Warriors and Survivors - 91

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 91

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.

Though every parents have to be brave enough to raise their children, but some are exceptionally strong. Apart from a warrior child today it’s a story of a single mother Khalida, we need prayers for.

Khalida, Kashif’s mother is a single parent, she is unmarried. She has four brothers but was living alone being unmarried. Khalida’s elder sister gave her son to her, so she adopted Kashif in his early age. Now Kashif was her only focus and reason to live. When Kashif was older enough, she told him that she was not his real mother, but his aunt was his real mother. But Kashif said that for him Khalida was his mother, no matter what the reality was. Life was not perfect, but it was going well until Kashif had a persistent fever.

At age 10, while he was playing cricket, suddenly he developed pain in his abdomen and later fever.  In the next couple of days, it was persistent low-grade fever with few vomiting episodes. Later he had abdominal distension too. He was taken to local DHQ in his city. They referred the patient to Sahiwal after initial treatment.

In Sahiwal, Kashif was diagnosed as cancer patient, his laparotomy was done, and a colostomy bag was attached. He had to go through mass biopsy as well, and his diagnosis was confirmed, CA colon.

Though life with a colostomy bag is worse, but his mother was happy that Kashif was doing well. After three months when he had to go for colostomy bag removal, it was revealed that he had developed abdominal infection. Further tests confirmed that he had abdominal tumor.

Life was giving very hard time to mother and son. But the brave lady and her warrior son were again ready for the surgery. Surgery was done and his tumor was resected. They were told that Kashif will be all fine with the chemotherapy and they initiated chemotherapy.

But Kashif had again fever and he was really not doing well. Somehow, she brought him to tertiary care hospital in Lahore for better treatment. Kashif is on chemotherapy again, he had been through eight chemotherapy cycles and few more to go.

None of Khalida’s siblings are helping her, she is fighting solely for her only son. Sometimes her neighbors help her. Most of the medicines are freely available but for Oxaliplatin she has to arrange funds. It is the height of helplessness when she is unable to afford single injection to save her child. But she is still struggling.

I am unable to write more than that for her and Kashif but only prayers for the warriors that soon they become survivors.

Let’s pray for the full recovery of Kashif and ease of his mother. Prayers that Kashif recovers fully soon. Aameen. May Allah recover him soon and may he live normal healthy life. Aameen

May Allah recover all patients. May Allah ease and cure all patients and cancer warriors.

Note: Names have been changed to protect identity