Warriors and Survivors - 25

 

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 25

 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.

 

I was passing through corridor during my routine working in ward today, when I found a 6- or 7-years old boy sitting on floor in a corner of the corridor. I was surprised to see him sitting alone on the floor with his head down. Being in hurry I could not ask him about who he was and why was he sitting like this?

On my way back, he was still sitting in the same position. I went to him and asked him, why he was sitting like this and where his mother was, but instead of replying he turned his face on the other side and kept sitting like that.

I again tried, offered him chocolate and juice, this time he said that he was not hungry without looking at me. He was really angry. Meanwhile his mother approached him and told me that he was admitted here. She told me that he was angry because he did not want to stay here and wished to meet his father.

As per his mother, Shahzaib is seven years old cute but stubborn child. He is student of grade two. One morning, his mother saw a lump near his neck, and she found it moving on touch.

She got worried and decided to go for a checkup when Shahzaib would be back from school, Shahzaib had no fever and no other complaints. On checkup Ultrasound was done, and biopsy was planned. Few more diagnostics tests revealed that Shahzaib was suffering from Hodgkins Lymphoma.

It was a tragic news for the family. His mother says, “I’ll never forget the day we took him to that hospital appointment. We arrived at the hospital at 8 am and Shahzaib was taken to operation room. When cancer was diagnosed, and doctor declared that my son had cancer, it was the scariest I had ever been in my life. I came so close to losing my son, I was terrified”.

Shahzaib’s family was counseled, and treatment started. His first chemo cycle would be completed tomorrow.

 

His mother is worried, and tears fall from her eyes when she speaks but she has some relief seeing her son fighting. She says, “my boy is superman, himself he is just the strongest, bravest little boy who always has a smile for everyone, and he is a true warrior”.

Shahzaib has four siblings, two sisters and two brothers. Youngest one is three years old and eldest one is fifteen years old. His father is laborer. All siblings are school students. It is not easy for any family to handle a child with disease and that also such a horrible one.

Though his mother and father are trying to manage their child’s disease, but they are afraid and they still harbor so many fears that how this horrid disease would be cured, as with each passing day, Shahzaib does not want to stay in hospital and misses home. Sometimes it becomes impossible to relax him and make him agree for treatment. He is headstrong and hard to handle many times.

Today His mother had to call his father to handle him and prepare him for chemo. She has other children at home to take care including a three-year-old one. She has too many questions and fears in mind.

Shahzaib is doing fine till now. We all pray for his speedy recovery and ease of his parents and whole family.

 

Note:

Name has been changed to protect identity.