SpeedforSAIF #Bionicboy #Give5Tell5

HELP SAIF WALK AGAIN

We are raising money for 6-year-old Saif to have a bionic leg, giving him freedom and flexibility of movement throughout his lifetime.

Saif's right leg was amputated a week ago after being diagnosed with the rare form of bone cancer, Osteosarcoma.

His parents had to decide life over limb to save him from the cancer spreading and becoming terminal.

 

WE NEED YOUR HELP FOR OUR SON SAIF MUBARAK - On 17th December 2021, Our Lives changed forever – Our Legendary 5 Year Old Avenger Battles Cancer

 

 

Allow us to introduce this cheeky chap to you – say hello to our beautiful son Saif Mubarak. Nine times out of ten when you meet him, this boy will have an infectious smile on his face or be giggling away no matter what he’s going through. He’ll engage in a heartfelt conversation with anyone or everyone whether you’re 8 or 80, easily charming you as he does. If he’s not giving you a low down from his extensive knowledge of cars and motorbikes then he’s confidently letting you know about the ‘all-boys trip’ he has planned with no adults and only halal chicken nuggets allowed.

 

 

 

 

In his 5 years of blessing us with his presence, he never had any health concerns or caused us any alarm. In fact up till December 2021 Saif was enjoying a full life being the centre of attention with loving parents and two older brothers who absolutely dote on him.

 

 

 

On the 17th December 2021 our charismatic and energetic little 5 year old complained of a pain in his knee after going for a walk, in preparation for a family holiday over the Christmas break. Our initial reaction was to dismiss this as we all know how boisterous kids can be and we put it down to a minor strain. When swelling appeared the next day, we took him to A&E to figure out why.

 

Since then, our world has become a completely different place...

 

After a series of scans and biopsies which left us sick with worry, our son was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in his right knee – a type of bone cancer that begins in the cells that form bones. Our world as we know it has completely turned upside down. From that moment on, the months that have followed have been a challenging journey of multiple rounds of chemotherapy, blood transfusions, scans, tests, medication and meetings with consultants.

 

 

As parents you do whatever is necessary to keep your children safe, healthy and pain free and yet here we were being tested, trying to be brave for our son who was having decisions made about his leg in order to save his life. After exploring as many options as was possible given the diagnosis, after gaining second opinions to make sure we were doing the right thing by our son, our champion Saif underwent surgery on Thursday 7th April to amputate his right leg above his knee.

 

When he woke up in the intensive care unit and said to Duncan, the doctor on duty, that he ‘needed an apple juice because no one gave it to him in the recovery room’ you could be mistaken that he wasn’t really taking in what had happened him to him. Two minutes later he asked to speak to the surgeon who ‘chopped off my leg because I want to know exactly what he saw inside it’.

 

 

His fearless attitude to life, his resilience and his high spirit are inspiring to all of us. His family and friends have drawn on this infectious energy and we as a family have found newfound strength that helps us to make the most educated and informed decisions in the face of such a challenging life experience. It has changed our family forever, bringing us all even closer, especially our older two sons who just want their little brother to be ok.

 

 

Saif is now recovering from his surgery and has to endure another 4 months of chemotherapy before he is given the all clear to embark on his first steps towards the rest of his life.

 

 

During these last few months, unprecedented levels of support and prayers have been offered by family, friends and strangers. While the pain can never be shared, the comfort of community support is overwhelming and a source of strength and solace.

 

The next steps for Saif to adapt to these new circumstances and build an enriching life for himself, is to acquire a bionic leg in the near future. Initially the NHS will provide a prosthetic leg to enable him to have a certain level of mobility. We are ever so grateful for the NHS with their support and what they are able to provide, however, it will not suffice to give him the freedom and flexibility that a bionic leg can.

 

 

All we want is for him to be able to keep up with his peers and try to level the playing field with his mobility. We want him to have the best chance at living as normal a life as possible, as any loving parents would. We are requesting your support in helping us to raise funds to manufacture a bionic leg for our beloved son Saif for the purpose of his mobility and to improve his quality of life. We want to give him the best chance possible to maintain freedom of movement throughout his lifetime. Being so young, we already know his needs will increase with age and that we are in this for the long haul.

 

 

Please help us reach our target of £120,000 to help us cover costs and future treatments that encourage active participation and positive rehabilitation results. Unfortunately, technology and manufacturing costs are not cheap. The monies we are looking to raise are to cover the costs involved with..

 

 

 

According to Brown University, the C-Leg computerised prosthetic leg by Otto-Bock, for above-the-knee amputees, can cost as much as $50,000, or up to $70,000 or more, including the prosthetic foot.

 

All these costs add up. We have contacted a number of prosthetic limb specialists and the estimations of the costs of the limbs are in the 10s of thousands of pounds with a number of consultations, fittings and support being needed in addition. Any help towards funding these costs would be greatly appreciated.

 

Home adjustments also have to be considered to improve Saif's quality of life and ease of mobility for daily routine.

Planning permission has been applied for these changes to be implemented.

 

No amount donated is too small in our eyes and we are grateful for anything you or your family and friends can spare to help our son have the best chance at leading a rich and meaningful life. We aim to keep everyone updated on this page so you can share the journey with us and we are incredibly grateful for all the love, support and prayers that have come our way since Saif’s diagnosis.

 

Thank you from all of us,

 

Romana, Shane, Sarfaraz, Safain and the one that has already planned his wedding, our little champion with the biggest heart; Saif Mubarak