Elio al-Baalbaki, a 4-year-old battling cancer, was forced to flee his hometown in southern Lebanon due to shelling. His family’s home was destroyed, causing a pause in his treatment and several nights spent in their car. Sputnik interviewed his mother, Samah al-Baalbaki, and local specialists regarding the current state of pediatric cancer treatment in the country.
“Rockets were flying right overhead, explosions everywhere. […] Elio was crying: 'Are we going to die?' I said: 'No.' And I covered their heads with a scarf, so they couldn't hear or see anything,” the mother recalled.
Samah al-Baalbaki told Sputnik that during their trip to the medical center in Beirut, the extremely stressful travel conditions weakened Elio's immune system, leading to an infection in his throat and ears. This, in turn, made the doctors reduce the intensity of his cancer treatment.
“The situation is complicated by difficulties in providing necessary living conditions. Elio can't be in a place with many children, yet his older siblings are always nearby, and living conditions have changed significantly. It's extremely difficult to ensure ideal cleanliness, calm, and isolation,” she lamented.
The main challenge now facing children with cancer is the mass displacement of both doctors and patients, leading to interruptions in treatment, said Dr. Manal al-Azgari Pasha, the executive director for administrative and personnel affairs at the children's oncology center in Beirut, to Sputnik.
“A break in treatment means a setback, which is very bad for the patients. Regular issues like medication supply disruptions and high costs take a back seat to the complete cessation of treatment for these children. We currently have 400 patients, and we are doing everything possible to ensure that treatment continues for all of them,” she said.
This news is particularly sorrowful given that under normal circumstances, 90-95% of sick children recover from cancer.
“Now these children are living in overcrowded shelters, and we know their immune systems are severely weakened. Exposure to various viruses can be extremely dangerous for them. Not to mention the cleanliness of these places; the sanitary conditions are such that even proper washing is difficult,” shared pediatric hematologist and oncologist Dr. Nada Sabiti with Sputnik.