A journey through illness, courage, and finding their way back home, as shared by his mother. When Our Journey Began In July 2025, our family received news that changed everything. My 12-year-old son, Mohammad Danish, was diagnosed with Anaplastic Large-Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) at Hospital Miri. Before the diagnosis, he had been having on-and-off fever for […]
A journey through illness, courage, and finding their way back home, as shared by his mother.
In July 2025, our family received news that changed everything. My 12-year-old son, Mohammad Danish, was diagnosed with Anaplastic Large-Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) at Hospital Miri.
Before the diagnosis, he had been having on-and-off fever for about a month. He also began to experience pain in his leg, and his walking became unstable. At first, we thought it was something minor and even tried traditional massage. But instead of improving, his condition worsened.
His leg became swollen and bent, and we became increasingly worried. After several hospital visits and tests, doctors suspected something more serious. That was when we were told it could be cancer.
After the diagnosis, we were referred to Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching. We were also informed that SCCS could support us, which gave us some relief during a very frightening time.
We travelled from Miri to Kuching on 30 August 2025. That journey was very emotional for our family. We had never been separated like this before, and leaving home felt heavy and uncertain.
But we knew we had to move forward for Danish.
In September 2025, we moved into the SCCS Halfway Home while Danish received treatment in Ward 2A at Sarawak General Hospital.
Chemotherapy became part of our new routine. There were hospital visits, treatment days, and long hours of waiting and recovery.
It was not easy seeing Danish go through the effects of treatment. There were days when he felt weak, tired, and quiet. But there were also days when he still tried to stay active and hold on to his usual interests whenever he felt strong enough.
One of the most difficult parts of this journey was adjusting emotionally.
At first, I felt shy and overwhelmed in Ward 2A. I did not know anyone and struggled to understand everything happening around me. It was a completely new world for us.
But over time, I found strength through other parents. One of the first people who reached out to me was a mother in the ward who guided me and answered my questions. Slowly, I realised I was not alone in this journey.
That support helped me carry on.
Danish is one of four siblings — an older brother, a younger sister, and a younger brother.
During treatment, his siblings stayed back home under the care of their grandmother. Being apart from them was one of the hardest parts of this journey, but we stayed connected through calls and updates whenever possible.
It was not easy for any of us, but we all held on.
Throughout this journey, what kept me going was the belief that Danish could recover and return to a normal life.
I often reminded him gently, “Do you still want to be healthy? Do you still want to play football again? Then we must keep going.”
Seeing his determination, even in small ways, gave me strength as a parent.
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After completing treatment, we returned to our hometown on 2 March 2026.
Since April, Danish has been back in school and slowly adjusting to normal life again. He continues with follow-up appointments twice a month and has ongoing reviews with specialists at Sarawak General Hospital.
Life is gradually returning to routine, and for that, we are grateful.
Today, Danish is rebuilding his everyday life step by step.
He enjoys simple things again — playing football, riding his bicycle, and flying kites whenever he has the energy. He also still loves his grandmother’s cooking, which has always been his favourite.
These small moments now mean a lot more to him and to us as a family.
A Message From Our Journey
This experience taught us many things — about patience, strength, and the importance of support. To other parents walking a similar path, my message is simple: stay strong and keep going. Even when it feels difficult, remember that your strength gives your child strength too. You are not alone in this journey.
Danish’s journey has been one of fear, courage, and hope.
Today, we are thankful to be back home together, slowly rebuilding our lives.
And as a family, we continue moving forward — one day at a time.
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