Warriors and Survivors -41

  Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 41

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.

Everyone in life has his/her own share of hardships and trials, some have to face early in life and other see them later. Few are so blessed that they see their trials very early in life and learn a lot from their misfortunes. When one is going through some hardship or trials, he/she desperately waits for them to be over and dream about everlasting happiness when the trial is over.

Noreen is only nine years old right now. She was diagnosed with AML when she was seven. Noreen belongs to a family from Chiniot. Her father is a laborer and driver, and she has two brothers. Her mother is a strong lady who is courageous enough to struggle for her child’s treatment. Having to relocate her family from Chiniot to Lahore was daunting for the poor mother. She told her story of struggle.

“Being in a remote area, having two small children, having to have treatment hours away from home, I just didn’t know how we were going to manage,” says mother.

“My husband was working on construction sites, and then driving a tractor in the off-season so he really needed to carry on working”, said the mother.

“We were so relieved when we were told about the residential inn inside children hospital – it meant we were going to be able to keep our family together.” Mother added.

Noreen and her family ended up staying in the children’s hospital Inn for almost a year while she underwent chemotherapy.

“That time seems very distant to me now – but it was a struggle,” says Noreen’s mother, “Having my two little boys there with me really got me through. I have sweetest children, very loving, and I think that is because we have been through such a tough time.”

Noreen had to undergo treatment for more than a year. Her father used to meet them after a month so it used to feel like a real celebration each time they saw each other.

The sense of community in the Inn was a great comfort for Noreen and her family, sense of being in same problem gave Noreen another outlet to speak openly about her fears.

 “No one knows what you go through quite like another patient” explains Noreen. “At a time when your disease is defining you, those conversations are really the only ones where you can be completely honest about your feelings.”

“Speaking to a loved one about those things can be upsetting so it’s really helpful to be able to talk about those things in neutral territory and share your experience with someone you know will relate.”

At last, her treatment completed, and she was discharged and left for her hometown and the family reunited again.

Noreen said, “When I hear that I was recovered I wanted to inspire people to feel hope when they are in the darkness and show them that I am evidence that you can make it through the other side.”

Noreen was always sure to maintain a positive attitude that the hardships will go away, but now she is again here, in the same place with her disease relapsed.

After just one and half year of happiness and relaxation the whole family has come back again.

Noreen is silent, she has mouth ulcers, and she hardly speaks. This time her shining eyes are dim, she silently sees other fellow patients, her mother is speechless too. The time of happiness for which they waited for such a long time passed so quickly and here is another trial for the so young soul.

Her brave mother has brought Noreen for treatment again despite so many hurdles. Her relapse treatment has been started but Noreen and family are desperately in need of hope.

Let’s pray for ease of Noreen 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 survivors May Allah bless them health always. Aameen