Abu Dhabi: It seemed like a simple viral fever when Dhyan Prajeesh fell ill last September, so his parents were taken aback to learn that their only son was suffering from a rare form of leukaemia. A year later, the three-year-old is still battling the disease, as his parents scramble to get him the required care.
“I still remember how my son developed a fever last year, and it looked so straightforward then that the doctor prescribed some basic medication and sent us home. But two days later, he became completely paralysed on his right and we had to rush him to the hospital again,” Dhyan’s 26-year-old mother, Neethu Prajeesh, told Gulf News.
“We soon learnt that our son had had a brain stroke, and the tests revealed that he had leukaemia. He received numerous sessions of chemotherapy, and just when we were hopeful that this battle was over, the doctors said that the cancer is back,” a distraught Neethu added.
Little Dhyan is now hospitalised at the Shaikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi’s flagship public hospital, and doctors have said a bone marrow transplant is his only hope for survival. In the meantime, every day is a struggle for the family.
“Dhyan does not like being cooped up in a hospital room, and cries to go home. While we are here, he wants to be in my arms all day long. He also doesn’t like any food served, and frequently vomits. But the doctors have said that his immunity is very low because of the chemotherapy, and that it’s risky to take him home,” Neethu said.
The family did try going home earlier, but Dhyan would get sick very quickly, and this would necessitate another rushed trip to the emergency room. So Neethu stays at the hospital with her son, and Dhyan’s father, Prajeesh KV, 33, stops by after work every evening, taking a 90-minute bus ride home to Al Falah at 10 pm.
“The doctors told us that Dhyan’s leukaemia is rare because, unlike other cases, the cancer will also go on to affect his central nervous system. He has already had two strokes, and we are so terribly worried,” Neethu said.
“It has been a difficult year, to say the least. And we really hope there is a light at the end of this road, and that our son can be cured,” said Prajeesh, a mechanic.
He takes home just Dh7,000 a month, so the transplant is out of the couple’s reach without the generosity of well-wishers.
“We have checked with specialists in Vellore [a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu that is known for its quality of care], and they have said it will cost 50 lakh Indian rupees [Dh286,300] for the surgery. Because Dhyan is our only child, he will also need a donor match,” said Prajeesh.
In the meantime, Dhyan continues to hold on to his mother, occasionally playing with his colourful toy train and stuffed animals. He cries frequently, and often complains about joint pain, headaches and stomach discomfort.
“I know he must be suffering in other ways too, and I only hope we can give him the cure he deserves,” Neethu said with tears in her eyes.
