By: Shahd Khourshed
Making up about a third of all childhood cancers, Leukemia affects about 3,500 children every year. This heartbreaking blood cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in all children.
Leukemia is a type of cancer that attacks blood and bone marrow. It targets a cell in the bone marrow and converts it into a leukemic cell. Over time, the leukemic cells start harming the development of healthy cells, and, soon enough, the healthy cells can’t keep up. The symptoms include pale skin, poor appetite, swollen lymph glands, shortness of breath, and easy bruising or bleeding. The most popular treatments include chemotherapy, stem cell transplants, and targeted therapy.
Real-Life Story:
Leukemia has no mercy. One example is a 3-year-old Harper. She was barely even 2 years old when she was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She spent the next year of her life in the hospital undergoing severe treatment. She, soon, developed a chest infection and was showing increasing amounts of leukemic cells. She went through weeks of chemotherapy and suffered many infections and fevers. Luckily enough, about a year later, she started getting better and didn’t rely on her treatments anymore. This experience was traumatic for both her and her parents.
Types of Leukemia (most common in children):
Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
This type of leukemia impacts every 3 out of 4 children. Like other acute conditions, immediate treatment is important as it advances rapidly. ALL targets early forms of white blood cells, known as lymphocytes.
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
This form of leukemia is much less common compared to ALL. AML affects cells myeloid cells and underdeveloped cells. Due to the speed of its progression, it requires immediate attention.
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)
This leukemia is on the rarer side of the spectrum (most relevant in teens). CML develops in damaged, developing stem cells. Since it’s a chronic condition, it’s harder to cure; however, new technologies have made it more possible to handle.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
CLL is the rarest of childhood leukemias. For the most part, the pace in which CLL grows varies from person to person. Like its chronic relative, this condition has proven to be difficult to deal with, but recent innovations have immensely helped.
Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML)
This specific type of leukemia makes up about 1.5% of all childhood cases. This condition is considered a mixed myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative disease by WHO.
Leukemia patients and survivors have given up their irreplaceable childhood memories to fight off this disease. They replace school with treatments and sports with medications. The social and emotional toll of childhood cancer has impacted various aspects of their lives. Younger children can become socially inactive in their classrooms and around friends; they end up feeling like outsiders and can have trouble maintaining relationships. For adolescents, anxiety, depression, and insomnia after and during treatment are common. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can cause distress and an inability to enjoy their present life.
To help make a difference for the courageous patients, learning about their condition is the first step. They have suffered years of uncertainty, fear, and pain, so the least we can do is try to educate ourselves on their experiences.
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