When Hashan Ali, a grocery store employee living in Al Ain was told he needed to have his leg amputated, his immediate thought was of his family. With a wife and three children in Bangladesh, he relies on his salary to support them.
Hashan was admitted to hospital in Al Ain with bacterial infection of his heart valve. During his stay, a bacteria-mixed blood clot traveled from his heart to leg, blocking the flow of blood to his leg and causing a flesh-eating infection of his muscles called necrotizing myositis. He was transferred to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi as an emergency case where surgeons replaced the infected heart valve, removed the clot from his leg and worked to remove the affected tissue. Despite multiple treatments to clear the infection and prevent more tissue from dying, it continued to spread. The doctors determined that an amputation was the only way to save his life.
“I was very scared when my doctor told me that I would need to have my leg amputated.
“The doctors had tried their best to save my leg and I understood that if they hadn’t removed it, the infection would have spread even further. Afterwards, my biggest worry was how I would be able to support my family back home if I cannot continue working,” explains Hashan.
The hospital’s vascular surgery team assessed Hashan’s condition and performed the delicate, life-saving surgery, helping to preserve as much healthy tissue as possible to support a speedy recovery.
Following his surgery, social workers from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi stepped in to see how they could support Hashan. They began reaching out to his employer, embassy and local charities in an effort to find a sponsor for a prosthetic limb so that he could return to work.
“Care doesn’t end with medical treatment. Our team is here for patients as they return to their lives following their recovery. In Hashan’s case, the life-saving care he received has left him with significant challenges to overcome. By supporting him through this process, we can help him return to work and continue providing for his family,” says Paul O’Shea, a social worker at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
Social workers from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi contacted a number of charities and the Embassy of Bangladesh in the UAE regarding Hashan’s case. Members of the UAE’s Bangladeshi community embassy staff rallied to support him through his recovery. Representatives from the Zakat Initiative came to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi to meet Hashan and learn more about his case.
Following the meeting, and in light of his situation and role as the sole breadwinner for his family, they agreed to cover the cost of a state-of-the-art prosthetic leg for him. Upon receiving the good news, the team notified Hashan’s employer who confirmed that his job was waiting for him upon his discharge from hospital. Hashan was able to return to work while he also began the lengthy process of physiotherapy and being fitted for a permanent prosthetic.
Since making a full recovery and receiving his state-of-the-art prosthetic limb, Hashan made the decision to return to his family in Bangladesh after working in the UAE for a number of years.
“I am so happy with the help and support Paul and his team have given me during my stay. Thanks to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and the Zakat Fund, I have been able to continue providing for my family. I am so grateful to them for saving my life and helping me get back on my feet. Now I hope to begin a new chapter of my life at home with my wife and children,” says Hashan.
As part of its commitment to the overall health of the Abu Dhabi population, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi continues to expand access to its care. The hospital now accepts most insurance providers in the Emirate.
