"...even when she had her leg amputated, she reminded my father and others that it is no big deal. She reminded us of that little Iraqi boy who had lost some of his limbs and said, “Tho kiya huwa? Merey aik taang se hop karsakthee houn” (“So what? I can still hop on one leg”)."

Asma Haq was 8 ½ years old when she first developed symptoms of cancer. Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) has one of the lowest survival rates for paediatric cancer. Despite having her whole leg amputated up to the hip, the cancer returned. Asma died on Friday 11th February 2005, following a 3 year struggle. Her older brother Omar speaks to al-istiqamah about her ordeal and passing. Omar is a student; the Haq family live in Chicago, Illinois.

Al-istiqamah: What were the initial symptoms indicating that something was wrong with Asma?

Omar: Finding out what was wrong with Asma was a harrowing experience in itself. One day we noticed a small tender, reddish lump on her knee. It was becoming more and more uncomfortable as the days passed. My parents took Asma to her paediatrician to get it checked out as it was getting to be worrisome for all of us. Initially, Asma’s doctor said it was nothing to be worried about and ordered physical therapy for several weeks and told Asma to take over-the-counter Ibuprofen for her pain.

A couple weeks went by and nothing had changed. In fact, not only did we fail to make any progress, it had gotten worse. Her lump had grown quite a bit and had become more painful. It was affecting her every day life. She wasn’t able to function properly. I remember every time she got off the school bus, she would try to run towards us with her bag hanging from her back as we waited on the front steps of our home. It was quite heartbreaking to watch her walk/run while limping the whole time. Despite all that, her face would be glowing with her heartfelt smile.

Al-istiqamah: Did your family suspect that the lump could be a tumour?

Omar: My mother raised her concern about Asma having a tumor in her knee. The doctor laughed it off and said it was nothing like that. If it were a tumor, we would have known. Six months went by with this routine – day in, day out. Eventually, my father pressured her and demanded an MRI scan be done. Asma went in for an MRI. The results came in.

Al-istiqamah: Was Asma able to still attend school in the initial stages?

Omar: When Asma had developed the lump initially, she was going to school. However, when she was diagnosed with cancer, she had stopped going to school as she was in and out of the hospital for treatments.

 

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