Being a Carer: Asia's Story
It is a complex journey to become a doctor in the UK, and it is not uncommon to spend around a decade of your life studying medicine.
The first stage is to be accepted into Medical School and to achieve this, candidates will require a combination of GCSEs and A levels. Then, following a test and an interview, you may be accepted.
After 5 years of study, you may earn a Medical Degree. You then need to obtain a licence to complete two-years of more study, experiencing different specialities.
Upon successful completion, trainee doctors can choose where they wish to specialise. Depending on the speciality that is chosen, this stage will take 5-8 years to complete. You would now be a qualified Doctor, though must take part in continuous professional development demonstrating your fitness to practise.
Asia is the mother to Raihan and Azaan, two very lively young boys. Asia has not gone through the above process to become a doctor, neither has she trained in nursing, but she finds herself providing intricate medical care daily.
Azaan has a rare neurological, life limiting condition which means he is tube fed, has kidney disease, is blind and has Cerebral Palsy, Scoliosis & Hypotonia.
Being Azaan’s primary carer, Asia measures and provides all Azaan’s nutrition and medication, and a current hurdle she has had to overcome is administering 3 injections to Azaan every week: piercing a needle into her little boy’s tiny legs.
Asia and her boy's next journey is with Azaan’s stage 4 kidney disease. Asia, with the doctors, had to figure out if it was worth putting Azaan through dialysis or a transplant, ensuring they consider his quality of life. The decision was made to provide Azaan dialysis. Asia explained that she was shocked as she didn't expect his kidneys to hit near failure so quick, his kidneys only functioning at 17% at this point, just 2% from failure, Azaan is experiencing a lot of symptoms which is increasingly hard for Asia to witness; vomiting, tiredness, shortness of breath, nose bleeds, bruising and restless leg syndrome.
Asia, with her son's needs in mind, chooses to accept peritoneal dialysis for her little boy, a treatment she can perform at home 4 times a day 7 days a week. Asia explains that it will disrupt their lives but it's the only option,
“We don't know how Azaan will cope with this: I don't know what I'm doing, whether I'm making the right decision or not. Everything goes out the window when you're at this stage of decision making, all the words discussed between medical teams I can't process, I've given the go ahead. I just want to keep him. Let's take this one day at a time my soldier." - Asia
Asia currently has help from Immy, who she employed to support Azaan at home. Immy settled into the family quickly and Asia is hugely grateful for her. Immy however, has decided to continue her university studies and become a paediatric nurse. Asia is so pleased for Immy and knows she will be a fantastic nurse however this does mean that Asia needs to look for someone to replace her.
To do this, Asia needs to put out an advert online, respond to questions, interview people, complete the employment paperwork and then train them. She needs to find someone who is vigilant and confident enough to care for a child with a life-threatening condition; a child with complex needs whose current diet and medications are essential in preserving his life. This support is crucial to Asia and her own health and wellbeing.
“My life was teaching, and I taught for many years, mainstream and special needs. I want to go back to it and even now, before lockdown, I did. I started to volunteer at Azaan's school, and voluntarily taught sign language at a mainstream primary school. I want my life before Azaan back, I want a part of me back. But right now, I can’t, I don't want to get lost in this world of darkness, Azaan comes first and always will. He's my career, my passion, my boys are my everything.” - Asia
Asia is so proud of her boys and loves them tremendously. She documents Azaan’s journey on Instagram and writes beautifully about what life is like for her little boy -