“Diu Diu is not feeling so well. I’ve called the ambulance but it hasn’t arrived yet. I don’t know what is wrong, he seems very uncomfortable.” An Wan’s voice was trembling.
“Did he have a sudden fever and faint?” Mo Li massaged her temples. She tried to diagnose the child through the phone. “Calm down. Let me figure out what is the problem. Take a picture of the child’s throat and send it to me.”
An Wan sent over the picture. “There is a white membrane around Diu Diu’s throat. This is diphtheria. Help him put on a mask or you might get infected. Don’t worry, this can be easily solved with a small surgery. Bring the child to the car. We are waiting for you downstairs. I will perform a circular membrane puncture on him to buy some time. When he reaches the hospital, he has to go for an incision surgery.”
Diu Diu’s throat was turning black, it meant that he was bleeding inside.
However, logically speaking, an infant would receive diphtheria vaccine at 2 to 3 months. Then after 4 to 5 months, they would receive the second shot to complete the vaccination process. Then they wouldn’t be infected anymore. Diphtheria vaccine was common and it was very effective to help improve the child’s immune system. So far, the number of diphtheria infections among children in the world had dropped tremendously after the vaccine was introduced. So why would Diu Diu be infected?
An Wan ran out hugging Diu Diu. Ah Ao drove them to the nearest hospital. The hospital staff asked them routinely what was wrong with the child. Then he heard the term, diphtheria, the doctor’s expression instantly changed.
“No! We can’t allow you entry!”
“Why? The boy needs surgery now or else his condition will worsen.”
“Diphtheria is highly contagious. We have newborns at our hospital. We can’t allow you to threaten the other children!” The doctor shouted. Diphtheria was not a common disease. The only explanation was that the woman before him must have had the child under some unsightly conditions and couldn’t afford to vaccinate her child. It was the only reason why her child would have diphtheria.
“Doctor, I beg you! Please save my child, he is still very young. I am sure he will not infect the other kids.” An Wan didn’t expect a direct rejection. Her tears that had stopped started to fall again.
“Diphtheria is highly infectious so you have to go to a professional infectious disease hospital for treatment. He will not be treated here. If you don’t want to waste time, you better leave and hurry to the infectious disease hospital.”
Mo Li’s expression was dark. She looked at the doctor who refused to help Diu Diu. The nearest infectious disease hospital was very far away. Mo Li had no other choice. She pulled An Wan out of the hospital. She took out a business card from her pocket and handed it to Ah Ao. They jumped into the car and Ah Ao drove. “This is a research institute ran by a foreigner. I know the lead researcher. This is a private hospital so we don’t need to worry about infection.”
They walked in with Diu Diu. The blond nurse was already waiting for them. When she saw them, she walked over with a smile. “Miss Mo Li, after you called teacher, he immediately arranged an operating room for you. The serum has been prepared. But we are low on manpower, you may need to perform the surgery yourself.”
Mo Li nodded directly. “No problem.”
In the operating theater, Diu Diu lay on the table while Mo Li completed everything from anesthesia to trachea opening, from injecting the serum to suturing. Ah Ao stood up to applaud. An Wan was surprised that Mo Li was even a qualified surgeon. Is she really just an underage girl?
As Diu Diu’s conditions became better, An Wan’s heart returned to its place.
The surgery went smoothly and Diu Diu could breathe normally again. However, oxygen was good for the development of the brain so Mo Li used the equipment to help the boy recover.
“Li Li, the fees here will be very expensive, how much is it… And you have to perform the surgery on Diu Diu personally. I really don’t know how to thank you…” An Wan saw Diu Diu’s pale face and she reached out to touch it. When she turned around, she saw Mo Li frown.
“Instead of worrying about these things, I am more concerned with how Diu Diu managed to get infected with diphtheria. Under normal circumstances, one would develop antibodies after receiving the diphtheria vaccine. Diu Diu is still young, the effect of the second vaccine injection should be there. Unless he has come into direct contact with the diphtheria virus, he would not be infected so easily.”
An Wan shook her head. “But that is unlikely. I have had no work recently so I spent most of my time playing with Diu Diu at home. Even when I am not around, I monitor the camera at the front door. There is also a camera in Diu Diu’s room. This is not possible…”