Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 103
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.
Call it ‘mother’s intuition’, but Fatima’s mother knew something was very wrong when her apparently normal baby developed an enlarged belly with vomiting.
Fatima was just about to turn six months when she began to show signs of being unwell. Her mother and father were concerned about Fatima’s swollen belly, and repeated vomiting, and decided to take her to the pediatrician. After some tests were run, they were told Fatima was very sick and needed to go to the hospital straight away.
The shocking diagnosis would come after several rounds of blood and other tests. Doctors found some abnormalities in Fatima’s white blood cells and later, Fatima was officially diagnosed with leukemia.
“We waited four years for Fatima to arrive, to be told that she had cancer put all of us almost close to death”, said her parents.
Fatima is sister of two elder brothers, who are only 3 and four years old to her. It was shocking news when the family heard that their younger one is suffering with cancer. She is too small to bear this much burden of disease.
Fatima started her treatment straight away and endured what no infant should: months of grueling chemotherapy.
Her father had to give up his job to look after Fatima, and her grandmother had to move in with family to look after their other sons.
It has been six months since Fatima was diagnosed with leukemia, she is on chemotherapy. Every heart melts seeing her having chemotherapy.
She later developed infection – a common complication following chemotherapy due to immunodeficiency.
It’s still a long and hard journey, Fatima is on her way to have cancer treatment and it’s a long and tiring way not only for her but for whole family including her two brothers 5 and 4 years.
“Cancer does not only affect the patient, It affects the whole family”, said Fatima’s mother while tears in her eyes.
A long way to go to complete chemotherapy only and Fatima has whole life ahead. There is always risk and fear of relapse as well. The life for this cutest little fairy is very difficult. She seems too fragile to bear the treatment agony.
Let’s pray for the early and complete recovery of Fatima, may she recover soon and able to smile again. Aameen. May her parents be able to smoothly complete her treatment.
Lots of prayers for fatima 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
No comments:
Post a Comment