Christian's Story

“We knew the doctor was probably wrong. There was no way our son would have cancer,” says Duncan, Christians’ dad.

Christian is a Gold Ribbon Hero! He is a survivor of childhood cancer which is symbolized by a gold ribbon. Aged seven currently, he battled cancer at three years of age. Christian is full of life and happiness. His parents help him celebrate small victories every day. Christian likes hanging around his dad and also loves to play football with his friends after Sunday school in Nyambare.

“Our son fell ill in 2018. We noticed abdominal swelling. At first, we thought it was just normal. Maybe even constipation. This was followed by fever, vomiting, and loss of appetite,” his dad narrates.

The illness alarming. His parents brought him to Kijabe Hospital for examination. Sadly, Christian was diagnosed with Wilms Tumor. Wilms Tumor is a rare kidney cancer that primarily affects children. It is also known as nephroblastoma, the most common cancer of the kidneys in children.

“The fact that my son was diagnosed with cancer at 3 years was traumatizing. As a parent, I could hardly even eat because the thought of cancer in my child was so heartbreaking. Although we had faith in God, we also followed the doctor’s advice,” says Duncan.

He started receiving treatment from our paediatric oncology team. He began with Chemotherapy sessions for six weeks. He later underwent surgery (Nephrectomy). This was then followed by radiotherapy before proceeding with his chemotherapy sessions. He finished his treatment in 2019.

Christians’ healing journey has been challenging especially financially. The family was stigmatized because of his illness. They did not give up but trusted that God would heal their son. Martha recalls how Christian was affected by the illness and treatment. He would lose his appetite and vomit which made his health go down. He also missed school at times because of treatment which made it hard for him to catch up with his classmates.

Our doctors and nurses took good care of him. Christian was especially scared of radiotherapy. Dr. Sarah and Michelle did follow-ups with him even when he was away from the hospital. Duncan says that this was important and he felt motivated to continue bringing his son for Chemotherapy sessions.

Today, Christian, the third child of Martha and Duncan has a dream of becoming, “…….a police officer or a driver,” he confidently says.

“I am specifically thankful to God for healing my son and taking the lead through this journey. It has been challenging but God has been our leader and comforter.” Martha, Christians’ mom concludes.

From their experience, cancer does not only affect the child, it affects the whole family.

#childhoodcancer #compassionatehealthcare