28.04.2026 09:00

Maryam is currently undergoing her third course of treatment, which is progressing as planned. There are just two days left in this course, followed by a short break, and then another five days of high-dose chemotherapy.

Each treatment like this is a significant challenge, even for adults. For a child, it is many times harder.

During chemotherapy, Maryam hardly speaks. She lacks the energy for games or even for smiling. She often turns away, covers her face with her hands, and doesn’t want to be seen. She seldom talks, even to her closest family members, and only occasionally joins in quietly on conversations between her mother and older siblings—without her usual sparkle.

It’s hard to believe this is the same girl who used to chatter nonstop.

Every morning, they take a blood sample. At the same time, they administer intrathecal chemotherapy, which involves injecting the drug directly into the spinal cord under anaesthesia. 

This treatment is complex and gruelling, but the doctors are doing everything they can to minimise the side effects. Fortunately, Maryam’s body is responding positively, and the test results are encouraging—there is progress.

However, there is still one more treatment course ahead: the fourth, which will last up to two months. After that, there will be long-term monitoring and follow-up. This journey is not a sprint; it is a marathon for survival.

Sometimes, when things get a little easier, Maryam goes outside with her mom. Swings, balloons, jigsaw puzzles, and drawings—these are small glimpses of the life that the illness is trying to take away from her. 

She is still the same little girl. Right now, she just needs help to reach the end of this journey. Maryam is already fighting. Now she needs people who will support her in winning this battle.