VANCOUVER, BC – Imagine what it would be like for a baby to break a bone the day he was born. And again the next day. And then the day after that. Just imagine.
Pretty tough, isn’t it?
Fortunately, Faris Abdulwahab is pretty tough, too.
Abdulwahab, 13, was born with a rare genetic disorder called osteogenesis imperfecta – more commonly known as brittle bone disease.
We’ll let him explain it.
“Basically, my bones are weaker than other people’s bones, which means they break more easily,” he told whitecapsfc.com. “When I was really young, the slightest thing could just break my bones. They’re really quite fragile.”
Abdulwahab estimates that he has broken over 40 bones through the years.
“I haven’t been keeping track,” he joked.
Either way, it used to be a “24/7” occurrence, he said. There is currently no cure to brittle bone disease – and there was even a time when Abdulwahab wasn’t expected to live.
Enter BC Children’s Hospital.
When Faris was two-and-a-half years old, the Children’s Hospital performed an innovative surgery that would ultimately save his life.
“His bones were literally bent,” said Kishore Mulpuri, a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon who first met Faris the day he was born. “Like what you see with an umbrella hook. That’s how his thigh bones and leg bones were bent. So we did a surgery that, for lack of a better word, we call the shish kabob surgery. We took the bent bones, cut them into pieces, and skewered a rod through to prevent refractures.”
Faris was the first child with his condition to have these metal rods put into his legs – a treatment typically used for elderly people with osteoporosis. To grow stronger bones, Faris also takes medicine usually prescribed for menopausal women fighting osteoporosis.
Thanks to these treatments, and Faris’ perseverance, he’s only had four fractures in the last 11 years. He’s one of the hospital’s greatest success stories.
And this year, he’s their “Jeans Day Champion Child.”
Jeans Day is an annual fundraiser put on by Children’s Hospital to help kids like Faris and raise much-needed funds for the urgent health needs of children in this province. It’s through Jeans Day that Faris recently met Whitecaps FC goalkeeper David Ousted, a Jeans Day ambassador, at a promotional video shoot.
“So I watch quite a lot of sports, on the TV, and every now and then we go to games,” said Faris, a big ‘Caps fan. “The games are pretty fun. David was a pretty cool guy. We tossed some balls around during filming. He’s cool. He’s chill. And he really knows his lines. Gotta give props to him!”
In reality, all the props should be given to Faris.
Ask anyone who’s met him and anyone who’s dealt with him over the last 13 years and they’ll tell you the same thing: he’s a charismatic kid who always has a smile on his face.
Always. No matter what the circumstance.
That’s the real story here.
“He’s always had a great spirit,” Mulpuri said of Faris, who actually voices a character in the Malaysian TV show Planet Kiara and aspires to be an actor. “He would show up to the clinic, singing songs, very interactive, and that’s how he’s been the last 13 years … he makes my day every time.”
“The way he’s battled through everything shows how unique of a kid he is,” Ousted said. “He’s a fighter. And on top of that, he’s doing everything with a smile. It humbles you seeing something like this and seeing how well he handles all this and knowing how painful something like that can be. He’s a great kid and he shows everybody the right mentality going into everything.”
On Friday night at BC Place, fans are encouraged to #JeanUp and wear their Canadian Tuxedos to the game. Sellers will be onsite to sell buttons ($5) and lapel pins ($20 with tax receipt) in support of Jeans Day and BC Children’s Hospital.
