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