KOCHI: After a four-month battle with a rare neurological disorder known as Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), Sajid Murad has staged a remarkable recovery. Hailing from Lakshadweep, the 16-year-old was admitted to Rajagiri Hospital, Aluva, in an extremely critical condition, having lost nearly 90% of his motor function and unable to perform even basic functions, including swallowing.
Sajid’s symptoms began innocuously with fatigue but rapidly progressed to weakness and numbness in his limbs, a hallmark of GBS. Within days, his condition deteriorated into near-total paralysis, making him unable to swallow even water.
Recognising the urgency, doctors in Lakshadweep directed an immediate transfer, and he was rushed to Kochi on an air ambulance. “A crucial, life-saving decision was the immediate performance of a tracheostomy to secure a long-term airway and reliable ventilator support, which was necessary to overcome the respiratory muscle failure caused by GBS,” said Dr Soumya Mary Thomas, head of the paediatric ICU.
Today, Sajid can walk, speak clearly, and eat his favourite foods. He has returned home to Kiltan Island in Lakshadweep.