Warriors and Survivors -39

  Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 39

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.

Today in ward, I talked to Meerab, a 9 year old cute looking child. At first, she did not respond. I thought she was angry and asked her mother about her silence. She said as Meerab had not brushed her teeth yet so she prefers not to speak until she freshened herself up in morning. I was impressed by her habit. It was my first meeting with her.

Meerab belongs to Mianwali and is the only sister of two brothers. She is student of grade three. She had to hold her education because of her disease and treatment. In 2018, when she was five, she was diagnosed as Pre-B ALL. Her parents mustered up courage for her treatment and shifted to Lahore. Her father started working in a factory in Lahore. They rented a house for their lovely daughter’s proper treatment.

Her chemotherapy started and treatment continued for more than two and half years. It took unlimited visits and investigations and many chemotherapy cycles for her recovery. After a long and painful duration of almost three years finally the day came when all her reports were normal, and Meerab and family were informed by the doctor that her cancer was finally cured.

Meerab was so happy and excited that she was finally going home, back to her friends and relatives. Thanking Allah, the family left for their hometown. Meerab continued her studies, and her parents restarted their life from where they had left it. She regularly visited hospital for follow up as per the plan.

One year passed happily and quickly then on one routine follow up visit and test, it revealed that Meerab’s disease was spreading again, this time with CNS relapse. It was obviously horrible news for the innocent kid and parents. This news meant that they had to again move to Lahore for her treatment and life was going to be same again, full of pain, struggle, and helplessness.

Though it was the toughest decision for the parents to restart her treatment, but they had no other choice. Poor family has shifted again to hospital and Lahore. Meerab is here again in oncology unit. So far, she has completed her consolidation from her relapsed protocol and now her intensification is going on. She is bearing toughest medication with patience and silence.

Mother is uncertain about her princess’s future; she remains worried with lots of questions in her mind. Meerab’s mother says, “I practice gratitude every day. It has transformed my life. From depression and hopelessness, feeling like I had no control over what was happening, I now work hard at hoping for the good. Anxiety and gratitude simply cannot occupy the same space and I finally feel like I have the tools I need to continue to live a strong, healthy and joyful life and that tool is gratitude and hope.”

Let’s pray for permanent recovery of Meeerab and ease for her family. Aameen

I pray for healthy and smooth recovery of all our warriors, and healthy life for all our surviors May Allah bless them health always. Aameen