Children Cancer Stories by Rukh
Yusuf - Blog # 67
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.
Most of the children in Oncology unit
are not in a very good condition, especially in a developing country like ours.
This is due to so many limitations and factors associated with the disease and
treatment facilities. But there are few patients for whom we need courage and
strong heart to even look at. Ahmad Hassan is one of them.
Ahmad Hassan is suffering with
Retinoblastoma of right eye since he was couple of months old. He is third
child of his parents. The eldest one is only five years old, middle one is two
and half year old and Ahmad Hassan is youngest one year old now.
Ahmad Hassan is just one year old pure
soul with so many heart wrenching stories of his one-year-old life. I am too sad
since I saw him and unable to forget his pain. Poor kid has lost his mother in
just six months of his life. Her mother got an Angina attack when she was
feeding his youngest one (Ahmad Hassan). Little angel is fighting with this
terrible disease without the biggest support everyone has, his mother.
When I got his history, I felt may be
his mother could not bear her son’s illness and she had a heartbreak. As per
her paternal aunt, at six months of age, Ahmad Hassan had white lesion in right
eye. That progressively enlarged with proptosis. The eye got so enlarged that
it had to be operated. And the poor kid had an eye surgery even before his
first birthday.
His eye operation (enucleation) was done
in private clinic in Bahawalpur. Just after one month of surgery he had again
progression of lesion with proptosis. Now he is presented with this current
condition with a large eye mass in children hospital.
Ahmad Hassan’s investigations have
almost been completed and his chemotherapy has been started today. The poor guy
will bear chemo as well in this minor age.
Like most other cancers, retinoblastoma
may also be linked with cousin marriage along with many other factors. There is
trend of cousin marriage in Ahmad Hassan’s family, his parents are first
cousins and there is long list of consanguineous marriages in close family as well. His
two other siblings are Alhumdolillah normal, while two of paternal aunts have
some genetic ailment too.
The elder kids are taken care of by their
grandmother while phupho is looking after Ahmad Hassan. I am praying for his
ease and recovery soon. May he be able to see the world even with one eye with
health.
Retinoblastoma is a
rare type of cancer that grows on the retina at the back of the eye. It
develops in children under age 5. Treatments include cryotherapy (freezing the
tumor), chemotherapy and surgery. The prognosis depends on several factors, including
whether cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Retinoblastoma in children is uncommon
and it only affects about 3 in 1 million children. However, some symptoms that could be signs of eye cancer in children may
include: a white reflection in the eyes from a photograph taken with a flash, Misaligned
eyes, blood shots in the white of the eye, pus collecting in the front of the
eye, and swollen eye socket.
Prayers for some miracle for the health
and recovery of Ahmad Hassan and ease of his family.
Prayers for the complete health and
recovery of all other warriors who are suffering with their families. May Allah
ease and cure all patients and cancer warriors.
Note:
Names have been changed to protect identity
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