Homs-Sana
“Cancer took my mother from me and made me lose my feet, but I was stronger than it and I overcame it, and after overcoming the period of treatment and survival, I became more ambitious and powerful.” With these words that carry a lot of pain and hope, the young woman Nour al-Sayyid from Homs tells her story of cancer.
The young woman, Nour, who lost her mother when she was young due to cancer, explained in her interview with SANA reporter that when she was 11 years old, she suffered from pain in the area above the knee. But after a period of time, the tumor began to return to the area again and the pain increased, so she visited the attending physician and took many analyzes and pictures to diagnose the condition until it was proven that she had what is known as bone cancer, and the only solution was to amputate the leg from the knee.
And the young woman, Nour, added: “In the beginning, my psychological state became zero, knowing that my leg would be amputated, and I could not complete my normal life, and I had no hope of returning to what I was with all parts of my body, but I was forced to perform the operation and follow the treatment, so I gathered my strength and underwent the amputation process and what follows. From treatment with chemical doses, to eliminate the spread of the disease completely, for a period of six years, in addition to radiotherapy, which negatively affected me, tired me, and caused me mental and physical pain, and I lost my hair and retired from everything for a while.
Nour continues: “With my will and self-confidence, I was able to overcome all the black thoughts drawn by people’s looks of pity on me.” She faced her reality forcefully, and after completing the treatment period, Nour decided to continue her normal life, armed with hope, patience, and reassurance, so she returned to her studies and obtained a basic education certificate. What encouraged her more to continue studying the secondary certificate, as she aspires to study the specialty of psychological counseling in which she finds herself and her humanitarian responsibility as she puts it, especially towards empowering cancer patients, especially children, to encourage and motivate them to overcome pain and instill hope and confidence in them.
Nour extends appreciation and gratitude to her aunt, who was the real supporter in the story of her illness until she survived this disease, as she accompanied her on her treatment journey and had a father, mother and everything in her life after the harsh social conditions that she suffered from since her childhood and the deprivation of her mother.
The Basma Association for Supporting Children with Cancer provided her with all the necessary care and treatment, and Nour later volunteered to work with the Syrian Cancer Control Association branch in Homs after the association provided her with all moral support and social care. She also joined the Al-Salam Club for private sports to pursue her normal life.
The young woman, Nour, urged everyone to conduct early detection tests for cancer within the national campaign that is currently taking place in Homs to check on their health, as there is no need to fear this disease, as she says, calling for a cure for all cancer patients and for them to always be stronger than it.
In turn, the head of the Syrian Cancer Society branch in Homs, who specializes in pathological anatomy, Dr. Ahmad Zahi al-Shawaf, described Nour as a “fighting young woman,” hoping that she would be an example for everyone. In 2015, her disease was diagnosed, she underwent an amputation, and she received treatment in several centers, including the Society’s branch, the Children’s Hospital, Al-Bayrouni, and the Basma Society She has now recovered from the disease, and the cure rate is medically determined after five to ten years have passed since treatment, indicating that bone tumors are one of the most difficult tumors and the cure rate is high if diagnosed early.
Dr. Al-Shawaf referred to the active participation of the Society's cadres in the current national campaign for cancer investigation in Homs, indicating that one of the Society's goals is to promote and spread awareness of cancer to various social segments.
All right
Follow SANA's news on Telegram https://t.me/SyrianArabNewsAgency