Battling a disease like cancer is no ordinary feat, and can be especially challenging among young ones. However, one girl proved that not only could she go through it, but also rise above all adversity.
M’sian girl showcases optimistic spirit in battling leukemia at 4 years old
On the 15th of June 2023, Alexandria Marissa Abdul Malik was diagnosed with leukemia at just the tender age of 4 years old. Fondly known as Marissa, she has underwent 22 chemotherapy sessions in total and has been showing improvement.
Suffering from an illness is one thing, but watching your child do so is another. Speaking to Wau Post, the child’s mother, Nor Shakila Mohd Shoki, admits that the journey has not been easy.
“One of the challenges was selecting the type of treatment, as chemotherapy might not work for everyone,” she said. In fact, when Nor Shakila and her husband decided to go along with the therapy, some groups were against it. “There were people who had died due to not being able to tolerate the side effects of chemotherapy. But there’s no guarantee that traditional or alternative forms of medicine would help either,” she told Wau Post.
“Fight for your children all the way”
As of now, Marissa has been tolerating fairly well with chemotherapy, albeit with some adverse effects. She is currently recovering from an ulcer that recurred as a result of the treatment. Nevertheless, her mother reports that she is doing well.
Besides, Nor Shakila documents Marissa’s cancer journey through multiple videos on her TikTok. In the clips, Marissa can be seen cheerfully interacting during treatments, and even flaunts her bald head appearance. “Being bald is cute, isn’t it?” she says, to which many viewers agree to as well.
Being parents to a child with a heavy diagnosis is no easy task either. “If I could spread more awareness to other parents or patients going through the same thing, I’d advise them not to let others influence their decision,” Marissa’s mother explained. She further added that they should be responsible for their own choices and carry out thorough research before selecting their treatment.
“For those in the same boat as me, fight for your children all the way,” Nor Shakila says.
No matter the outcome, she believes that parents should do all they can to fight by their children’s side. “You can cry, but be sure to come back stronger every time. Help each other through joining support groups. Remember that God is always with us.”
Just like her parents, Marissa’s spirit is truly admirable. Keep going Marissa, we’re all rooting for you! Wishing her a speedy recovery and more improvements to her condition.
Watch one of the videos from Marissa’s journey below:
@shakilashokiAlhamdullilah dapat pujuk Marissa utk botak. Mohon kawan2 doakan Marissa ya 🙏🏻🥲♬ original sound – Mommy Shark
Click here to give us a ‘Like’ on Facebook and stay up-to-date on the latest news.
Also read: Loving husband shaves his own hair as a sign of support towards wife who is battling cancer
