The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net 

Receiving a cancer diagnosis will always be heart-breaking, but receiving the news that your child is battling the often deadly disease is devastating.

And it became a reality for Bahamian parents Ancella and Jamaal Thompson in 2014 when they were told that their daughter Anjalee, now six years old, has acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

The Mayo Clinic describes the condition as a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow — the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made. Acute lymphocytic leukaemia is the most common type of cancer in children, and treatments result in a good chance for a cure.

“We tell her that nothing lasts forever and God and His angels are always there, especially when we are not,” Ancella told Tribune Health. “We pray beyond the basic, as if in another realm when God intervenes; this cannot be explained. We leave God to God.”

The treatments Anjalee receives often cause her muscle pains, alopecia (hair loss), fatigue and headaches.

“Treatment for girls lasts for two and a half years but can be delayed due to weakened immune systems and relapses,” Ancella explained. “However, most days she is rambunctious and is competitive in her schoolwork.”

She said Anjalee hopes that her battle with leukaemia will soon be over. The six-year-old continuously prays and speaks to God when she experiences anxiety and uncertainty regarding her condition, her mother said.

“ ‘Bless the Lord, oh my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name’ – that is her mantra,” Ancella said.

Anjalee enjoys playing, arguing and having a good time with her sister. Her happiness also comes from food and tea time with her “Nana”, frolicking at the beach and at the park, and riding her bike.

“She wants to become a nurse, get married, have one kid and visit her parents’ house for dinner once in a while,” said Ancella of daughter’s clear plans for adulthood. Ancella hopes to raise awareness of Anjalee’s condition and garner support from relatives and church members, as well as school children.