Warriors and Survivors - Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 216
Ahmad’s Brave Days: A Glimpse into the Life of a 5-Year-Old Fighting Wilms Tumor
I met Ahmad on a humid Tuesday morning in a pediatric oncology ward. He was sitting quietly on the edge of a hospital bed too big for his small frame, wearing a faded cartoon T-shirt and holding onto a plastic toy car with chipped paint. His mother, exhausted but determined, sat beside him, gently running her fingers through his hair.
Ahmad is five years old. He has Wilms tumor—a kidney cancer that mostly affects children. I’ve seen the diagnosis before, but each case carries its own weight. For Ahmad, it began with a swollen belly that wouldn’t go away. His mother thought it was gas. They tried home remedies, then visited a local clinic. It took months and multiple referrals before the family reached our facility, by which time the tumor had grown large enough to push against other organs.
As a clinical pharmacist, my role in his care doesn’t involve surgery or making a diagnosis, but I’m responsible for ensuring he gets the right medicines, at the right time, with the least possible harm. Chemotherapy for children like Ahmad is tough—it hits the cancer, yes, but it also drains the strength from already fragile bodies. I review each dose with the oncology team, adjust for his weight and lab values, and watch for side effects that we need to catch early.
But Ahmad is more than a diagnosis. He is soft-spoken and shy, but he smiles when we let him pick a sticker after taking his medicine. He hates the IV needles but loves mango juice. On good days, he races down the hallway with other kids in the ward—IV pole in tow, laughter echoing off the walls. On bad days, he sleeps most of the time, curled up like a question mark, his body asking things we cannot answer.
His family travels two hours to reach us, and they often stay on the hospital floor at night. His mother told me once, “We sold the buffalo to pay for the scans. We’ll sell more if we have to. He’s our only son.” She says it without asking for pity—only stating what love demands.
Working with Ahmad is difficult for any healthcare provider. There are days that you leave the hospital heavy with helplessness. We do everything we can—monitor blood counts, prevent infections, calculate the right dose to avoid toxicity—but the road is long, and not every turn is in our hands.
Still, there is hope. Ahmad’s tumor responded to the first cycle of chemotherapy. He has more treatment ahead, and we don’t know yet if surgery will be needed. But for now, he is here, smiling, playing, sometimes crying—but always fighting.
We often think strength looks like something loud, something bold. But sometimes, it looks like a five-year-old in slippers, gripping a toy car, walking into the chemo room with steady steps.
Prayers for the Ali Hassan and all the sick children and their families who have to face this pain of cancer. May Allah make it easy for them. Aameen
No comments:
Post a Comment