Warriors and Survivors - 40

 

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 40

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.

Writing 40^th blog must be an easy task after writing all the thirty-nine; instead it is very difficult for me to write this since I met three years old Summaya and her parents. I am feeling helpless and unable to describe pain and agony of the patient and her family after seeing them despite the fact I have written about suffering of all of them. Sometimes we wish that we had not seen or met someone after meeting them and I have same feeling.

Summaya’s parents felt that their 3-year-old had redness in her eyes since some time. First, they took it normal and then consulted general practitioner from their neighborhood. He prescribed some eye drops but that did not help the child.

After few days her left eye started swelling and parents hurried to specialized eye hospital. Senior consultants evaluated her eye clinically and many diagnostic tests were performed.

It was saddest day for the family when the consultant broke the news that Summaya had tumor in eye and that she had to go to children’s hospital cancer unit for treatment. The mother said that she felt numb and struggled to make the phone calls to immediate family to let them know what was happening.

Summaya’s eye was getting bigger and worse with every passing day. Parents hurriedly reached to pediatric cancer unit in Lahore and her investigations were started. Summaya is only daughter of family. She has one elder brother who is two years older than her. Her father works in pharmaceutical industry as technician. Her mother is pregnant and Sumayya’s next sibling shall come in this world soon. Her mother is taking care of irritable Summaya in such a condition. Poor child is not handled by anyone else, and mother is not fit to look after for her.

For the poor family, more trials awaited. After a long and tedious series of investigation, it was declared by consultant that her cancer was not curable, and that Summaya will be admitted in Palliative unit.  It was a terrible news for the family. Poor kid does not know what is going on with her. She just knows that she is in extreme pain and for the cure she is not agreed to be away from her mother. Her eye is getting worse and its very painful to see her.

Her mother said she is drained, scared and nervous for the future ahead. Her father was shivering with grief when we were counseling the family for the palliation of child. I saw tears in parent’s eyes which was very painful to see. Father was asking if there is some medicine which can prevent his next coming child from cancer?

Innocent father does not know there is no such medication or treatment. We can only try to be healthy by adopting healthy lifestyle. Only Allah can save us from all kinds of diseases.

Let’s pray for ease of Summaya and for her family. May Allah miraculously help them. 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