Warriors and Survivors - 119

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 119

I am Rukh Yusuf, Clinical Pharmacist, also specialized in Total Parenteral Nutrition and Bone Marrow Transplant. I have been working in the 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. 

Iman was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at four years of age, after her mother discovered a rash of tiny pinprick dots on her body one morning. She seemed relatively well regardless of this, except for having recent viral colds and fevers; things that parents overlook as normal for a toddler picking things up from nursery in the winter. The parents had the rash checked out because it didn’t feel right, even after her GP told it was nothing to worry about. She was diagnosed ALL in emergency after her blood test.

Iman grew up into the most amazing little girl, despite three and a half years of treatment and all the trauma that came with it. In 2020 she rang the end of treatment bell at home during lockdown and her parents looked forward to life after cancer. Devastatingly the nightmare returned when she suffered a late relapse in November 2021.She suddenly deteriorated after having a common cold, so they took her straight to hospital where a full blood count showed large numbers of leukemia cells present in her blood again. Doctors were baffled at how late after finishing treatment this has happened. 

Iman was enrolled onto a relapse protocol, sadly this didn’t work, the ALL was more aggressive, and Iman had become refractory to chemotherapy. It was decided in a MDT meeting that Iman would need to start immunotherapy and as long as this helped her reach remission, she would receive a bone marrow transplant. To her complete relief, the immunotherapy worked, and she was again in remission, the search for a donor began and she was admitted to the children’s hospital in February 2022 to begin the transplant. 

18 months later, Iman was well, and things were starting to take shape. She had been hit with some autoimmune complications post-transplant and she was diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia in November 2022. Up until the last couple of weeks, this stopped her being able to return to school and she needed to stay relatively isolated, but fingers crossed, now things are moving forward with her having just started school part-time after the thumbs up from her consultants.

Iman is a passionate child, she adores animals, particularly cats. She cares a lot about the environment and well-being of all creatures. She is also very much into the cartoon movies, having thought of her favorite cartoon movies. Watching cartoon films got her through some long and unpleasant days during her four-month transplant stay. These things always brought the Iman we know back into the room when things got hard. 

Please join me in praying for the complete and safe recovery of Iman. May she fully recover and remain in good health. Let's also pray for her parents to have a happy and easy time with her. Ameen.

Lots of prayers for Iman and her family, and for all sick children to recover quickly and never experience their illnesses again. May they lead happy and healthy lives once more. Ameen.

Note: Names have been changed to protect identity

Warriors and Survivors - 118

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 118

I am Rukh Yusuf, Clinical Pharmacist, also specialized in Total Parenteral Nutrition and Bone Marrow Transplant. I have been working in the 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. 

Shaheen is only 10 years old feeble girl. My heart melts whenever I see her. She looks so innocent, and this chronic disease has left her in a tragic situation.  In early March 2023, Shaheen was diagnosed with Pre-B-ALL. She belongs to Afghanistan and when doctors there could not treat her, they referred Shaheen to Children's hospital Lahore for further treatment. 

When she first arrived at Children’s hospital, she was suffering from high temperature with severe bodyaches. Parents have language barrier as well and it was a big challenge for them to explain the history and her condition.

Her treatment was initiated immediately, as she was already diagnosed in Afghanistan, though she was too weak to bear all these chemotherapy and treatment.

Each treatment phase was too challenging for Shaheen, she experienced severe nausea, hair loss, and weakness. However, her spirits remained high. Treating clinicians and nurses were too kind to Shaheen and her family. She is such an innocent child who is in a terrible situation, so everyone loves to take care for her.

After the initial treatment, she was discharged at the end of March 2023. She was prescribed with some medications and was asked to come for chemotherapy session after a week. In April 2023 she was put on consolidation chemotherapy. 

In May 2023, her follow up reports showed that she was at high-risk Pre-B ALL. She was also suffering from high fever, severe vomiting and body aches. Her consolidation regime was continued. 

No doubt the treatment journey was difficult for the family, but Allah has blessed some kindhearted souls around all of us, these kind people always try to make others easy. Shaheen is in the hands of some very caring clinicians and healthcare staff who are taking care of her. 

In June, Shaheen had a fungal infection which caused additional complications. Her parents were worried for their daughter’s life and reached out to her oncologist, who assured them that they would face this new challenge together. She is in intensive care unit these days, it’s not easy to look at her in such a fragile condition. 

Alhamdulillah, fever is getting better, and her vitals are stable. Hopefully, she will be discharged in the next week. Shaheen will have to keep coming to hospital for her chemotherapy sessions. Battle is going on....

Please join me in praying for the complete and safe recovery of Shaheen. May she fully recover and remain in good health. Let's also pray for her parents to have a happy and easy time with her. Ameen.

Lots of prayers for Shaheen and her family, and for all sick children to recover quickly and never experience their illnesses again. May they lead happy and healthy lives once more. Ameen.

Note: Names have been changed to protect identity

Warriors and Survivors -117

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 117

I am Rukh Yusuf, Clinical Pharmacist, also specialized in Total Parenteral Nutrition and Bone Marrow Transplant. I have been working in the 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. 

For a mother, CANCER is never an easy word to listen to as a diagnosis of her child. Kalsum Bibi is one of those unlucky & pitiable mothers who had to face this bitter reality. 

Shakeel is a 13-year-old brave boy with a big smile on his face. Shakeel belongs to Layyah. They are three brothers and one sister, and Shakeel is the youngest of all. He is a patient diagnosed with AML (Acute myeloid leukemia - a cancer of the blood and bone marrow). It is the most common type of acute leukemia. This type of cancer usually gets worse quickly if it is not treated. 

This calamity begins almost 1.5 years ago, on Ramadan, 25th 2022, when his mother took him to another doctor after visiting many, with the complaint of constant fever that was not going away with any medicine taken so far. It was the day when he was diagnosed with blood cancer, that’s why she remembers the date so accurately.

After the lab reports confirmed the diagnosis, they were referred to take Shakeel to the Children’s Hospital Multan, where considering that the case is beyond their control, they referred him to Agha Khan Hospital Karachi, which was a way more difficult thing, then they managed to take him to the Children’s Hospital Lahore on 5th day of Eid, 2022. Here they had a very satisfactory treatment. 

According to the American cancer society, the 5-year overall survival rate for pediatric AML is higher than that of adults, ranging from approximately 65–70%. And as per expectations, the symptoms were gone in 6 months, and his response to chemotherapy was brilliant. God had answered their prayers, Shakeel returned to a normal life after a tough course of 6 months.  

But all of a sudden, the misfortune returned back like a bad omen. After 5 months of recovery, his symptoms started appearing again, and his platelets count got very low (47). His condition started relapsing. “THE CANCER IS BACK”. Now Shakeel is a relapse patient of AML. According to research, the prognosis for patients with relapsed disease is extremely poor. The median overall survival for patients with relapsed AML ranges from 4-6 months and long-term survival from the time of relapse ranges from 5%-20%. Now it needs more potent chemotherapy treatment to reach complete remission, things will not be as easy as they were previously.

After the symptoms reappeared, he got various sessions of blood serum platelet infusion from Multan Children’s Hospital, but that was of no use. And then they end up here, again, at the Children’s Hospital, Lahore. On the same beds they once said goodbye forever with pleasure and gratitude … the rooms they once left with a hope for a new start in life, they had to return to the same area with more gloom and melancholy. Now after relapse, his 3rd session of chemo has started. Adding to their problems is one of the policies of the hospital, where a relapse patient is not fully entertained for his expenses. Now Shakeel’s father is managing the expense of his medicines on his own. (For instance: Shakeel needs 3 injections of Brivaracetam now, each costing Rs. 9000, they just ordered one as of now as they could afford one only). While his father owns a welding shop where he works. Furthermore, after the relapse, the relatives turned their backs, separating Shakeel’s father in property and business, accusing him that they have already spent almost all of their money on the treatment of this kid. 

Now as far as the ultimate treatment is concerned, a bone marrow transplant is suggested from a matching donor (i.e., one of Shakeel’s brothers) followed by a considerable period of chemo. But here is more of an issue now, Shakeel’s father refuses to risk the life of one son for the other, and he has no hope for Shakeel’s complete recovery either. He says, “We are already in great pain with the disease of my one child, I do not dare to put another son of mine into this situation with my own hands.” While Kalsum Bibi seems to have no opinion in this sensitive decision regarding the lives of their children.

So the next step left is, they buy the bone marrow from a matching donor, which seems impossible in the light of the recent financial grind they are having.

It’s been 1.5 years now, they are stuck in this loop of misfortunes and unfavorable situations, where finding hope is not an easy thing for them…. Kalsum Bibi weeps while pointing towards another girl in the room with relapse AML, saying that here came 4 patients with relapse in this ward, 2 are dead by now, and only Shakeel and that 4-year-old girl are left, “We don’t see anything forward” …

At that point, I was speechless… I had no word to console Kalsum. I could just tell her to show some more patience, and I could just say to her that my prayers are with you. I felt helpless there and couldn’t imagine how helpless they must be feeling all the time there. Hoping that our medical facilities and health system progress are advanced enough so I do not have to interview any such hopeless mother in any government hospital ever after. 

Please join me in praying for the complete and safe recovery of Shakeel. May he fully recover and remain in good health. Let's also pray for his parents to have a happy and easy time with him. Amen.

Lots of prayers for Shakeel and her family, and for all sick children to recover quickly and never experience their illnesses again. May they lead happy and healthy lives once more. Amen.

Note: Names have been changed to protect identity

Warriors and Survivors -116

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 116

I am Rukh Yusuf, Clinical Pharmacist, also specialized in Total Parenteral Nutrition and Bone Marrow Transplant. I have been working in the 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. 

“This all started 5 months ago. Everything was going well, then suddenly she developed swelling in her neck. We thought it was nothing but mumps.” ~Fatima’s mother.

But who knew that this swelling, which sounded normal, was going to change the course of the lives of Fatima and her family. Fatima is the youngest of four sisters. They belong to Sialkot City and her father is a factory worker.

Five months ago, Fatima's mother took her to a doctor nearby complaining of her constant fever and tonsillitis. After visiting various doctors and not finding relief from the ailment, the doctors referred them to The Children's Hospital, suspecting that this case was not within their expertise and that Fatima needed special medical attention.

They arrived at the hospital, where samples for tests were taken and sent to SKCMH&RC. "The moment the lab reports came back... I have no words to explain the feelings I had that time." ~ says her mother with tearful eyes. It was blood cancer. They were admitted to the oncology unit.

She had her bone marrow transplant, followed by 3 sessions of chemo. Doctors say the treatment course will last for a total of 2.5 years. The 4th session of chemo will start after Eid. They still have a long journey ahead of them on these beds with other cancer patients.

After her 3 chemo sessions, they went back home. However, they returned to the hospital with a complaint of severe jaundice and have been admitted for the past 10 days. Her condition is much better now, and we are hopeful that she will completely recover from leukemia one day and be able to go back home and never have to come back here.

Of course, it was disturbing that the mother is with one daughter, leaving the other three daughters alone at home for days, not knowing when she will return. Grandmother took care of other daughters.

Explaining that a single case of a cancer patient can disturb the lives of the whole family, she said, "We go home, but we can hardly spend a day or two there before we have to run back to the hospital because Fatima's condition worsens again."

“Apart from all these miseries, the satisfaction from the treatment compensates for all this suffering. Because the only thing we yearn for is health.” ~ Mother

It was really a tough journey, but looking at other patients in worse conditions, we felt supported knowing that we were not alone in this misery. Seeing other patients getting discharged gives us hope that my Fatima will also get discharged with full health one day. She hopes to see Fatima going to school with her other sisters and returning to a normal life.

Please join me in praying for the complete and safe recovery of Fatima. May she fully recover and remain in good health. Let's also pray for her parents to have a happy and easy time with him. Amen.

Lots of prayers for Fatima and her family, and for all sick children to recover quickly and never experience their illnesses again. May they lead happy and healthy lives once more. Amen.

Note: Names have been changed to protect