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A father's cry for help

DUBAI - Cradling 12-year-old Marziyeh Hussain Askari in his arms, her father, Hussain Ali Askari whispers her name in her ears softly.

"Marziyeh, Marziyeh," he calls. The barely audible whisper evokes a response in the form of a deep grunt from the drooling mouth of the sick child.

Marziyeh is in a vegetative state. Since her birth 12 years ago, Marziyeh has been suffering from seizures, is partly paralysed and is totally dependant on her family for her care. She cannot talk, walk or even sit without help. The only signs of life she shows are when she cries for food.

"I am sure she understands what we are saying to her," he says. Marziyeh rolls her eyes fixing them on her father's face while he talks. "I used to walk on the empty roads at night trying to get Marziyeh to sleep," says Hussain Ali, who is of Iranian nationality.

"Even now, the only word she speaks is baba," he says, adding that noisy places make her agitated and she gets one of her fits. "She is my youngest child and the prettiest," he said with tears in his eyes.

His other children - two boys and four girls are normal.

Since she was born, Marziyeh has never `tasted' food because she does not have teeth. "During her fits, her jaws clench shut tightly and chunks of teeth fall off," informs her mother. "I don't think that she understands a word. It is only her father's blind love for her that makes him believe so," she says matter-of-factly.

"On her birth, the doctors told us that Marziyeh would remain like this all her life unless we followed her treatments regularly," he said. "I never had a enough money to do that, besides we have been doing a lot at home," he says. "She has improved a lot since she was born because her mother massages her regularly," he adds.

"She never opened her eyes until she was five years old," said her mother.

"The doctors say that she can be treated successfully in the US," said Hussain Askari.

Three years ago, Hussain Ali was asked to quit his job as an instructor at a driving school. Since then he does odd jobs to keep his house running while a daughter also contributes towards the household income. Monetary help is welcome at account number 4350520568101, Bank Saderat Iran, Shaikh Zayed Road.

"Can you help my child?" he pleads.