A mum says her “whole world was turned upside down” when her two-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer – after stubbing his toe. Zakariyah, known as Zak, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in May 2022 after his parents noticed his toe injury wasn’t healing. Within weeks, Zak was on an intensive programme of chemotherapy and steroids treatment at The Royal Marsden Hospital.
The doses gradually intensified over a three-month period, and at one point Zak was receiving chemotherapy nearly every day – causing his hair to fall out. Now aged four, every six months he has a lumbar puncture, as well as chemotherapy once a month and several other drugs administered at home, as part of his complicated treatment plan.
His mum Amina, 40, said: “When he was diagnosed I felt disbelief and shock. Our whole world was turned upside down. I felt overwhelmed and extremely worried. Because first thing in the morning we were told he had cancer and that an ambulance was waiting outside. I felt numb. It was all very rushed and happening fast. There was no way and no time to take it all in.
“We were scared of the unknown. Also we weren’t given enough information a lot of the time and dealing with junior doctors didn’t help at all. We were very scared of what was happening and what was to come.
“He didn’t handle it very well, because he was so little and didn’t understand what was going on. We had a lot of doctors examining him, and as a result he became scared of all the doctors and nurses, absolutely petrified. It took him a long time to get over that. He was too young to describe how he was feeling when being treated and would just cry.”
The doctors at St George’s Hospital in Tooting have since praised Amina for following her maternal instincts, because she kept pushing for him to be seen.
The mum says life with cancer is tough for Zak, with good days and bad days – when he feels sick, his jaw aches and his legs hurt. But cancer has not dimmed Zak’s vibrant personality. Amina said he is: “Playful and such a joy. You never see him upset over anything.
“Everyone loves Zak. He’s a very active child who loves riding bikes, swimming and playing football. He never sits still. Zak does go to school and absolutely loves it. He can be just himself, a normal little active boy, no-one talks about his cancer. He can’t wait to get up in the morning and get into his uniform.
“He’s handled his cancer journey amazingly well. He’s a little fighter. From when he couldn’t talk or walk to riding his bike. He’s an inspiration to all of us. Even when he’s feeling down or in pain he carries on and laughs it off.”
Zak’s treatment ends in June 2025 and will be followed by regular check-ups for at least five years. After the family are given the go-ahead, they are hoping to go on their first holiday in three years with Zak’s older sister Kyra, six.
The four of them are now backing Cancer Support UK’s campaign to provide lavender-scented heatable teddy bears to other children in Zak’s position. The charity is aiming to send 1,200 warmable sensory bears to children’s cancer wards across the UK, to help deliver a little comfort this Christmas. Donations can be made to the campaign here.