Leaving one child to care for another, staying strong for eight months in Kuching – this is Qashid’s story, as shared by his mother.

When The Bruises Told a Different Story

A year ago, my son Qashid was only four years old when we found out he was sick. Four is the age when little ones are just learning to speak in full sentences, and getting excited about starting school. Qashid had to learn something much harder instead.

It started small. A few bruises here and there, which I thought nothing of. Then fevers that kept coming back, week after week. When Qashid was suddenly unwell in a way that frightened me, I knew these were not just random things happening to my boy. His face had turned pale, so I brought him straight to the clinic.

From there, we were sent to the hospital, and that was when we learned Qashid had leukaemia, a cancer of the blood. It is more common in little ones around his age, the doctors told us, though that did not make it any easier to hear.

A Mother Torn in Two

We had to leave home. I did not know, at first, that it would be for eight months. I had another child too, a baby I was still recovering from having, and leaving her behind was one of the hardest things I have ever done as a mother. I wished, so much, that I did not have to choose between my children. But Qashid needed me close, so to Kuching we went.

That same difficult week, I also lost my brother. He passed away the day before I had to travel for Qashid’s treatment. There was no time to grieve properly. Qashid needed me, and so I had to keep going.

Finding A Second Family in Kuching

In Kuching, we stayed at SCCS’s Halfway Home for those eight months while Qashid was treated at Sarawak General Hospital. I never imagined needing so much support, but SCCS was there for us in every way that mattered: financial help, a place to stay, transport to and from the hospital, and a shoulder whenever things felt too heavy to carry alone. The little activities they organised for the children and families in Ward 2A and at the Halfway Home brought real joy back into our days.

Some days were still very hard, especially watching Qashid go through procedures that meant putting him to sleep. No mother wants to see her child go through that. But having SCCS beside us made the weight a little easier to carry. So did the other mothers I met along the way, other families going through the same thing. There is a kind of understanding between people who have walked the same road, and it kept me going.

Back to School, Back to Life

Qashid finished his treatment in May. He is a year older now, and back in school, full of excitement, even if he tires more easily than the other children his age. Seeing his smile again means everything. He missed many lessons while he was unwell, but that has not dimmed his spark. On his first day back, he cried, not wanting to be apart from me. He is settled now, though he still goes for follow-up visits at Sarikei Hospital twice a week.

Life is busier these days, but I am grateful. Grateful to care for both my children, and to be close to my family again.

To Parents Walking This Path

To other parents walking this same path: please do not be afraid to ask for help, or to share how you are feeling. It lightens the load, more than you might expect. You do not have to carry it alone. Even now, I stay close to the other mothers I met in Kuching. We still talk, still support one another, and I have learned so much from them about caring for my child.