Children Cancer Stories
by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 44
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 first met Abdullah in playroom of our unit, He is cute, lovely ten
years old child with a calm smile. He came to play there for some time. I asked,
“what is your name?”. He said, “Muhammad Abdullah”. What a great name.
He was looking fine, having IV canula in his one hand. I asked him in
which room he was, he informed me about his room. It was my first meeting with
him. Though it was short meeting, but I remember his innocence.
Other day during my routine work, I saw him again. He was sitting near
his bed and was not feeling well. I came
to know that he was patient of Aplastic anemia. He was having his medications
and admitted due to his low counts.
His mother said that he was prepared for bone marrow transplant but due
to unavoidable reasons his transplant had to be delayed.
Now Abdullah was admitted, he was waiting for his transfusions as his
platelet counts were low. Suddenly he had headache and vomiting, his
medications were being given to improve his counts. But still he had episodes of vomiting.
Before leaving hospital I just went to see him, and I was saddened to see
he was not well, and his father was with him doing everything a father could do
for his ill child.
It was Saturday and I left hospital after my duty hours. In the evening I
just remembered about him and don’t know why I called duty doctor to ask about
Abdullah’s condition. I heard a heart wrenching news that Abdullah expired at 7
pm in the evening. He had intra-cranial bleed and his CT was planned but he
left this world before that.
It was such a sad news that I started crying as soon as I heard it. It is
not like that I first time saw or heard about some patient’s death, but
Abdullah’s death shocked me to the core. I was deeply saddened for quite some
time.
Working with children is a different kind of job; sometimes you are happy
to meet and talk to them and sometimes you are grieving for them. Seeing their
sufferings on daily basis is a constant stress. We need strong nerves to work
in such an environment. Many children have lost their lives in fighting this
battle. We salute to all healthcare staff who treat and take care these
withering children. May Allah grant courage and strength to all of us to treat
these warriors well and to do our part for the ease of their pain.
Let’s
pray for Abdullah and for his family. May Allah give patience and courage to
bear this huge loss of losing their eldest son. Aameen
I pray for healthy and smooth recovery of all our warriors, and healthy
life for all our survivors May Allah bless all those families who have lost
their child in fighting this battle. Aameen
Note: Names and pictures have been changed to protect identity
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