When Ebrahim Kriel, 6, started feeling pain in his legs earlier this year, his father, Aabied, thought it was exhaustion.
“I assumed it was connected to him just being a very active child. But that night, before he was taken to see the doctor, Ebrahim couldn’t stand on his own feet and he developed a high fever. That’s when I knew he wasn’t well at all,” he recalled this week.
A few weeks later, after several tests, little Ebrahim from Mitchells Plain in Cape Town was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), news that his father confesses left him distressed and fearful. This form of leukaemia is characterised by excess immature white blood cells in the bone marrow. Ebrahim had to start chemotherapy at Red Cross Children’s Hospital, where he has spent most of his time since his diagnosis in April.
To be his comforter and his hero while trying to understand all the medical information that’s thrown at you, and maintaining schedules for treatment, sleepless nights in the hospital, and being away from your family and other children is exhausting.
— Aabied Kriel, single father of three
“Sitting all alone in the doctor’s room while you are told what’s wrong with your baby, is heart-wrenching and overwhelming. Something that’s not mentioned as much is the mental and physical toll it takes on you as a parent. Trying your best to be your child’s support while smiling and being positive so that he doesn’t see the fear in your eyes, is a lot.
“To be his comforter and his hero while trying to understand all the medical information that’s thrown at you, and maintaining schedules for treatment, sleepless nights in the hospital, and being away from your family and other children is exhausting,” said the single father of three.
Ebrahim is just one of millions of people globally who are battling leukaemia and blood cancers. His cancer journey is receiving attention as August 15-October 15 is Bone Marrow and Leukaemia Awareness Month.
With nearly half a million new leukaemia cases reported in 2020 globally, and 311,594 deaths, according to the Global Cancer Registry, cancer advocates and medical experts argue it is now more than ever important to raise awareness to the suffering this cancer causes, including the importance of bone marrow donation. According to the World Health Organisation’s 2018 data, leukaemia was responsible for 1,343 deaths in SA or 3.13 people for every 100,000 live births.
Alana James, CEO director at DKMS Africa, formerly known as Sunflower Fund, said while blood cancers could affect anyone, it was the most common cancer in children and teenagers.
Another cancer patient fighting leukaemia and in need of a bone-marrow transplant from an unrelated donor is Kyra Ramdin, 11, from Phoenix, Durban. Kyra had been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
While the common treatment for blood disorders is chemotherapy and radiation, in patients at high risk or those who had cancer relapse, a blood stem cell transplant is required to replace the bad cells with healthy stem cells. While the siblings of some patients may provide a source of blood stem cells, there is only a 25% chance of them being a match to the patient, spurring the need to seek alternative and unrelated donors.
“It is a sad reality, and a case in point is recently-registered patient Kyra, who is only 11 and urgently requires a transplant. Unfortunately, her younger sister is not a match and the family is continuing to look for an unrelated donor,” said James. Kyra was diagnosed last October.
In cases where a family member is compatible, there have been success stories. An example of this is Dr Candice Hendricks, a paediatric haematologist and PhD candidate in medical immunology at the University of Pretoria, whose brother was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of 26, only a year after getting married. Fortunately, their sister was a match, which meant her brother could benefit from a transplant and wouldn’t have to undergo chemotherapy.
“I now truly understand the gift of being a doctor in the field of haematology,” said Dr Hendricks. “My brother’s transplant gave him a second chance at life and eight and a half years later he is doing well and enjoying life,” she said.
Kriel said while the journey of caring for his last-born son had been difficult, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. “Ebrahim is definitely responding to treatment. He still gets fevers from time to time, but everything is under control. He is due to have another bone marrow test to check whether he is clear of cancer. We are all crossing our fingers and hoping for the good news,” he said.
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