Warriors and Survivors - 70

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 70

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 I saw an eight years old girl and wished to talk to her. I could see her sitting on bed while passing by the corridor. At the end of the day I finally managed to talk to her. I am extremely sad since I met her.

Aqsa is only eight years old and suffering from T cell ALL (T cell Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia). She got the disease when she was six. She is under treatment since more than an year and worst part of story is, “her disease is not curable anymore”.

I am in deep pain since I met her and family.  Aqsa was discharged by consultant today. She was sent home for further management of her palliation in hospital in her hometown. She has swollen lymph nodes and neck. She is having so much pain and needs morphine for pain management.

When I was talking to Aqsa, she was with her both parents and an uncle. Parents had still so many questions despite consultant had briefed them clearly. The reason of their multiple questions are many. First of all, denial about the condition of their child. Second, hope that there is still something that can be done to save their dear child. Third, they want to try every possible thing to save their beloved child. Because of above all reasons they were knocking every possible door.

No doubt it was a miserable condition not only for the patient and her family but for the health care providers as well. We can’t do anything for a dying child. It is worst kind of helplessness. This helplessness cannot be described in words. We leave our workplace with heavy heart and it happens daily.

Aqsa is from Bagh, Mirpur. She belongs to a middle class family. She has two sisters and one brother. She was student of class two when she got this terrible disease. Parents did their best for her treatment in their hometown but then they  had to take her to Lahore for the complete treatment. Her treatment started here but Aqsa’s disease was not responding well to the treatment.

She got three chemotherapy cycles and upon retesting it occurred that her disease has come back and that she is not responding to treatment.

I still cannot forget the hopeless faces of Aqsa and her family, the faces with too many questions. Sometimes we only can pray for these patients.

A lot of prayers for some miracle for the health and recovery of Aqsa and her safe and successful future life 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