Warriors and Survivors - 102

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 102

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. 

Twelve-year-old Kashan was living a simple but happy life until he felt a lump in his neck. Initially he was not worried being unaware of the outcomes. When the lumps increased in size and number, he discussed it with his parents. His grandmother took him to local doctor. 

Kashan’s father is handicapped due to some accident, he is too weak to work, and his grandmother and mother used to work as maid and earn livelihood. One can imagine how difficult it would be for them to live even a simple life. This simple life become worst when any of the family member get the chronic disease like cancer. 

Local doctor examined him initially and gave some pain relief als0 referred him to tertiary care unit. The family belongs to Sargodha. Grandmother took Kashan and reached Children hospital. 

Diagnostic tests were done, and Kashan turned out as a Hodgkin Lymphoma patient. His grand mother with tears in her eyes told that “We did not know that we are coming to have a disease in this city.” It was heartbreaking news. But old lady was courageous enough to decide her grandson’s treatment and then his chemotherapy was started immediately.

In few months Kashan received four chemotherapy cycles and he was getting better gradually. 

His mother and grandmother both worked hard to complete his chemotherapy. Kashan’s mother stayed with him in hospital alone, managing everything for her grandson. Kashan’s mother was fighting this battle while staying at home, working as maid, and raising and looking after her other kids and handicap husband. 

A 12-year-old male child is mature enough to see life realities and complications. Kashan was worried for his family and his disease. He wants to be healthy and fit to support his family, his eyes are too sad to have some hope for his future and there is valid reason for that.

Kashan has stage one Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and after just four chemotherapy cycles, his disease has been relapsed. Family is in shock and confusion. Grandmother has lost courage and strength. She is unable to decide about Kashan’s treatment. She has no funds to even travel from Sargodha to Lahore. She says, “No one even lend me any money now.” Medications and treatment are free of charge, they most of time get food while staying in hospital. Even then money is needed to travel, to buy any mediation not provided by hospital or any other unforeseen needs. 

Old woman’s eyes have tears all the time, she is at the verge abandoning treatment. The situation is quite devastating. Both of the patient and his grandmother are hopeless. May Allah bless them with courage to face the trial and may Allah help them to pass through it successfully. Aamenn 

Let’s pray for the early and complete recovery of Kashan, may he recover soon and able to fulfil his dreams. Aameen. May his parents be able to smoothly complete his treatment. 

Lots of prayers for Kashan 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 - 101

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 101

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. 

Sana is only one and a half year-old and is suffering from Liver Cancer. It is not even imaginable how such a little one can get such a terrible disease. Four months from now, Sana was fine, and her elder sister was holding her playing. Sana fell and she had a bruise near ribs. Her mother massaged the area to relieve her pain. 

Sana had continuous fever and pain on affected area and in few days, there was a lump. Her parents took her to Rawalpindi hospital, where she was treated initially, and then referred to Lahore Children hospital for further diagnosis and treatment. Sana was admitted in early January and within few days she was diagnosed with “Hepatoblastoma”. Both parents are with Sana in hospital, her mother does not know language here, only father can speak Urdu to some extent. They hardly managed to stay in hospital and when the doctors confirmed that Sana had hepatoblastoma, a type of liver cancer, and that she’d need major surgery to remove the tumor, they were shocked, it was the worst day of their life. 

Hepatoblastoma is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the liver. It is the most common type of childhood liver cancer and usually affects children younger than 3 years of age.

Treatment options for newly diagnosed hepatoblastoma are: Combination chemotherapy to shrink the tumor, followed by surgery to remove the tumor; or first surgery to remove the tumor, followed by combination chemotherapy to eliminate tumor cells. 

Sana’s parents had never heard of hepatoblastoma before Sana was diagnosed, and as they learned more about it, the more things surprised them. They were worried about long treatment and frightened about follow up surgery. How would an 18-month-old bear a surgery, so many fears and concerns. 

She is on treatment since January 2023, has completed her four chemotherapy cycles, three more to go before her surgery. The little soul is bearing chemotherapy so far. May Allah grant her strength to complete all courses and go through surgery well. 

The family belongs to Kashmir, they have seven children and Sana is the youngest. Her father works as a laborer in the locality, and he lost his job with the disease of his daughter. Too much to handle for a poor and uneducated family. Still, they are doing their best. 

Her father is left with no money, he is new in this city and worried about his six children who are alone in hometown. No one knows when life gets this difficult. 

Sana, now one and half years old, has spent too much of her young life in the hospital, and too many of her childhood experiences have been touched by cancer and who knows how much she will have to spend more as Hepatoblastoma is a resilient cancer – it tends to find ways to hide from treatments and come back when treatment is over. But prayers and kindness can do wonders.

Let’s pray for the early and complete recovery of Sana, may she recover soon and able to smile again. Aameen. May her parents be able to smoothly complete her treatment. 

Lots of prayers for Sana and her 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 -100

 Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 100

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.

I have mixed feeling while writing one hundredth blog and, it’s not happy feeling or sense of achievement. Rather it’s a bit of sadness for these hundred children, few of them are not in this world anymore, and many are still suffering in silence. I could write about only one hundred of them and there are so many more in hospital, more in my city, and a lot more across the whole country in different pediatric oncology centers.

These flowers need attention, we need to save them from this disease. Cancer is affecting our new generation badly. Many have lost their lives and thousands are suffering badly.

14-year-old Zoya is set to have her fifth chemo cycle after complaints of pain in her ankle that led to her being diagnosed with an aggressive form of bone cancer.

Zoya, from Lahore, came home from school one day complaining of a hurt ankle. She thought she has run a lot that day, so it was hurting. Her mother massaged her ankle and gave some pain killer. The next day, her ankle got swollen and her father thought it to be routine with kids running around. Initially, the girl's parents were not too worried about the ankle pain. But as time went on, their concerns grew.

A couple weeks went by, and her ankle was still hurting. Her mother looked at her ankle, it was really swollen, the tips of her toes were starting to twitch.

The parents took their daughter to be assessed by doctors and then they reached finally to children hospital, and she was eventually diagnosed with stage 3 osteosarcoma which was non metastatic.

Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer that often arises in the wide ends of long bones, such as the femur and tibia in the upper and lower leg, and the humerus in the upper arm, although it can also begin elsewhere in the body.

According to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer in children and teens and is the third most common cancer in teens overall, after lymphomas and brain tumors. Around 400 children and teens are diagnosed with osteosarcoma every year in the United States. Most cases occur in children and young adults after the age of 10. The cancer is extremely rare in children aged below 5 years old. In around 15-20 percent of cases, the cancer has spread by the time it is diagnosed, according to St Jude's. It typically spreads to the lungs, but also sometimes to other bones beyond the initial site.

Zoya’s parents were scared after their child's diagnosis, with doctors telling them that it will be a lengthy treatment. Zoya had to undergo chemotherapy to treat her cancer. Its Allah’s mercy that her disease is still non metastatic and has not reached her lungs.

Zoya has four other sisters, and all are students and Zoya is also student of 9^th grade. Zoya wishes for higher studies.

Five chemotherapy courses have been completed, but since a week Zoya is not feeling well. She is having mouth sores and she has become very weak. But she is hopeful about her recovery and still smiles. She believes she will be fine soon. "I know after a certain thing happens, I'm going to be completely fine, I'm not worried at all about the future," Zoya said.

Zoya’s father works as Photographer in a local firm and he has been spending all his savings for his daughter’s treatment. "Our savings have been consumed and I am humbling myself to ask for help, said her parents. They need support now.

Zoya is under treatment again; she is hopeful that she will be cured soon. Let’s pray that she recovers soon, and her disease never comes back. Aameen

Let’s pray for the early and complete recovery of Zoya, may she recover soon and able to see the world and her dreams come true again, Aameen. May her parents be able to smoothly complete her treatment.

Lots of prayers for Zoya and her 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 - 99

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 99

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. 

Last January, as he started sixth grade, Abdul Rafay’s neck became swollen and lumpy. It was so pronounced that several friends at school asked what was wrong. His parents took Abdul Rafay, who was only 8 at that time, to a local doctor, who prescribed symptomatically.

In the next few months, Abdul Rafay’s parents, become increasingly concerned due to increasing lumps. They took him to The Children’s Hospital Lahore.

After examining Abdul Rafay’s neck, Dr. said he was concerned about the swelling in the lymph nodes. He wanted them to see an oncologist.

In a couple of days, the child was seen by oncologist, and he prescribed some tests after thorough examination and history. After chest X-rays and other tests, Doctor told the family he would recommend lymph-node biopsy. One possibility, doctor told them, was lymphoma, and the only way to get a definitive diagnosis of lymphoma is biopsy.

Two days later, Abdul Rafay was admitted to hospital for surgery. Doctor removed three lymph nodes and sent them to pathologists for evaluation. After a week, the family received the biopsy report. It was the hardest day of the family; Abdul Rafay was diagnosed with cancer: Hodgkin lymphoma.

The parents remember that time as incredibly scary and painful. “You feel incredibly alone on the day that you get the diagnosis,” mother recalls. “We didn't understand his illness or what paths this could take us down.”

After a couple of weeks, they began chemotherapy. Abdul Rafay received the chemo as an outpatient at Children hospital initially, then he had to be admitted in the hospital off and on whenever he had some serious concerns or infection. Five chemotherapy cycles passed in six months like this. 

It was a difficult time. Abdul Rafay was not able to attend school frequently but kept up with his schoolwork. He was admitted to hospital’s oncology unit several times for close monitoring when he became ill. Through it all, Abdul Rafay was so down, and weak and he forgot to smile even but stood up for his treatment and always cooperated for his treatment. He also stayed on-point as a caring elder brother to four siblings. He maintained that even when he was at his sickest.

One of his chemotherapy drugs, doxorubicin, is red and causes tears and urine to turn red. Abdul Rafay wondered why the drug is red. The nurses introduced him to see the pharmacist(me), who tailors chemotherapy doses for each patient. I explained that the drug is red because it is derived from a bacterium, and it is this organism that is responsible for producing the red pigment. Abdul Rafay was fascinated. Though the work of pharmacists is of utmost importance to their patients, often the two hardly meet. Abdul Rafay began stopping back to see me during his visits. We explained each drug given to him during treatment and why it is prescribed for Hodgkin lymphoma.

Abdul Rafay was getting better and now it was his time to tests for remission, but to the surprise, he was in relapse. It was scariest moment. Doctors discussed his case in meeting and decided to treat him as per his current labs. 

Abdul Rafay is under treatment again; he is hopeful that he will be cured soon. Let’s pray that he recovers soon, and his disease never comes back. Aameen

Let’s pray for the early and complete recovery of Abdul Rafay, may he recover soon and able to see the world and his dreams come true again, Aameen. May her mother be able to see her child healthy and thriving again. 

Lots of prayers for Abdul Rafay 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 - 98

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 98

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. 

It’s another sad or I would say probably the saddest warrior story of the child, Sher Ali. Sher Ali is only six years old, and he is having Leukemia. Saddest part is Sher Ali’s father is an addict. He is not able to understand his son’s major illness. The poor child has two sisters and one brother, and his mother is really a brave woman who is not only fighting with her son’s disease but also bringing up her children as a single parent. She is also looking after her husband despite the fact that he is addict and he does not take care of his family. The lady is really a lioness, and her son is a lion like Sher Ali. She deserves all the kindness and support one can offer. 

Sher Ali belongs to a town near Lahore, his father was earning few years back, but then he started using drugs. Soon he became addict and now he has left with nothing except debt and bad health. Most of the time he is not in his senses. Whenever he does, he always looks for money to buy more drugs. This kind of Father Sher Ali has at this young age with a serious disease. 

One year ago, when Sher Ali was diagnosed with Leukemia, not to mention how evil this news would be for the mother and children, not for the father as he has lost his senses. The mother brought her child to Children’s hospital for treatment. Reaching Tertiary care treatment point from a periphery is a triumph. She did that and when the doctors told her that it will be more than three years treatment, the news was hard to digest for her. But she did and her son’s treatment was initiated. It was the most painful time for her, even more than her husband’s addiction. 

The brave lady continued her son’s medication and chemotherapy while staying at hospital for as long as three months in a go. Leaving other children at home with father was another trial; the father who was unable to feed them. 

Despite all these hurdles, she has managed to complete Sher Ali’s several chemotherapy cycles and he is in the midst of his treatment now. In all this painful journey, Sher Ali sometimes looks better and sometimes he seems more down. But Allah has granted both of them courage to fight the disease, so they are on it. 

But she sometimes seems defeated now. There is still a long way to go, almost half of the treatment has been done and they have to be strong enough for the rest of the trial. She is fighting multiple battles at a time and that is the major reason she looks tired and defeated. May she win all her battles. Aameen 

Let’s pray for the early and complete recovery of Sher Ali, may he recover soon and able to see the world and his dreams come true again, Aameen. May her mother be able to see her child healthy and thriving again. May his father soon become a normal, responsible father to look after for his responsibilities. Aameen

Lots of prayers for Sher Ali 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