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Lt Col (retd) Randhawa says US doctor's team contacted CMH doctors and expressed satisfaction with current treatment.
KARACHI: A doctor’s team was hired by Microsoft to consult with doctors of Aarifa Karim – the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MSF) – in Pakistan to overview her condition, confirmed Aarifa’s father Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Randhawa.
Randhawa denied media reports of Microsoft owner Bill Gates contacting him personally, although he confirmed that the US doctors have contacted local doctors to speak on the matter.
The team has expressed its satisfaction on the treatment being done at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Lahore, he said.
Randhawa added that Aarifa’s condition is “the same” and she is still on the ventilator.
Aarifa, 16, suffered an epileptic attack on December 22 last year which affected her brain and her heart causing her to slip into a coma. She has been on a ventilator since then.
Samples from Aarifa, including scans of her brain were mailed to renowned medical experts in Australia and other countries earlier, while Professor Dr Azhar Hussain, a neurosurgeon at the King Edwards Medical University, Lahore had said that her case was “not hopeless” after reviewing her condition.
Aarifa, born in 1995, was given the title of a Microsoft professional at the age of nine in 2004 and she had visited the company’s headquarters in the US to meet Gates.
Correction: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of the story said Aarifa was given the MCP title in 1995 instead of 2004. The error has been rectified.
Thank you Bill Gates.
Wish you a speedy recovery sister Arifa.. =)
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My friend works at CMH Lahore. He said that she cannot recover from the massive brain damage. Even if she gains consciousness, she won’t be able to move any of her body parts, and that would be nothing but torture for the little girl. Everyone knows that, but they aren’t pulling the plug because the issue has been politicized.
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Aarifa was given the title of a Microsoft professional at the age of nine in 1995??
1995 is it correct? i think its wrong
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ET get your facts straight, she was born in 1995 and visited Microsoft in 2004. Seriously, you pay more attention on writing pieces on Veena Malik than a national treasure.
I read somewhere else Bill Gates personally hired doctors and even stated that they would come to Pakistan if necessary. RESPECT!
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thanks Bill! :) you rock
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Awesome!
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may Allah heal Aarifa..surely only He can do miracles..lots of duas for young asset of Pakistan..
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youngest MCP everybody in world wants you to live a long life… There are billion trilllion of prayers with you.. INSHALLAH you will be recovered soon!! INSHALLAH!!!
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Bill gates can do something from miles away, atleast he tries to. What does our government do? NOTHING
It’s a disgrace.
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this how great nations respect men of worth………Recommend
may we all see a miracle happen arifa coming back fully recovered and smiling.An american giving us something for which a common Pakistani will be jn debt to him,i am an average biased Pakistani who would give anything to be proven wrong.Arifa ALLAH be with you always.
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We are praying for her may Allah give her good health
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American people are helpful and responsible,they value knowledge and hardwork. That is why they are on the top.
The commoners and the so called elites of our country should learn from them.
Thanks Mr Bill Gates
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i hope they are not going to be as helpful as they were to iraqi afghani and now dying to help iranis?????????
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Thanks bill gates… Thank you very much. :)
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Beautiful……Bill got Dill.
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@Fauzan Naeem:
what you did for her ?? why you people want govt. to do everything
bill gates is not govt. he is a common man
how many times did you even prayed for her ??
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As a doctor i need to tell something.Aarifa has no cortical activity(in simple words, part of brain which controls motor n conscious level of the body is dead), only she has brain stem activity(part of brain which controls blood pressure n other vitals functions). She is in vegetative state. Chances of recovery is almost nil. By politicising this issue we are just adding to her sufferings.
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I find this news very unlikely.
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Aarifa is an asset for Pakistanis, yet it’s an American who has shown more dedication in getting her treated. Classic.
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Another slap on our governments face.
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Dont believe in Pakistani doctors. They are most of the times incompetent. They gave up the moment when she was brought into the hospital. One such example which made news was of Wasim Akram’s wife where she was cleared for air travel and we all knew what happened to her later. Let us keep praying for her and hope for a miracle since miracles do happen. May she get well soon. Ameen!Recommend
Allah… we need a miracle. Please make it happen
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@Salman:
wasim akram wife was treated by american qualified doctors in Pakistan
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Current CEO of Microsoft is Mr. Steve Balmer and he is a Jew for your information.
Thankyou Mr. Steve Balmer.
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@faraz – ever heard of Stephen Hawking? Not that i would want Arfa to become like him physically but the point i am trying to make is that one can still be a great genius.
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The jewish head of Microsoft is helping a muslim from Pakistan. The american jews are a forgiving lot and seems that they have forgiven Pakistan for what went down at Chabad house in mumbai 2008. Or maybe they don’t see everything through the distorting prism of religion unlike some societies.
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please recite “ya salamo” for the little angel.
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But, but, err, ahem, isn’t Microsoft an American Company and isn’t Bill Gates an American?
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They value genius, even if its not their own… We trash them, even if its ours (remember Abdus Salam)
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Our nations Pride Aarifa is in great danger, Along with the doctors doing their work, we must pray to God also, because the demand of this situation is a miracle, which only God can do
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Will our Mullahs call this MOSSAD+RAW+CIA Conspiracy also!
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@Faraz: Your friend who works at CMH should be fired and punished. Giving a patient’s info is immoral. And in most countries it’s illegal.
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Matter of Allah with Aarifa , who created Bill Gates, Steve Balmer –> Microsoft.
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@MCP: She became an MCP in 2006 when she was 9.
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May God heal her, so that she could start her life again and make new discoveries
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@Pakistani Hindu:
may u live long
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@ulfat:
Array… thank you so much =)
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Such a shame for us that we and our politicians didn’t do anything to save our precious asset. We Pakistani lose once again :( Sorry aarifa! may GOD give you a long life.
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REALLY!!??
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RIP. Looked forward to working with you, but won’t be possible now. As Billy Joel’s song goes…. Only the good die young.
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May Aarifa rest in peace. So sad that such a beautiful girl with such potential died so young.
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“If you want to do something big in your life, you must remember that shyness is only the mind,” she said. “If you think shy, you act shy. If you think confident you act confident. Therefore never let shyness conquer your mind.”Recommend
I think we should stop blaming the govt, the Americans or anybody else, this is the time we should pray but now she has left us may Allah give her the best place in Jannah Ameen
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Thank God for people like Bill Gates, he does so much with his wealth. I am so sad for the family of that child, we pray for them as well.
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If she spent so much time indoors programming, maybe she developed vitamin D deficiency (from lack of sunlight or supplements)?
Also, good nutrition can help prevent disease (lots of vegetables and omega 3s and so on).
My condolences to her family for their loss.Recommend