16-year-old Izharul Haque, from a town called Mau in Uttar Pradesh, was diagnosed with Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) in November 2019. When he came to our partner hospital, HBCH, Varanasi for treatment, he was severely malnourished and also had Acute Kidney Infection (AKI). The daily commute from his hometown, which is almost 141 kms from Varanasi made the situation more difficult but his best friend and brother, Ahteshamul Haque, made sure that Izharul got the attention he deserved.

Niqhat Rizvi, our Nutritionist at HBCH, Varanasi, was impressed by how brave the Haque brothers have been throughout. She says, “I never saw any of them troubled or in a state of panic. They followed the treatment through and through. Izharul learnt how to enjoy eggs, and now he has two eggs a day.” This attention to nutrition has shown well in Izharul’s progress, who is on the Cuddles oral, high-protein diet and In-meal program. “Izharul was admitted to the ICU when he came in, but he followed the diet prescribed by Niqhat. He has now put on weight, he was 40 kgs when he was admitted to the hospital, and now, he weighs 56 kgs. I am hoping with time he will be strong enough to walk and recover from his infections well,” says a thankful Ahteshamul.

Apart from the weight gain, Izharul has responded well to the treatment and is now on the maintenance cycle, two months before time. He will be visiting the hospital for regular check-ups every three months for the next one and half years before he is declared a cancer survivor.

Izharul looks forward to eating his favourite biryani and working on his business ideas once he has fully recovered. He has a chance to live his dreams and get his old life back because of your support. Thank you!