Warriors and Survivors - Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 23

I am Rukh Yusuf, Clinical Pharmacist, also specialized in Total Parenteral Nutrition and Bone Marrow Transplant. I have been working in Pediatric Oncology unit of a public hospital for several years. The mission of this blog is to bring to you the real-life stories of child patients suffering from cancer. Cancer is still a difficult disease to handle and treat. However, when it strikes the children, some so young that they cannot even speak, their agony is beyond expression and words. Let us pray especially for children suffering from cancer for early and complete remission. May Allah shower His Merciful Blessings upon them. Aameen.

 

The stories that no one wants to hear may be the ones that help inspire change. These are the stories that terrify and sadden us in which we can find questions to inspire change. Sometimes the stories are blunt and shock us with harsh realities. Let’s face one today.

In my early blogs I wrote about ten years old Afghani fairy who was fighting bravely for two years along with her family against her disease. Her warrior father and mother left no stone unturned for her treatment including crossing border. But they could not win. Couple of days ago fairy lost her battle against cancer.

“All deaths are sudden, no matter how gradual the dying may be.”
― Michael McDowell

No one can call her death ‘sudden’ but yes it was shocking news. Though her disease was relapsed due to pause in treatment because of lockdown and many other factors but seeing her and family’s struggle it could never be imagined that the fairy could lose battle.

In her last admission in hospital, she was in palliation room, her father used to sit near her bed. It was the first time her mother was not with her as she had to look after her other kids back home. In my routine work, seeing her on palliation, I used to pray for her recovery knowing all the facts of her disease. I realized it’s inevitable that a dying child should accompany her mother specially, otherwise it would be whole life’s prickling pain for mother that she was not with her dying child in last moments and a tragedy for a child who needs her mother most in her last breaths.

“We understand death only after it has placed its hands on someone we love.”

– Anne L. de Stael 

When it’s our near one, we have hope till last breath. It’s hard to accept death and very difficult to see a young girl whose fate brought her to the grave. Death does not discriminate; it does not see age or our efforts and struggles to live. 

Loss is an inevitable part of life. It could be the loss of a pet, the end of a relationship or loss of a loved one or the loss of a friend but the loss of a child is scariest of all

No matter the type of loss, one thing that’s certain is that it’s never easy. The emotional response and grieving process can be intense and have a profound effect on our mental and emotional health. It is a tough thing to go through no matter who you are. 

Fairy’s family not only lost their beautiful and strong daughter but also their home, their financial and social standing and most importantly their hope. They had a purpose in life since more than two years, an aim to defeat the disease for which they struggled day and night but now they are empty handed and have lost their life purpose too.

There are many factors related to successful pediatric oncology treatment, there is need to overcome hurdles and strengthen health care system for better treatment outcomes of pediatric cancer treatment so that other fairies can live healthy lives.

I wonder how and when fairy’s family will be able to compose themselves again to flow with life.  Allah heals everyone. We pray that may Allah heal fairy’s family. Aameen

There’s no way to sugarcoat it, losing a loved one is painful. Through the heartache and grief, it is important to remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel.  

 “When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.” – Unknown