They learnt a bit of Arabic and taught her some Hindi and English; now, the nurses at Saifee Hospital who cared for Eman Ahmed don't what their child to leave
Eman surrounded by her loving nurses at Saifee Hospital on the eve of her departure. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar
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When 'Sweetie' leaves today, there won't be a dry eye at the nurses' station at Saifee Hospital. In just over two months, nurses attending to Egyptian national Eman Ahmed Abdulati - whom they fondly call Sweetie - have forged a strong bond with her. They even learnt Arabic and goofed around with her to make her stay as comfortable as possible.
Eman, who arrived in Mumbai weighing 500 kg on February 11, is set to leave India this morning for further treatment in Abu Dhabi. Her attending nurses, hospital staff and other caregivers are yet to come to terms with this.
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"We don't want her to go this way (referring to the acrimony between Eman's family and Saifee Hospital). We had plans for a farewell party for her. She has become a part of our lives," says Sherly Koshy, head nurse and key caregiver of Eman.
Entire staff pitched in
To the hospital staff, Eman will forever be their child - one who pouted when upset and guffawed on being entertained. "Whenever she didn't like a person, she made faces. On seeing her expressions, we asked her 'katti or batti?'," says Belinda Sawant, Saifee Hospital's head of nursing services, referring to the lingo used by children. "She would then start laughing."
The nurses say they left no stone unturned in keeping Eman and her sister, Shaimaa, happy. They learnt Arabic to communicate with Eman since she speaks no other language - and taught her a few words in English and Hindi in return - danced for her when she felt homesick, and took pains to learn what made her tick. "After communicating with her for months, we knew what made her laugh. So, whenever we saw her sad, we teasingly asked, "Should I sleep on you?', and she would start blushing and laugh with us," says Koshy.
The staff's littlest gestures have brought a smile to Eman's face time and again. "When she came to India, she had only one hair scrunchie. So one day, one of the nurses brought colourful hair clips for her," recalls Sawant.
The prospect of Eman's bariatric surgery wasn't just a trying time for her family but the staff as well. They stayed up the night before the surgery, and some of them, along with Eman's treating surgeon Dr Muffazal Lakdawala and Shaimaa, went to the nearby Bhendi Bazaar mosque to pray.
Even security guards pitched in to keep their most VIP patient happy. They accompanied Shaimaa and nurses to beauty salons.
Letters from well-wishers
The staff also took on the role of letter readers and writers for the family. Eman has received 60 letter from across the country, wishing her good health. "I have taken photocopies of the letters. I read out the letters to Shaimaa as she can't understand Hindi. We even wrote back to the well-wishers and Shaimaa signed each of the letters," says Tasneem Barudawala, senior manager, administration, Saifee Hospital.
Eman's comfort being the key concern, the staff even designed a special hospital gown for her. Barudawala designed the clothing and in-house tailors did the job in a jiffy. "Considering her size, we had to specially design her clothing. It had to be comfortable as well as easy to untie in case of an emergency," says Barudawala.
The hospital even made special arrangements to have Arabic channels' feed on Eman's TV.
Besides serving up Shaimaa's favourite dishes, the hospital gave her the full use of its kitchen. "She likes to eat grilled chicken sandwiches and continental food. So, on days she didn't want to eat hospital food, we made something special for her. She even had permission to go to the hospital kitchen and cook her own food," says Barudawala.
Falling out surprising
Given how tenderly they cared for Eman and Shaimaa, the staff are shaken by the falling out between Shaimaa and Saifee Hospital. "She used to blow us kisses each morning we joined duty," says Koshy.
That morning ritual has undergone a drastic change. "She doesn't smile or wave at us any more. Each time we ask her a question, she looks to Shaimaa for permission. Things have changed a lot. We didn't know that our baby would leave this way," says Sawant.
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