Warriors and Survivors -140

 Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 140

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. 

In February 2021, Kaleem, who was 10 at the time, started talking through his nose and his parents thought he was coming down with a cold.

His mother looked in his mouth and saw a swelling at the back, it was so big that it pushed his uvula to the side. They went straight to the GP and the doctor referred them to local hospital.

An ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist saw him and thought it was a type of abscess. He tried drawing fluid from it three times, but nothing came out.

He was on two different types of antibiotics. Exactly a week later, medication was finished but the swelling had not changed, and Kaleem had started to snore during the night, so they went back to GP.

GP sent them again to the local hospital and they saw a different ENT specialist. Kaleem was not ill, did not have a cold, sore throat or anything but they kept them in hospital for four days for intravenous antibiotics. He also had an MRI scan done.

Nothing at all was mentioned to parents that this could be something serious. On 23 February, they went for a biopsy and Kaleem was kept overnight for observation.

On 24 February, Kaleem and his parents were waiting to be discharged when an ENT consultant came in and told them that Kaleem’s initial results showed he had a lymphoma or non-Hodgkin lymphoma/Burkitt lymphoma. 

Kaleem’s parents agreed to chemotherapy starting that weekend. Kaleem’s tumor was the size of an orange in his throat and it was aggressively growing. If they didn’t do this straight away, he would suffocate in his sleep.

Then came the cycle of six months as an inpatient. Kaleem blamed his mother for making him ill, as he thought he was okay but by bringing him to the hospital made him sick.

He needed a feeding tube as he couldn’t eat, he needed to go to theatre every cycle to have chemo and steroids put directly into his spinal fluid to stop the cancer spreading to his brain and spinal cord, he went from 35kgs to 28kgs, and there were times when his parents thought he wasn’t going to make it.

Kaleem finally went into remission at the end of treatment in August 2021. Since then, he has suffered after-effects of the chemo, tiredness being the main one. Generally, his health is good, he has a vitamin D deficiency picked up at a blood test and still suffers occasionally with tummy troubles, but he has learnt to deal with it. He is confident and a happy boy. 

Cancer isn’t fussy, it’s not bothered about color, creed, religion or age, so my only encouragement or words to any patient embarking on this journey, is that you are never alone, not ever. Put your pain and hurt into getting back from hell, because you will, you just need a little faith, a little luck and a bit more belief.

Prayers for Kaleem’s complete recovery and smooth life ahead. Many prayers for his parents who had been through a very difficult time.  

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