Warriors and Survivors - 171

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 171

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. 

Omer was diagnosed with Wilms tumor when he was one year old. His mother shares his story. 

She noticed a prominent lump in Omer's neck, and she immediately decided to take her son to see the doctor, who then referred Omer to the hospital. 

Omer had been a well-baby and met all expected milestones, that is why initially the doctors at the hospital thought this issue to just be viral. However, his symptoms continued and one day he became very irritated and lethargic. Again, the parents took their son to the General Physician who referred them to the hospital for a second time.

During this visit, doctors felt a lump in his tummy and his blood results came back as abnormal. An X-ray was then carried out which showed a shadow on his kidney. After further multiple diagnostic tests, this was later confirmed as Wilms tumor. Omer was diagnosed as stage 3 Wilms tumor and the tumor had taken over so much of his left kidney that it needed to be removed.

Omer went on to have surgery to remove his kidney followed by 26 weeks of chemotherapy and eight sessions of radiotherapy to reduce his chances of relapse. He took all of his treatment while suffering with pain and lethargy, and the many stays in hospital due to illnesses as a result of his immune system being so weak. 

Omer has now been in remission for four years and is a happy, healthy six-year-old boy. Although Omer didn't display many signs and symptoms of cancer, family is thankful that they  had a very cautious physician who acted very quickly in referring him for further testing and the mother believes that this aided his quick diagnosis and treatment. 

Lots of prayers for young Omer and family, May Allah make their future easy and may his disease never come back. Aameen

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.

Warriors and Survivors - 170

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 170

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. 

Farah hadn't even had her first birthday when she was diagnosed with brain tumor. Her life ahead was unpredictable even before her first year of age.

Initially, her parents noticed that their eight-month-old daughter Farah had a lazy eye. Both her eyes were lazy and flickering and her perception had deteriorated so much that she started crawling into furniture. She was irritated because of poor vision. 

They consulted a doctor in a local hospital. The doctors realized even during the first look that Farah’s case was serious. The family was told to go to specialized hospital in Lahore and see a cancer specialist. 

A scans and other tests at hospital showed up a mass on Farah's brain that was putting pressure on her optic nerve. The parents were devastated when they found out the mass was on the brain.

An MRI also revealed that the mass had components of three different types of tumors. However, the doctors suspected it was a very rare brain tumor.  She was advised surgery for her tumor. By the time she went in for brain surgery, Farah had lost her vision completely and the pressure on her brain was making her aggressive and frustrated. 

The cancer and its long, ongoing, difficult treatment has left Farah with no vision in her left eye and at high risk of secondary health problems like poor immunity and frequent infections. 

Farah and her family still have a long way to go, they had enough in just first year of Farah’s life. May they have an easy one for the rest of her life. 

Lots of prayers for young Farah and family, May Allah make their future easy and may her disease be cured easily and never comes back. Aameen

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.

Warriors and Survivors - 169

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 169

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. 

Thirteen-year-old Abid had been living a normal teen life in Pakpattan city eight months ago. In Nov 2023 he started feeling pain in his left leg which he ignored initially. Later when the pain affected his daily activities, he brought this issue to his parents. Unaware of the possibilities, his parents initially treated him with pain killers. Pain medications did not address the problem and Abid had to go to hospital for specialist consultation and seeing his symptoms, the physician ordered a number of tests. 

The diagnosis came after several rounds of diagnostic tests, and Abid and his family were devastated by the news of T-cell rich B-cell Lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer.

Abid was a bright and curious student, loved by his teachers and classmates alike. However, his life took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with T-cell rich B-cell Lymphoma, 

After having a shock episode, his parents were determined for possible treatment for their son. Abid's journey with cancer treatment started in Feb 2024,  and he entered into a new phase of his life with multiple hospital visits and painful chemotherapy. Currently he is undergoing intense chemotherapy sessions, and he still has to bear many more.

Teen life brings lots of ambitions, future planning and fantasies. Abid also had a lot of planning related to his studies and future but now he only has one goal; the goal to defeat his disease. All his other plans seem far off until he completes his treatment and becomes healthy again to live a normal life.

Lots of prayers for young Abid and his family, May Allah make their future easy and may his disease be cured easily and never comes back. Aameen

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.

Warriors and Survivors -168

 Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 168

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. 

As a mother, it is the most heart-wrenching experience to see your child suffer. To feel helpless while your child goes through pain and struggles. Laila was only 12 years old when she was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. It was a cumbersome journey not only for her but for her family and specifically her mother. 

This painful era started with a dull pain in Laila's left leg that wouldn't go away. Her parents thought it was just a minor injury from playing sports or running around with her friends. But as days went by, the pain became more intense and started to affect her daily activities. Her mother took her to the doctor, and after several tests and scans, her world came crashing down when she were told that Laila had Osteosarcoma in her left femur bone.

The parents were devastated, Laila was scared and confused too, she had an idea what does it means to have cancer.  Surprisingly, Laila asked the doctor what needed to be done to make her better. It was then when her parents realized how brave their little girl truly was.

The treatment plan was grueling – chemotherapy, surgery, and more chemotherapy. Laila had to miss school, her daily activities. She had to face the reality of spending most of her days at the hospital, hooked up to machines and receiving strong medications. But through it all, she managed to bear it.

One of the toughest moments for Laila was losing her hair due to chemotherapy. As a young girl, her hair was something she took great pride in, and I could see the sadness in her eyes when she saw it falling out in clumps. But instead of hiding under a wig or a scarf, Laila embraced her bald head and even joked about it, saying she could finally rock a new hairstyle every day.

Her mother couldn't help but wonder why this had to happen to her sweet, innocent child. But seeing Laila 's strength and determination, she knew that she would get through this. It was not easy though for both of them.

Laila had to go through surgery. It was a long and complicated procedure to remove the cancerous bone and replace it with an artificial one. When mother watched her daughter being wheeled into the operating room, she couldn't hold back tears. It was a scary moment for both.  

The surgery was successful, and Laila's road to recovery began. It was a long and painful process, but she never complained. She had to learn how to walk again with the help of crutches and physical therapy. It was difficult to see her struggle, every moment was painful. 

As Laila slowly regained her strength and her hair started to grow back, they could see the light at the end of the tunnel. The cancer was gone, she was getting back to her old self. She returned to school, and it was heartwarming to see how much she was appreciated by her classmates and teachers. They saw her as a warrior who had fought a tough battle and emerged victorious.

Today, Laila is a healthy and happy 14-year-old. She still has regular check-ups to make sure the cancer doesn't come back, but she doesn't let that stop her from living her life to the fullest. She has become an inspiration for many other children fighting cancer and their families.

Through this journey, Laila has taught us all valuable lessons about life and resilience. This experience has also brought the family closer together. They have learned to cherish every moment we have together and to always support each other through the good and the bad.

Lots of prayers for young Laila and her family, May Allah make their future easy and may her disease never comes back. Aameen

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.