I never thought it was going to happen, but cancer became a reality for me. I’m a student of electrical engineering and I want to work in WAPDA, just like my father, who is now retired. Although my elder sister and on younger brother joined the medical profession, I always wanted to be an electrical engineer. Part of it is because I want to have a steady job to support my family in the future.
However, that future became bleak when I started experiencing excruciating pain in my legs and back. To top it off, I started losing weight, even though none of my activities validated the sudden degradation of my health. I was first diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2003 in Peshawar. I went through rigorous chemo-radiation therapy locally but my ailment relapsed in 2004. It is at this point that I was referred to the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital in Lahore and I immediately took this advice.
Along with my illness, I also had to experience the pain of knowing what sort of repercussions my illness would have monetarily and emotionally on my family members. It came as instant relief when I was informed about the policy of free treatment Shaukat Khanum has for needy patients.
My treatment began immediately. I was advised to undergo bone marrow transplantation by my consultant oncologist, Dr. Muhammad Arif and Dr. Neelum Siddiqui.
It is in the months of March and April of the current year that I entered the most critical part of my treatment. Stem Cells were extracted from me, and I underwent a vital surgery. This was five days procedure. SKMCH & RC successfully conducted its first Bone Marrow Transplantation on 26 April 2006 through me. On 1st June, I was finally shifted to a safe house. This entire process of healing was conducted absolutely free of cost by the Hospital. It was financed by a generous well-wisher of SKMCH & RC who chooses to remain anonymous.
I have come to know that some years ago the donor’s son underwent bone marrow transplantation abroad so he is very keen on providing similar facilities in Pakistan. I do not have enough words to thank both this generous donor and SKMCH & RC. Together they have given me a new lease at life. I hope more and more people come forward to help SKMCH, in order to help save more lives.
Ali Abbas is an energetic and cheerful 18 year old, and a much-loved member of his family of nine. His father is a shipping manager for a local bottling company, while his mother is an M.A in Islamiyat. The happy family resides in Gujranwala. In 2003, an accident led Ali and his family towards an unexpected turn of events.
Ali was celebrating his 15th birthday, in August, when he fell from a slide, which resulted in a painful and swollen left shoulder. His x-ray suggested the possibility of a bone tumor, and a biopsy con? rmed the diagnosis of Osteosarcoma (bone cancer). This is the most common bone tumour seen in growing age. It is highly malignant, requiring aggressive treatment with chemotherapy and surgery, mostly involving amputation of the affected bone.
Ali’s parents consulted a few doctors, and, each time, he would be asked to leave the room before his condition was discussed. This is something Ali feels strongly about - he was excluded from any information when he was the one suffering. Finally, in September 2003, Ali’s parents brought him to SKMCH & RC’s Walk-In Clinic. Despite hearing about the expensive treatment and negative propaganda in smaller cities, Ali’s parents did not want to leave any stone unturned. Ali was admitted the following month.
Consultants at SKMCH & RC took special care to prepare Ali, both physically & psychologically, for his long and dif? cult treatment, and helped him utilise his natural strength of character to bear the process. Ali, to date, appreciates the honesty and sincerity of the doctors, and recognises the courage & endurance it provided him with.
Luckily for Ali, the team of specialists at SKMCH & RC was able to expertly remove the tumor, while allowing the treated arm maximum possible functionality. Ali’s diseased bone in his left upper arm was surgically removed, along with his shoulder blade, and the shoulder was reconstructed using metal rods.
Ali admits being very tense at the beginning of his treatment, and is grateful to the good natured staff who made all the difference for him and his parents. Positive and lively in his thinking, Ali now talks about his time at SKMCH & RC as something he treasures, “This kind of opportunity does not come twice!” he jokes. He made the best of his time by watching movies and helping with welfare programs at the Hospital. He now considers SKMCH & RC a second home, as the staff greets him like real family.
Miraculously back to a normal life, Ali has not only regained his place as the leader in his circle of friends, but has also managed to top Gujranwala Board in D.Com. In the future he wants to be a part of SKMCH & RC’s noble cause in any way possible, so that he can play his role in helping others in similar dilemmas. He truly is a leader and an inspiration to all around him.
Mehwish Javed was 14 and living happily with her family in Mansehra, North West Frontier Province, until she came down with a fever. The fever persisted, causing weakness and pain in her legs. She was taken to a local doctor who suspected something was seriously wrong and sent her for tests in Rawalpindi. As a result of these tests, doctors referred Mehwish to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre.
The thorough medical investigations carried out at the hospital confirmed the diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblast Leukemia. This was a devastating diagnosis for Mehwish’s parents who were naturally deeply concerned about their only daughter’s health and future prospects.
Mehwish’s father was also worried that she would suffer further because he would not be able to meet the high cost of treatment from his low wages as a Laboratory Assistant. However his worries on that score soon faded when he learnt that they would be eligible for the hospital's financial help.
After months of chemotherapy, Mehwish was given the all clear. She put this down to the excellent treatment she received at the hospital: “The doctors’ reassuring words and the nurses’ care helped me heal rapidly.”
Today she enjoys sound health and has just taken her 10th class examination. Now her ambition is to join the medical profession as a Paediatrician. We at Shaukat Khanum Hospital hope to see her as a successful doctor, an inspiration for all cancer patients and wish her a healthy and fulfilling life ahead.
