UAE: "Red-handed" girl battles fevers up to 50°C in Dubai!

• The girl is the first case reported in the Arab world with the condition.

A 10-year-old Dubai girl, Leen, claims to be the only person in the Arab world suffering from an extremely rare disease that causes painful swelling and redness of the hands and feet. She also gets burning fevers up to 50°C.According to the girl's mother, Leen was a normal healthy girl until the morning after her eighth birthday when she woke up with red hands and feet.

She was rushed to the hospital, but doctors could not diagnose the syndrome.

They later discovered she was suffering from Palmar-Pnatar Erythrodysesthesia - also known as Hand-Foot Syndrome. Only 20 people in the world are suffering from the said disease.

"We began corresponding with several doctors outside the country, and six months later we found a doctor in the US, in Boston. After conducting several tests, we still couldn't find out what was wrong with our daughter," said Yumna, the child's mother was quoted saying by Al Bayan.

Yumna and family have been residing in the UAE for 4 years.

Leen started home-schooling to cope up with her situation.

She has now started an online campaign "The Red Hand Challenge" to raise awareness about the disease which so far has no effective treatment.

Dr Abdul Karim Al Ulama, Executive Director of the Al Jalila Research Foundation, said that before Leen no such case was reported in the Arab region.

He added that the foundation will do its best to raise awareness regarding this rare disease, as well as promote further research on the condition.