Hong Kong girl ‘Little Suet-yee’ undergoes ‘successful’ 3-hour surgery to mend her skull
- One-year-old baby undergoes operation after ‘irreversible’ damage on her brain had been inflicted in January
- Allegedly abusive babysitter hired through ‘community nanny’ scheme to take care of child earlier arrested and released on bail
A Hong Kong child allegedly abused by a babysitter has undergone a three-hour operation to mend her skull, after “irreversible” damage was inflicted on her brain in January.
The one year-old girl, known affectionately as “Little Suet-yee” by her family, had suffered a blood clot in her brain and previously went through an operation that temporarily removed part of her skull to relieve excess pressure caused by her injuries.
Hong Kong Caring Power, a non-profit group supporting the toddler’s family, including providing free legal consultation, said on Monday the second operation to put back the fragment previously removed from her skull had been successful.
“After more than three hours of surgery, Little Suet-yee’s parents told us that it was successfully completed. [She] has woken up and is now in the intensive care unit for further observation,” it said on its social media page.
“Doctors will monitor her water intake tomorrow. These two days are very critical and it is necessary to see if there will be any complications.”
The alleged child abuse case surfaced in January after police were alerted by Tuen Mun Hospital staff about the baby’s suspicious brain injuries.
Suet-yee, who was nine months old at the time, had been in the care of a babysitter recruited through a government-funded “community nanny” childcare scheme operated by an NGO, Yan Oi Tong.
The girl’s father had received a call from Yan Oi Tong staff, who said the child had suffered a spasm after being bathed.
Suet-yee’s 33-year-old female babysitter was arrested on suspicion of abusing the child, but was later released on bail.
Suet-yee’s mother earlier told the Post that a large part of her daughter’s brain and cells had shrunk and died, and that “irreversible” damage had been inflicted to the areas that controlled self-care, learning, cognition and the senses.
Jacky Lui Chi-tak, president of Hong Kong Caring Power, said the second surgery, also at Tuen Mun Hospital, had been risky as the baby’s skull had grown bigger but the bone fragment that had been removed remained the same size.
“[Doctors] are also worried about further infection. The skull may reject the replaced bone,” he said. “The risk is quite high, especially since she is very young.”
Lawmaker Bill Tang Ka-piu, who has provided help to the family, said Suet-yee might be able to begin her rehabilitation or leave hospital if there were no complications.
“Tuen Mun Hospital is famous for its neurosurgery department. It is not their first time conducting such surgery but it involves high risks and challenges,” he said, explaining that June 3 had been the earliest possible date for the operation as the hospital was unable to schedule it in April or May.
Tang said Suet-yee’s vision had been affected by her injuries, though the level of impairment remained uncertain. He also observed that “her lower body is relatively weak”.
But the lawmaker struck a note of cautious optimism by saying “a one-year-old infant has potential to recover” if she was also given the many rehabilitation and social support services that she needed along the way.
Tang said the Social Welfare Department had arranged for a few organisations to provide preschool rehabilitation services after the infant was discharged, as well as a caseworker to follow up with her situation and family members.
He suggested that the government impose stricter requirements for the “community nanny” scheme by installing surveillance cameras, imposing a stipulated number of training hours for nannies, and having at least two carers for each child.
