A Leeds family whose daughter passed away last year have donated suits to a hospital in order for other young patients to retain their dignity.
Hafsah was only 11 when she passed away after a month long battle with a rare disease known as HLH, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, a disease which carries a 50-50 fatality risk.
After being admitted in June, Hafsah was given just hours to live yet managed to fight for a month before passing away.
“Hafsah was always a lively child and loved reading the Qur’an” says mother Farah Ali. “She was training to be a scholar and loved football so when she was taken ill, it came as a big shock.”
After her admittance to the hospital, Hafsah was taken to A&E and during a biopsy on her lower back, the disease was discovered and she was diagnosed with HLH. After being transferred to Leeds General Infirmary’s paediatric intensive care unit (PICU), tubes and wires had to be connected to Hafsah’s body in order to support her.
She was offered to trial a ‘dignity suit,’ a suit that allows the wires and tubes to pass through whilst still covering the patient. After proving successful, the family purchased a further 8 suits for Hafsah and got a Liverpool goalkeeper top adapted into a suit for her too.
Speaking on the suit, Farah states, “it is made from this Velcro-like material which just slips under a patient in the bed. It then gives doctors the chance to access the patient as the suit allows wires and tubes to pass through easily.”
After Hafsah’s death, the family fundraised £1300 and purchased a total of 60 dignity suits which were then donated to the PICU.
