Unfulfilled Hopes: The Life Story of Bibi Masouma
Nangarhar, Afghanistan – The late afternoon hours have just begun in Behsud district, and the warmth of the sun is gradually fading. By the window of a small house, a girl sits in a wheelchair, her eyes fixed on the children playing in the alley—running, laughing, and filling the air with their joyful shouts.
This is 14-year-old Bibi Masouma, who has been disabled by polio, leaving the wings of her soaring hopes without flight.
Her face reflects a profound sense of despair as she recalls her childhood memories. “There was a time when I was just like those children,” she says. “I used to play, go to school, and studied in the second grade. But suddenly, everything changed—my legs gradually weakened, and eventually, they stopped moving altogether.”
Bibi Masouma was only seven years old when the poliovirus attacked her body. At first, her family also had no idea what was wrong, but after visiting the hospital, they found out that she had contracted the incurable poliovirus
“It was incredibly painful to hear the doctors tell my parents that their daughter would never be able to walk on her own feet again,” Masouma says.
Since that day, not only has she been deprived of her education, but she has also become dependent on others for her daily needs.
“Although my family helps me and moves me in my wheelchair from one place to another, I feel incomplete whenever I see my peers,” she says.
She fell silent for a moment before adding, “Good health is true wealth—a wealth from which I have been deprived.”
Masouma says that while she has lost hope of ever walking again, her greatest wish is that no other child in the country should suffer the same fate.
She adds, “Parents must take polio seriously because this disease has no cure. The only way to prevent it is through vaccination, which must be given consistently to every child under the age of five.”
Masouma says that while she has lost hope of ever walking again, her greatest wish is that no other child in the country should suffer the same fate. ©Polio Free Afghanistan / 2025
Bibi Masouma’s father, Abdul Ahad, blames himself for what happened to his daughter. “At the time, I didn’t have enough knowledge about polio, and I failed to get Masouma vaccinated in time. Because of that, she became a victim of this disease,” he says with regret.
He had once dreamed of his daughter completing her education and becoming a skilled doctor in the future, but that dream has now turned into an unreachable wish.
Mohammad Tahir, Masouma’s elder brother, shares that her sister’s condition pains the whole family but there’s nothing they can do.
According to him, Masouma was intelligent and excelled in her studies, standing out among her peers. However, polio not only took away her ability to walk but also left her unable to do household chores.
He said that family members must take turns caring for her. Every day, someone must look after her because she cannot meet her needs on her own.
“When Masouma is alone, she cries all day. We don’t know how to ease her pain,” he adds.
Looking at his sister’s condition, Mohammad Tahir urges parents to vaccinate their children in every campaign if they don’t want them to suffer the same pain and hardship as Masouma.
Polio: An Incurable but Preventable Disease
Dr. Abdul Quddus, a physician at a local hospital in Behsud, states, “Polio is an incurable disease, but it can be prevented. The only way to stop it is by administering two drops of the vaccine during each campaign.”
He explains that if every parent fulfills their responsibility and ensures their children receive the vaccine in every campaign, polio can be eradicated from the country forever.
Bibi Masouma is just one example of the many children who have fallen victim to polio due to their families’ lack of awareness or misguided beliefs.
The polio vaccine is free and safe. Just two drops in every campaign are enough to safeguard your children from permanent disability.
If you vaccinate your child today, you won’t have to shed tears of regret tomorrow.
