Sanad Children Cancer Society hosted young cancer fighters and survivors at Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh recently. The elaborate celebrations were meant to encourage the children rebel against cancer and retrieve their lives. — File photo Zain Anbar Okaz/Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — Young delicate frames lie on white beds undergoing chemotherapy while others prepare for complex surgeries. Their gaze falls on their peers, who Allah has granted good health. They have hopes they would soon run and play like all other healthy children. They have hopes in a generous God that He will enable them to smile again like other children. Okaz/Saudi Gazette visited children afflicted with cancer during a tour of their rooms, which contain their favorite games. The tour was carried out with the help of the Social Service Department at the hospital represented by members of the PR department, Najeeb Yamani and Ahmad Halawani. Azzam Al-Mutairi, 5, was diagnosed with cancer after the Jeddah flood disaster. A number of tests disclosed that he was afflicted with the disease when he was 18 months old. In coping, his mother narrates a story of pain mixed with hope. “Suddenly after the Jeddah flood disaster which I witnessed, as we are residents of Quwaizah area, I started noticing a rise in Azzam's body temperature. Some doctors diagnosed this as diarrhea, but after several tests it was confirmed that Azzam was suffering from leukemia. Of course, the news was a shock for me and his father. It was like a thunderbolt, but thanks to Allah for whatever he has given us,” said Um Azzam. “I decided to face Azzam's disease with patience and strong belief. He started undergoing chemotherapy for four months at the National Guard Hospital and then at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital so as to undergo a bone marrow transplant and the periodic tests accompanying it. He will continue treatment until he reaches eight years of age. I decided to face the disease with optimism. I used to document the chemotherapy sessions with pictures because I found it was a means to convey the account of the disease to Azzam when he grows up.” Muhammad Zagzoog, 7, a second year primary school pupil, started undergoing chemotherapy a month ago. He was playing a game on a hand-held device when visited. He loves space games and dreams of becoming an astronaut. He said with children's spontaneity, “My friends visited me and presented me with gifts and games.” Muhammad did not disguise his disdain for the periodic doses of medication he has to take. Noorah Al-Eitah, Muhammad's mother, spoke about her son's disease. She said, “About a month-and-a-half ago I noticed a rise in Muhammad's temperature. When we visited the doctor, blood tests indicated that he was suffering from leukemia. To explain to my son his condition, I told him in a simplified way that the white blood corpuscles were more than the red ones in his blood. He would have to remain in hospital until he was cured.” She added, “I'm keen to support him psychologically because cancer requires a strong psychological aspect not only for the patient but for the family as well until the sick person overcomes the disease. This is what we do with Muhammad. We never talk about the disease in front of him. We provide him with all his needs for electronic games.” As for the child Omar Bitar, his experience with leukemia began when he was in fifth year primary school. Complications during chemotherapy led to brain hemorrhage causing him to slip into a coma. After recovering from coma, he started receiving physiotherapy and rehabilitation sessions, his mother said. Joyful that he would leave the hospital one day, Omar simply said, “I feel happy because I'll leave the hospital bed.” Fahd Al-Otaibi, a first year intermediate school student, was happy he would be released from hospital after completion of treatment. He looked forward to his journey back to Taif. He said, “I'm longing for my school and friends and the rainy weather of Taif that urges me to play outdoors.”
