Warriors and Survivors - 173

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 173

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. 

Nadia was a normal healthy child until seven years of her life when she began to complain about having back pains. Just in a few days, she was not able to run and play with her friends in school, or even walk at times. She was upset at this and informed her elder sister. When her mother came to know, she decided it was time to visit an orthopedic. So, soon she visited orthopedic with young Nadia. After several blood tests and an MRI, it was determined that Nadia had not any bone related disease, rather she was suffering with leukemia and associated symptoms with it.  Like every parent and child affected by cancer, the family was devastated but they took no time to decide about treatment. 

Nadia was referred to Children’s hospital for treatment and her treatment initiated, it was another phase of trials and challenges. The family was informed about the duration and details of treatment and also the hospital visits frequency. The family was informed that she may need hospital admission and stay if needed, and it will all depend on how well she tolerates the treatment and how well they obey the treatment guidelines. Nadia was worried about the hospital stay and admission. She was hesitant to stay at hospital.

Soon her chemotherapy sessions were initiated and she had to spend some time in hospital for her chemotherapy. Initially she did not need to stay in hospital for longer and she was happy with it. 

Later she got an infection, and had to be admitted in hospital for few days for treatment. Initially, it was a big challenge for Nadia and her mother but soon she adjusted herself and made some friends. When Nadia saw other younger children admitted, she forgot her pain and discomfort. 

After young Nadia was in remission, that meant her chemotherapy was working and she was responding well to treatment. But she needed regular follow up, check-ups and tests to ensure the disease did not return or progress. 

 

Today, Nadia is a happy, curious and charismatic girl who enjoys reading and writing. She wants to write a book for children who have or had leukemia.

Cancer is a difficult disease, a monster that behaves differently with every patient. The key is to follow treatment guidelines and instructions with a healthy lifestyle. 

Lots of prayers for young Nadia and family, May Allah make their future easy and may her 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 -172

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 172

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. 

When Rimsha started her sixth grade, she had a swelling on her neck, it was a big lump in just few weeks. It was so pronounced that several friends at school asked her what was wrong. Her parents took her to a local doctor who treated initially and later referred her to oncologist.

Rimsha’s parents were highly concerned about the word oncologist. They took her to ENT (Ear, nose and throat) specialist, ignoring the general physician’s concerns. After examining her neck, ENT doctor wanted them to see an oncologist.

The family had to go to Children hospital to see the oncologist. After some tests, the oncologist recommended lymph-node biopsy. Lymphoma was suspected, and the only way to get a definitive diagnosis was biopsy. 

In next week, Rimsha was admitted in hospital for surgery. The surgeon removed lymph nodes and sent them to pathologists for biopsy evaluation. After a week, the family got the biopsy result, and it was the terrible news of their life. Rimsha had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Her parents were shattered on the day when they got the diagnosis, they felt the world has ended for them.  The didn't understand illness of their beloved daughter or what paths this could take. They just knew word ‘cancer” and life risk associated with it.

Soon, the oncologist gave a plan for chemotherapy. She started receiving the drugs as an outpatient at Children’s hospital; they have planned four chemotherapy cycles over five months.

It is a difficult time. Rimsha is not able to attend school frequently but keeping up with her schoolwork. She has to be admitted to children’s hospital sometimes for close monitoring when she becomes ill. 

Rimsha is elder sister of two brothers, she is also staying on-point as caring older sister even in her sickness except the days when she is too down due to chemotherapy.

Rimsha has inquisitive nature; she asks questions about her disease and treatment. Sometimes she comes to ask about her chemotherapy and asks questions about her drugs.

Her parents are satisfied so far with their beloved daughter’s treatment, and they seem hopeful that their precious child will come out of this as a survivor.

Rimsha has still a long way to go in this cancer treatment journey, those who know cancer and its treatment are also aware how bumpy the road is.

Lots of prayers for young Rimsha and family, May Allah make their future easy and may she recover soon and her 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 - 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.

Warriors and Survivors -167

Warriors and Survivors - Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 167

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. 

Mudassira was a bright and cheerful five-and-a-half-year-old girl who brought joy to everyone around her. She loved to play in the garden, and roam around the house. Mudassira's parents, loved to see her child thriving.

One day, Mudassira’s liveliness began to fade. She became unusually tired, preferring to rest rather than play her favorite games. The mother noticed Mudassira rubbing her leg and wincing in pain. Concerned, she asked her daughter what was wrong. Mudassira replied softly, “It hurts, Mama.” Thinking it might be a minor injury or growing pains, mother tried not to worry too much.

However, the next day, Mudassira’s condition seemed to worsen. She was reluctant to get out of bed and had developed small bruises on her arms and legs. She also had a low-grade fever that wouldn’t go away. Alarmed, her parents decided to take her to their family doctor.

The doctor performed a physical examination and recommended some blood tests. Seeing results, doctor had a concerned look on his face. “I’d like to run a few more tests,” he said, trying to stay calm. The family was referred to a larger hospital, where Mudassira underwent a series of tests over the next few days.

Finally, the doctors called parents into a quiet room. “Mudassira was diagnosed with Pre B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL),” one of the doctors explained gently. The mother felt her heart drop, and tears filled her eyes. She knew leukemia was serious, but she didn’t understand much about it. The doctors explained that Pre B ALL is a type of cancer that affects the white blood cells, which are vital for fighting infections.

The doctors recommended starting treatment immediately. Mudassira needed chemotherapy to combat the cancer cells in her body. The first day at the hospital was overwhelming for Mudassira and her family. The sight of needles and medical equipment frightened her, and she clung to her mother, crying. The parents did their best to comfort her, seeing your child in cancer unit is tough.

Chemotherapy hit hard on Mudassira. The drugs made her feel nauseous and weak, and she often had no appetite. She lost her beautiful, curly hair, which was a difficult adjustment for a little girl who loved to play dress-up and wear pretty headbands. Mother wrapped a colorful scarf around Mudassira’s head and told her she looked like a princess, trying to make her smile.

Mudassira’s treatment journey is going on with ups and downs. Some days she felt well enough to play and color in her favorite books, but other days she is too tired to even get out of bed. The chemotherapy affected her immune system, making her more susceptible to infections, so she has to be very careful.

Her parents are still learning to navigate this new reality, finding strength in each other and their love for Mudassira. They are spending hours at the hospital, talking to doctors, learning about her condition, and doing everything they can do to support their daughter. It is a challenging phase of their life, seeing your heart on a bed in cancer units with so many drips attached, requires a big heart. 

Despite the hardships, there are moments of joy and hope. Mudassira sometimes talks to other children undergoing treatment at the hospital. They sit together in the playroom, share toys and stories. These friendships are source of comfort to Mudassira and other children, reminding her that she was not alone in her fight.

So far, the chemotherapy is working, and the number of cancer cells in her body are decreasing. Her parents having a sigh of relief after a long desperation. While they know there is still a long road ahead, there is still a ray of hope that one day their precious daughter will be able to resume her normal life.

Mudassira is continuing her treatment reminding us that even in the face of the most challenging circumstances, there is always hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Lots of prayers for young Mudassira, May Allah make it easy for her and her parents. Aameen

May this difficult time pass smoothly, and she comes out of this disease with success. 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.