Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 210
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.
Rukhsana, a 13-year-old girl from Bahawalpur, was living a simple, joyful life. As a 9th grader, she had everything a teenager could ask for: school, friends, family, and the kind of happiness that comes with being young. She spent her days laughing with classmates, helping her mother at home, and dreaming of the future. Life felt good, and Rukhsana had no reason to believe that anything would change.
But then, one day, everything did.
It all started with a fever. At first, Rukhsana thought it was just a normal illness, something everyone gets from time to time. But when the fever didn’t go away after a few days, and she started feeling more tired than usual, her mother began to worry. Ten days passed, and instead of feeling better, her condition got worse. Her neck began to swell, first on one side, then on both. She looked pale and worn out, and her usual energy seemed like down.
Her mother knew something wasn’t right. She thought the fever might be a simple infection and that a round of antibiotics would do the trick. But when they saw the doctor, things didn’t go as expected. Instead of prescribing the usual medicine, the doctor suggested that they run a series of tests. At this point, Rukhsana was feeling exhausted and was struggling to keep up with her daily routine. Her mother agreed, not realizing how much their world was about to change.
The test results came back, and they were a shock. Instead of getting a prescription for antibiotics or medicine to treat an infection, the doctor referred Rukhsana to the Hematology Oncology unit. The mention of oncology, a word associated with cancer, sent a chill through her mother’s heart. Could it be cancer? The thought seemed almost impossible. Rukhsana was so young. She was supposed to be healthy. The idea that something so serious could be happening to her felt unreal.
But reality quickly set in. They were told that she needed further tests at a hospital in Lahore. With no time to waste, Rukhsana and her mother made the journey, not knowing what awaited them. In the hospital, the doctors conducted more tests, and the diagnosis came through: Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (Pre-B ALL). It was a form of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, and Rukhsana’s world would never be the same.
She began her chemotherapy at the Children’s Hospital in Lahore, a place filled with doctors, nurses, and other children going through similar struggles. Every day, she faces treatments that leave her tired and weak, but her spirit remains unbroken. Though she is often too tired to play with friends or go to school, Rukhsana still holds onto hope. She dreams of the day she can go back to her normal life, to the days before the fever started, and to the moments when life felt simple and carefree.
But for now, she fights. She fights because she has no other choice. She fights because she knows her family is with her every step of the way. Her mother stays by her side through every doctor’s visit, every chemotherapy session, and every moment of fear. Her family, too, is doing everything they can to support her, and their love gives her the strength to keep going.
There is no certainty about what the future holds. Doctors are doing their best to help her, but the truth is, no one knows what will happen next. Some days are harder than others, and the road ahead is long and filled with challenges. But Rukhsana is not alone. Her community, her friends, and her family are all praying for her and hoping for her recovery. Every day, they send their love and support, and every day, she faces her battle with the kind of courage that inspires everyone around her.
Right now, we don’t know what the future holds for Rukhsana. We don’t know if she will fully recover, but we hold onto hope. We pray for her strength, for her health, and for her to overcome the hardships she faces. She is not just a patient at a hospital—she is a young girl with dreams, with a future, and with a family who will do everything to help her reach that future.
The journey is not over yet, but one thing is certain: she has already shown more courage than many people ever will. Her story is a reminder that life can change in an instant, but so can our strength and our ability to fight back. Rukhsana may be facing the toughest battle of her young life, but she is doing it with a bravery that will stay with her forever.
Prayers for the all the sick children and their families who have to face this pain of cancer. May Allah make it easy for them. Aameen
Lots of prayers for Rukhsana to recover quickly and never experience her illnesses again. May she live happy and healthy life once again. Aameen.
