also trying to ensure that after the surgery she will no longer require the heart/lung machine to help her breathe/pump blood.

However, the doctor performing the surgery has 2 other surgeries scheduled today, so it may be performed tomorrow insha Allah. Allah knows best.

Also, the doctors have informed Hassan and Naila of the risks/complications that stem from this type of surgery. There are a lot of unknown variables that can prove to have consequence, so insha Allah please keep making lots of dua for Samaah and her parents.

2006-08-29T14:13:00.000-06:00

Dr. Kashif Yousuf's update on the technical aspects of Samaah's condition:

This is just a follow-up Samaah’s current medical condition. If you are reading the blog for the first time, it may be helpful to read the August 27 posting describing her congenital heart defect (Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Drainage [TAPVD]).

We previously described that a septostomy (making a hole in the septum; the septum is a wall which divides the left side of the heart from the right) was most likely completed on Samaah’s heart. However in patients with TAPVD, an Atrial Septal Defect (a hole in the septum of the atrium [upper chambers of the heart]) is found and that is the case with Samaah. So the septostomy was not necessary, since a hole, which connects the right side of the heart to left, already existed.

However, over the weekend, physicians did complete a procedure that keeps the hole in the septum patent, which ensures that the left side of Samaah’s heart continues to receive some oxygenated blood that can then be pumped to the rest of her body.

A complication, which about 50-60% of patients with TAPVD develop is pulmonary vein obstruction. Just to recap from the August 27 post, in Samaah’s heart, the pulmonary vein is the vein that carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the right side of her heart via the vena cava. When pulmonary vein obstruction occurs, the heart is unable to get oxygenated blood into the right side of the heart, and thus the blood is not able to travel to the left side of the heart via the Atrial Septal Defect. This then causes the rest of Samaah’s body to be deprived of oxygenated blood.

To try and resolve this problem, physicians needs to break the “clot” or the “obstruction” which has occurred in the pulmonary vein. Following the breaking of the clot, the physicians insert a stent (a hollow tube) in the vein to ensure that the vein does not re-clot. Veins that clot once, have a propensity to clot again, and that is why this preventative measure is ensued.

Both of these procedures (keeping the atrial septal defect patent and unplugging the pulmonary vein) can be completed with cardiac catheterization. Cardiac catheterization is a non-invasive procedure that allows physicians to complete the above-mentioned tasks, without having to invasively make an incision (cut) into the patient’s chest.

In cardiac catheterization, physicians feed a small catheter (hollow tube) into a large vein in the patient’s thigh. This vein (remember vein is a vessel which ultimately ends up opening into the heart) allows the catheter to be fed all the way into the patient’s heart. Using this catheter, physicians inject a radioactive dye into the patient’s blood stream, which can then be imaged using a machine similar to the x-ray machine (the machine detects the radioactive dye and provides a picture of the vessels which have the dye present within them). Thus the physicians are able to see exactly where the catheter is within the heart, and are able to complete the procedures described above.

Some of you may wonder why Samaah has not received her surgery yet. Well, the pulmonary vein obstruction occurred in Samaah’s case which needed to be resolved, and Alhamdulillah has been resolved already. The physicians are just allowing Samaah to recover from this non-invasive procedure before they move onto the open-heart procedure with which they can permanently resolve Samaah’s congenital heart defect. Also, our dear Samaah developed another complication known as pulmonary edema (fluid in her lung space). This complication can be treated medically, and does not require any procedural intervention. Alhamdulillah, the fluid has settled down significantly, and we hope that by tomorrow Samaah will be in a better position to receive the final surgery.

Please continue to remember Samaah, Hassan, and Naila in your duas in this difficult time.

2006-08-29T09:07:00.000-06:00

Spoke to Hassan a few moments ago. Sounded a bit sleepy, but he had quite a few updates. Samaah is now slowly beginning to open her eyes more often and her swelling caused by the fluid retention has significantly decreased. Alhamdullilah, this is more good news. She also received her first stuffed animal from one of the amazing nurses at the hospital.

Naila and Hassan are also doing well, but very tired as you can all imagine. The intensity and lack of sleep in the last few days are beginning to catch up to them. And since it is unlikely the surgery will take place today (most probably tomorrow), they will definitely need to regain some energy and prepare themselves for tomorrow's activities. Also, on top of the current situation, the night before last, Hassan discovered his car had a flat tire, Subhan Allah! So he spent some time yesterday following up with that so that they can keep mobile between the hospital and my parents house (about a 15 minute drive). May Allah make this easy for them.

Hassan and Naila do also try to read the blog if they can, so feel free to write any duas or well wishes in the comments section. I'm sure it will help provide the support that they need at this time insha Allah.

Also, Aunty (Hassan's mom) and Sushmita (Hassan's sister) are leaving back to Saskatoon today. From there they will be flying out Bangladesh early tomorrow morning. Originally scheduled to be in Canada for one month, she extended her return flight twice and is now only leaving as her Visa is about to expire. But she is planning to return to Canada to visit Hassan, Naila and Samaah next year insha Allah. Aunty is an amazing woman, Masha Allah. Her patience and sincerity are truly admirable. May Allah make the journey easy for them.

FYI - when Samaah was born she weight 8.1 Lbs Masha Allah!

2006-08-28T11:01:00.000-06:00

Just spoke to Hassan and Naila and alhamdullialah, they are in good spirits. Samaah is still connected to a heart and lung machine to help her breath and give her own heart/lungs some time to recuperate and become stronger prior to the surgery insha allah. She is also being nourished by some type of lactose breast milk equivalent and Hassan said she looks much healthier. Most likely the surgery will be taking place on Tuesday or Wednesday. May Allah make that time easy for them.

Hassan was also able to get some extra leave from work, alhamdullilah. His manager was very understanding of the situation and told Hassan to not think about work at all. As for Naila, she's back to making fun of Hassan, so looks like Naila's on track to a speedy recovery, masha Allah.

Please continue to make dua.

2006-08-27T21:05:00.000-06:00

Updated description of Samaah's ailment by Kashif Yousuf

Many of you have questions of what exactly is going on with little Samaah’s heart. I will try my best to summarize the condition of her heart in this post, InshaAllah.

The congenital (implying she was born with it) heart defect that Samaah has is known as Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Drainage (TAPVD).

When describing vessels in this post, I will refer to them as either veins (carry blood to the heart) or arteries (carry blood away from the heart).

Our heart essentially comprises of four chambers: two on the right, two on the left. In a typical adult, we have about 5 liters of blood running through our system; Samaah probably has close to half a liter. The average baby’s heart will beat about 130-150 times per minute, circulating that entire volume of blood through her entire body.

Little vessels (veins) collect blood from different parts of the body, and eventually the blood ends up in the right side of the heart through one of the largest veins in our body (known as the vena cavae). Then the blood exits the right side of the heart through one of the biggest vessels (artery) in the body: the pulmonary artery. It is this artery which takes this blood to the lungs. Here the blood is oxygenated (oxygen molecules attach to the blood so that the blood can then circulate throughout our body and provide our different muscles with oxygen).

This oxygenated blood then makes its way to the left side of the heart through a vein: the pulmonary vein. The left side of the heart then goes on to pump the blood out through the left side of the heart using a large vessel (artery) known as the aorta. The aorta has many smaller branches of vessels (arteries) which carry oxygenated blood to different muscles in our body and provide these muscles with oxygen which is essential for them to function. Eventually these muscles use up the oxygen from the blood and deoxygenated (oxygen-less) blood makes its way into small vessels (veins) which then make their way back into the right side of the heart and the cycle continues to repeat itself. One heartbeat represents one cycle. It truly is amazing how this whole cycle can take place about 130 times in one minute in little infants like Samaah. SubhanAllah.

So this, in a nutshell, is how a normal heart functions.

In Samaah’s case, the oxygenated blood which is leaving the lungs and should be entering the left side of the heart through the pulmonary vein is INSTEAD entering the vena cavae which then brings the blood back to the right side of the heart. So the right side of the heart is under a lot of stress since it is receiving double the volume of blood that it should be, whereas the left side of the heart is not receiving much blood flow at all.

In essence, Samaah’s heart is sending all of the blood (oxygenated and deoxygenated) back to the right side of the heart and the blood is not making it into the left side of the heart, so that it can be pumped to the rest of the body.

So, the problem is Samaah’s body and its muscles needs oxygen to function and no matter how much oxygen she takes into her lungs, the oxygenated blood is not making it into the left side of the heart so that it can be pumped to the rest of the body.

So how is little Samaah managing without oxygenated blood? The doctors have completed a small procedure known as a septostomy (making a small hole between the left and the right side of the heart). This allows a connection between the two sides of the heart and some of the oxygenated blood which is inappropriately going to the right side of the heart is able to drain into the left side of the heart as a result of this hole. This way, it is able to circulate throughout our body. Also, Samaah has a tube in her trachea (throat) which is pumping a high concentration of oxygen into her lungs, so that her blood becomes as oxygenated as possible.

Now this “septostomy” is just a temporary solution. The curative (permanent) solution for this problem is actually performing open heart surgery, and re-positioning the pulmonary vein so that it drains into the left side of the heart INSTEAD of the vena cavae. This way, one continuous cycle can be restored and the right side of the heart will not continue to face excessive stress and the oxygenated blood will be able to drain into the left side of the heart. As a result, the small hole which the doctors have made can also be repaired as it will no longer be necessary.

InshaAllah this large procedure should be completed in the next day or two, and we pray that Samaah will come out successful from this surgery.

If you have any questions about this procedure, feel free to post them on the blog and I will try my best to clarify things for you, InshaAllah.

2006-08-27T19:27:00.000-06:00

From the vague description provided by Hassan on Friday, we had incorrectly assumed that the condition was transposition of the great arteries. The actual condition is very similar, but not the same. Kashif is working on providing us the description of the actual condition. Sorry for the confusion.

Dr. Kashif Yousuf generously provided the below to give us some idea of Samaah's heart condition:

Many of you have questions of what exactly is going on with little Samaah’s heart. I will try my best to summarize the condition of her heart in this post, InshaAllah.

The congenital (implying she was born with it) heart defect that Samaah has is known as Transposition of the Great Arteries.

When describing vessels in this post, I will refer to them as either veins (carry blood to the heart) or arteries (carry blood away from the heart).

Our heart essentially comprises of four chambers: two on the right, two on the left.
In a typical adult, we have about 5 liters of blood running through our system; Samaah probably has close to half a liter. The average baby’s heart will beat about 130-150 times per minute, circulating that entire volume of blood through her entire body.

Little vessels (veins) collect blood from different parts of the body, and eventually the blood ends up in the right side of the heart through one of the largest veins in our body (known as the vena cavae). Then the blood exits the right side of the heart through one of the biggest vessels (artery) in the body: the pulmonary artery. It is this artery which takes this blood to the lungs. Here the blood is oxygenated (oxygen molecules attach to the blood so that the blood can then circulate throughout our body and provide our different muscles with oxygen).

This oxygenated blood then makes its way to the left side of the heart through a vein: the pulmonary vein. The left side of the heart then goes on to pump the blood out through the left side of the heart using a large vessel (artery) known as the aorta. The aorta eventually has many smaller branches of vessels (arteries) branching off it which carry oxygenated blood to different muscles in our body and provide these muscles with oxygen which is essential for them to function. Eventually these muscles use up the oxygen from the blood and deoxygenated (oxygen-less) blood makes its way into small vessels (veins) which then make their way back into the right side of the heart and the cycle continues to repeat itself. One heartbeat represents one cycle. It truly is amazing how this whole cycle can take place about 130 times in one minute in little infants like Samaah. SubhanAllah.

So this, in a nutshell, is how a normal heart functions.

In Samaah’s case, the two biggest arteries of our heart have been transposed (switched). So the pulmonary artery, which normally exits the right side of the heart and takes blood the lungs, is now exiting from the left side of the heart. Concurrently, the aorta is exiting the right side of the heart in Samaah’s heart.

In essence, Samaah’s body has two parallel cycles of blood-flow taking place. So going back to what we discussed earlier, little veins collect deoxygenated blood from muscles and take it the right side of the heart. The blood then exits the right side of the heart through the aorta INSTEAD of the pulmonary artery. The aorta then goes onto take this deoxygenated blood to the rest of our body which cannot really use the blood (because there is no oxygen on it) and the blood then returns to the right side of the heart. By the same token, there is a parallel cycle taking place in the left side of the heart which keeps recycling oxygenated blood.

So, the problem is Samaah’s body and its muscles needs oxygen to function and no matter how much oxygen she takes into her lungs, this is not ending up throughout her body.

So how is little Samaah managing without oxygenated blood? The doctors have completed a small procedure known as a septostomy (making a small hole between the left and the right side of the heart). This allows a connection between the two cycles and some of the oxygenated blood which is cycling only in the left side of the
heart is able to make it to the right side and thus reach the different muscles in our body. Also, Samaah has a tube in her trachea (throat) which is pumping a high concentration of oxygen into her lungs, so that her blood becomes as oxygenated as possible.

Now this “septostomy” is just a temporary solution. The curative (permanent) solution for this problem is actually performing open heart surgery, and re-positioning the two great arteries into their required position. This way, one continuous cycle can be restored and the small hole which the doctors have made can also be repaired as it will no longer be necessary.

InshaAllah this large procedure should be completed in the next day or two, and we pray that Samaah will come out successful from this surgery.

If you have any questions about this procedure, feel free to post them on the blog and I will try my best to clarify things for you, InshaAllah.

2006-08-27T17:29:00.000-06:00

The fluid that had developed in Samaah's lungs has subsided, alhamdullilah. Now, the doctors are just waiting for her heart and lungs to get a bit stronger before they perform the surgery. Naila is also doing well. Nurses have checked up on her and she is recovering nicely, masha Allah. Her and Hassan have been able to stay in room right next to the baby's.
My mom (lives in Edmonton) said the baby looks exactly like Naila and has round cheeks perfect for kissing. Can't wait insha Allah.

2006-08-27T15:58:00.000-06:00

You can post your duas, well wishes and questions as comments to any post on this blog and I will inshaAllah make sure that they reach Hassan and Naila.

2006-08-27T10:55:00.000-06:00

Doctors have confirmed that the surgey will happen in another day or two, inshaAllah. There is some water in the lungs and the docs are waiting for it to go down. Once that happens, Samaah will be able to go into surgery. As Hassan puts it, "its a good news." Alhamdulillah.

2006-08-26T19:25:00.000-06:00

Just talked to Hassan. Doctors performed a minor surgical procedure on Samaah today, which will inshaAllah help her heart become stronger. The procedure was Alhamdulillah a success and she is doing well. This will prepare her for the bigger surgery inshaAllah. They expect to perform the open heart surgery in two days.

2006-08-26T14:22:00.000-06:00

Samaah was born on Friday, Aug 25 in Saskatoon. Shortly after birth she was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. Late Friday afternoon, she was flown to Edmonton, where she is currently on breathing support.

It was orginally expected that surgery will be performed right away, but doctors in Edmonton believe her to be too weak to go under surgery.

Update's on Samaah's condition will be regularly posted here, inshaAllah. Remember her and her parents, Hassan and Naila, in your duas.