Standup comedian, Munawar Faruqui recently opened up on his son’s health condition at the age of 1.5 years. Munawar revealed that his son had a rare disease called Kawasaki disease when he was only 1.5 years old and how he had to arrange money to treat his child.
“That situation scares me. My son was one and a half years old back then. He fell ill, and for 2-3 days, his condition didn’t improve. After taking him to the hospital, we discovered he had Kawasaki disease,” he said in a podcast with ETimes.
In the podcast Munawar revealed how he struggled to arrange money for his son’s treatment. “I needed Rs 75,000 but had only Rs 700-800 in my wallet,” he revealed, explaining the high cost of treatment.
What is Kawasaki disease?
Kawasaki Disease is a rare, yet serious condition that mainly presents in children less than five years of age. It involves inflammation in the walls of the medium-sized arteries throughout the body, including those in the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart. Although the cause for this medical condition is not known, it is believed that it stems from an exaggerated immune response stimulated by infection in genetically predisposed persons. KD is not infectious, but emergency treatments are required in order to prevent severe complications.
The symptoms of Kawasaki Disease typically develop in phases. The initial phase includes a high fever lasting more than five days, along with redness in the eyes, a rash, swollen lymph nodes, cracked lips, and a red, swollen tongue often described as “strawberry tongue.” Swelling and redness in the hands and feet, along with irritability, are also common. In the second phase, symptoms may include peeling skin on the hands and feet and joint pain. If untreated, the condition can lead to long-term complications such as coronary artery aneurysms, heart inflammation, or damage to the heart valves.
Although Kawasaki Disease is relatively uncommon, its potential to cause significant heart problems highlights the importance of understanding its symptoms and seeking prompt medical care.
