Warriors and Survivors - 97

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 97

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. 

Sometimes it is hard to decide from where to start, there are so many real-life stories that need to be told. Pain is all around us that never ends. All the stories are similar but different as well. Similar in the sense that pain is common in all of them and different as everyone has his/her own troubles and grief. 

For me and all the readers, it’s just another story but for someone, it’s their whole life, a painful life. 

Our today’s warrior is Zohan, he is hardly nine years old now. When he was seven, he came to oncology ward for the first time. He was in severe pain and his family was in great trouble when he first came to oncology ward. Then gradually his pain started settling down when his treatment stared and so was his family’s troubles. His parents had a new life along with Zohan, as he started responding to treatment.

Zohan is from Manawan city, and his father works as a plumber. His mother used to bring him for chemotherapy session for more than two years. But all the efforts paid off when Zohan tests were normal after two and half years of treatment. 

Couple of years went smoothly, Zohan and his parents were dreaming for a better life for him. One day when he woke up, he was unable to see, it was a terrible shock for the little soul and his parents. 

 They rushed to hospital again, Oncology doctors referred to Eye specialist and when he was examined for eye, they advised his follow up blood test to rule out his disease relapse. He was again admitted to oncology unit for follow up tests. 

In few days he was hepatitis A positive, and his eyes were yellow. He is presently admitted in the ICU and his treatment is continued. By Allah’s Grace, his follow up tests are normal, his blasts cells are within the limit but still he is unbale to see. 

Further investigations and treatment are continued and Zohan is too much worried as he is afraid of darkness which is all around him since so many days. 

His parents are doing every bit they are able to do. The little soul cries a lot, everyone stops to see him but then get busy in their routine. Maybe I am doing the same. May his tears bring light in his world again as all the tears are not evil. Aameen 

Let’s pray for the early and complete recovery of Zohan, may he recover soon and able to see the world and dreams again, Aameen

Lots of prayers for Zohan and his family. May all the sick children recover soon, and their diseases never come back and may they live normal healthy life again. Aameen

Note: Names have been changed to protect identity 

Warriors and Survivors - 96

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 96

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. 

15th February, an International Childhood Cancer Day is a global collaborative campaign to raise awareness about childhood cancer, and to express support for children and adolescents with cancer, the survivors, and their families.

Every year, more than 400,000 children and adolescents below 20, are diagnosed with cancer. The rate of survival depends on the region, with 80% survival in most High-Income Countries but as low as 20% only in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. In Pakistan, it is still between 20 to 25%.

The Target Goal of the WHO Global Childhood Cancer Initiative is to eliminate all pain and suffering of children fighting cancer and achieve at least 60% survival for all children diagnosed with cancer around the world by 2030.This represents an approximate doubling of the current cure rate so that an additional one million children’s lives may be saved over the next decade.

The day promotes increased appreciation and deeper understanding of issues and challenges relevant to childhood cancer and impacting children/adolescents with cancer, the survivors, their families, and the society as a whole.
It also spotlights the need for more equitable and better access to treatment and care for all children with cancer, everywhere.

This annual event was created in 2002 by Childhood Cancer International, a global network of
183 parent organizations, childhood cancer survivor associations, childhood cancer support groups, and cancer societies, in over 94 countries, across 5 continents.

The International Childhood Cancer Day is based on Childhood Cancer International’s (CCI) core belief that every child and adolescent with cancer deserves the best possible medical and psychosocial care, regardless of country of origin, race, financial status, or social class.

It is also anchored on the premise that childhood cancer deaths are avoidable, with timely and accurate diagnosis, availability, and access to quality essential medicines as well as proper treatment and care. 

On International Childhood Cancer Day, all members of Childhood Cancer International stand united to make childhood cancer a national and global child health priority to ensure there are adequate resources to meet the basic rights of children with cancer. We believe those basic rights for all children diagnosed with cancer include:

• The right to early and proper diagnosis

• The right to access life-saving essential medicines

• The right to appropriate and quality medical treatments, and

• The right to follow up care, services, and sustainable livelihood opportunities for survivors.

Furthermore, if a cure is not attainable, CCI stands by the right of the child to experience a pain-free death. While unfathomable in developed countries, the shocking reality for a majority of low-middle income nations is that children suffering from cancer will die excruciating deaths without any supportive care or pain management.

The story behind the Gold Ribbon;

Childhood cancer cure is considered a “modern day miracle” due to the significant increase in survival rates especially in developed, high income countries.
Childhood cancer is now the leading cause of non-communicable disease related death among children and adolescents in developed and developing countries. In some countries, deaths due to childhood cancer are more than the combined deaths from all types of childhood illnesses.

Due to lack of attention on development of less toxic drugs and targeted treatments, a large percentage of survivors of childhood cancer suffer life limiting conditions.

The Gold Ribbon Campaign is for the Heroes within our midst. The children and adolescents who bravely and courageously make an effort against cancer; 
the survivors who beat cancer; The families who fearlessly live with the realities of cancer and with the loss of a precious child; and, the volunteers, staff and medical practitioners who passionately serve and dedicate their time to the childhood cancer community.

In developing countries, mortality due to childhood cancer is attributed to several interrelated factors such as: lack of awareness and information on childhood cancer; delayed or wrong diagnosis; lack of access to quality cost-effective essential medicines and treatment; lack of access to trained healthcare providers.; and, weak health infrastructure.

On 15 Feb International childhood cancer day is also celebrated in Children’s hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. Oncology unit management and our social worker/philanthropist Apa Farida manages to make it an event. A fun fair kind of arrangement is being done in hospital by her every year. All admitted and those who come for their chemo are invited with their parents and relatives to have awareness and enjoy a day.

Lots of prayers for the all the sick children and their families. Let’s pray that ICCD’s is successful in decreasing the childhood cancer globally. May all the sick children recover soon, and their diseases never come back and may they live normal healthy life again. Aameen

Note: Content source ICCD 

Warriors and Survivors - 95

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 94

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. 

Mehwish is only 13 years old and very decent child. She is like most other girls of her age. 

She was alright few months ago when she had a fever. Then it was a routine, she used to have intermittent fever with bone pain. Later she was diagnosed as Philadelphia positive pre–B ALL i.e. Blood cancer.

Her father is a street vendor who sells vegetables, and she has only one brother who is elder to her. Daughters are blessings and when she is the youngest and the only one, she is life for whole family. She is only female child of her parents. 

Her disease was a major issue for all three members of the family. They consulted a private hospital but could not end up getting treatment from there. 

They rushed to another hospital and finally landed in Children’s hospital. Mehwish was already worried due to her disease, and she was even depressed seeing so many children in Oncology ward. She said, she forgot her own disease seeing so young children suffering with this deadly disease. 

She used to talk to children and often try to calm them down, counseling them, playing with them. She said, it’s very difficult to see them fighting with this disease. As long as Mehwish stays in Cancer unit with other children, she always tries to bring happiness for other children by talking or helping them, giving them hope. 

It's a great blessing that you help others while fighting with your own luck. Very few people are blessed with this ability to care for others while they are suffering themselves. Wiping others tears while crying yourself is a special human trait. This little 13 years old has this trait, a trait which is extremely rare. 

The world may become a great place if not heaven if we all have this ability to help others while struggling with our own hardships. Everyone has his own share of grief and problems, how you handle them or how you behave while going through these hardships define your life. 

I am impressed by this little pure soul who not only prays for all patients, but she is very much worried for her parents. She wants to live for her parents. She is worried what will her parents do without her. She wants to live for them.  

Mehwish has her five chemotherapy courses by now and she is waiting for rest of the treatment. It’s Allah’s special blessing on her that her treatment is smooth so far. May it go smoother till the end. 

Mehwish wishes to eradicate this disease so that no child and parent would have to suffer like this. May her dream come true someday. Aameen

Sincere prayers for Mehwish and her family. May she live a healthy long life. Aameen.

Lot of prayers for the family. Let’s pray for the full recovery of Mehwish and ease of her parents. May her disease never come back and may she live normal healthy life again. Aameen

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

Note: Names have been changed to protect identity

Warriors and Survivors - 94

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog #94

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. 

In the U.S., more than 15,000 children are diagnosed with cancer every year. With the treatments available today, 80 % of these children survive.

While in Pakistan, 7,000 to 8,000 children are diagnosed with cancer every year, out of which 60 to 80 % do not survive. On the surface, that sounds like bad news, but these numbers don’t tell the whole story. The real numbers may be worse than this. Due to the poor facilities, it is easily predictable that most of children do not get to diagnostic and treatment facilities and so the real number of children with cancer could be far more than this.  

There are multiple reasons for this high prevalence and poor outcome, which I have mentioned in my previous blogs. With this alarming number, will we ever be able to take measures to control the disease and improve the outcome? This cruel disease is playing with our young generation, our future. 

Let’s know about another affectee, 10 years old Iqra from Muridke. Iqra was a fun-loving little girl with an irrepressible sense of humor. Strong and determined, her courage inspired all those who knew her.

Iqra was just eight years old when she fell while playing with her friends. She got hit on back and there was no wound, just a minor bruise. Her mother also noticed a bruise on her back. Both of them did not care much about it as it was not a big deal at that time.

With each passing day, she had pain in her back on the spot, soon the pain got worse. Iqra was seen by a doctor, and he advised some pain killers and local application. But Iqra did not get better.

It was a serious matter by now, parents were worried and consulted some other physicians and they referred for more tests. With each new scan, parents’ anxiety grew. Eventually, the doctors gave them the shocking news: Iqra had Ewing Sarcoma. Her little body was battling with cancer. Iqra was losing her ability to walk and speak in under two years, she was not able to have voluntary control of her lower body. 

Her backbone surgery was done and doctors said she will be able to walk soon. But it took her longer than expected to walk again. She was too weak to walk. 

Iqra went through six cycles of chemotherapy. By the end of two and a half years, it appeared that the treatment was working. But sometimes when she had some complications, both parents’ anxiety went high. Iqra had to go through radiation therapy as well.

Though life was not very easy and happy before cancer, but diagnosis and treatment of cancer was the hardest part in the life of this family. “It seems every moment was terrible”, her mother said. 

Iqra has completed her chemotherapy cycles and she has left for her hometown. She is on follow up now. She was very happy on the day of her last chemo but not as happy and as carefree as she used to be before this disease. 

Lot of prayers for the family. Let’s pray for the full recovery of Iqra and ease of her parents. Prayers that Iqra remains healthy, always. Aameen. May her disease never come back and may she live normal healthy life again. Aameen

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

Note: Names have been changed to protect identity