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