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