Warriors and Survivors - 232

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 232

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. 

Abu Bakar’s Story: A Child Too Young to Understand

Two-year-old Abu Bakar from Lahore is at an age where most children are busy learning words, pointing at colors, and asking for their favorite toys. For him, life has taken an unexpected turn that neither he nor his family could ever have imagined. He has been diagnosed with beta thalassemia, a condition that is unfamiliar to his parents and heavy with challenges.

The diagnosis came suddenly. Abu Bakar had been falling ill repeatedly, and his parents noticed he often looked pale and tired. At first, they thought it was due to simple weakness or lack of proper nutrition. Like many parents in families without medical background, they assumed he just needed better food, vitamins, or rest. But when his condition worsened and he started appearing increasingly lethargic, his parents finally took him to a local clinic. Blood tests were ordered, and that was when the word thalassemia entered their lives for the very first time.

For Abu Bakar’s parents, the doctor’s explanation was overwhelming. They are not highly educated and had never even heard of the disorder before. The medical terms sounded foreign, and they struggled to understand why their child who looked like any other toddler was facing such a serious lifelong condition. The news struck like a shock, their little boy would need regular blood transfusions to survive.

At first, the family felt lost. They wondered what they had done wrong, and like many parents in similar situations, they questioned if they were somehow responsible for their child’s illness. In their community, awareness about thalassemia is limited. The word itself carries fear, uncertainty, and confusion. But slowly, after several visits to the hospital and many discussions with doctors, they began to understand that this was not their fault it is a genetic condition that requires lifelong management.

Accepting reality was not easy. The thought of their child spending so much time in hospitals instead of playing freely at home was painful. But as days turned into weeks, Abu Bakar’s parents realized that treatment was the only way forward. They committed themselves to making sure he would never miss a transfusion, and his mother in particular became his constant companion, never leaving his side during hospital visits.

For little Abu Bakar, life feels different in ways he cannot yet explain. At two years old, he does not know what thalassemia means. He does not understand why he has to be taken to the hospital so often, or why nurses come close with needles and tubes. What he does know is that he is not at home as much as other children, and that his mother never let’s go of his hand in those strange hospital rooms. To him, this closeness is a comfort, but it also makes him cling even more tightly to her when he sees white coats and hears unfamiliar medical sounds.

Physically, Abu Bakar’s condition shows. He often feels weak, cannot play for long stretches like other children, and sometimes struggles with restlessness. His little body carries the burden of a disease he cannot name, and it shows in his pale skin and frequent fatigue. Mentally, though, he is still a child. He smiles at his toys, responds to his parents’ affection, and feels joy in the smallest of things whether it is a balloon at the hospital or a gentle hug at home.

For his parents, watching him live with this condition is both heartbreaking and motivating. They have learned that thalassemia is not a temporary illness but a lifelong challenge. Regular transfusions can help, but they also come with severe complications such as iron overload, cardiovascular complications requiring further treatment . The family is still in the early stages of navigating these realities, and each hospital visit deepens their awareness of what lies ahead.

Abu Bakar’s story is not just his alone. In Pakistan, many children are diagnosed with beta thalassemia every year, often in families that have little knowledge of the condition until it strikes. The illness does not only affect the child but reshapes the entire family’s life emotionally, financially, and socially. The shock of diagnosis, the burden of treatment, and the uncertainty of the future are experiences shared by countless parents like Abu Bakar’s.

Raising awareness is vital. Thalassemia can be prevented through simple premarital screening yet lack of awareness means many couples never know their carrier status. Families like Abu Bakar’s bear the weight of this gap in knowledge. By sharing their story, there is hope that more people will learn about thalassemia, its complications, and the importance of prevention.

As for Abu Bakar, he continues to live his childhood in fragments of hospital visits and quiet moments at home. He does not yet carry the knowledge of his condition, but he carries the love and care of his parents, who are slowly learning to face this reality with acceptance. His story reminds us that behind every medical term, there is a child too young to understand and a family learning, step by step, how to live with it.

Prayers for Abu Bakar and all the sick children and their families who have to face this pain of cancer. May Allah make it easy for them. Aameen