“Why're you crying, mother?”

Only a couple of months ago, 13-year-old Shakin Ahmed Likhon lived a pretty regular life. The older of two brothers, this class VII student of Banani Bidyaniketan School and College was a little naughty at times, and he loved playing cricket with his younger brother and friends.
Everything came crashing down for Likhon and his family when a test of typhoid fever led to a devastating discovery- Likhon had cancer (neuroblastoma).
In late March of this year, Likhon caught typhoid fever. Gradually, he became so sick that he couldn’t walk anymore and his chest started swelling. After a lot of tests, the doctors delivered his parents the dreaded news on 31 March.
Likhon’s mother, Nasima Khatun, could not control her tears looking back on that day. “Doctors of Anwar Khan Modern Medical College Hospital informed us about Likhon’s disease at around 12:30am. They said it’s a bad form of cancer, but it could have been worse if it was in his blood. I blacked out the moment I heard it,” she said.
Since the diagnosis, the family has been fighting an uphill battle, financially and mentally. Likhon’s father, Shamsul Alam, is a quality controller at a foreign buying house. Likhon’s mother, Nasima Khatun, used to work for a private organisation, but she had to quit her job to take care of Likhon. They have already spent over Taka 800,000 (Tk eight lakh) for the six chemotherapy treatments Likhon has gone through so far. Likhon’s school, relatives, and family friends have helped throughout the process, said Likhon’s mother.
Likhon still does not know the extent of his disease. He knows the term neuroblastoma, and he is doing his own research about this disease on the internet. Although he does not understand the medical jargon well, he started questioning his parents about the frequent chemotherapy treatments he has gone through. Sensing the cost of his treatment burdening his parents, he has even refused expensive clothes this Eid.
Likhon has already lost all of his hair, and his weight is dropping fast as well. Still, the cricket loving teen gathers every ounce of his strength to play with his brother and friends after every chemotherapy treatment. Whenever his mother bursts into tears seeing his struggle, the brave boy questions, “Why're you crying, mother?”
Head of the cancer department of Anwar Khan Modern Medical College Hospital, Professor Ehteshamul Haque, said, “Likhon is very young, so it is possible that he might make a full recovery with proper treatment. His parents want to take him abroad for treatment, but the cost will be too prohibitive for them to bear. If Likhon receives the initial treatment at a foreign hospital, we will be able to take care of him once he returns to Bangladesh. Like his family, we also hope that everyone will come forward to save Likhon.”
Your contribution can bring Likhon back from the jaws ofdeath.
Send your assistance to:
BKash number-
Shamsul Alam- 01816846683
Nasima Khatun- 018168466842 and 019548561032
Nasima Khatun, Savings account no- 0011100116521, Uttara Bank Limited, Sidhweshwari branch , Dhaka.
Nasima Khatun- Savings account no- 10315149059, Dutch Bangla Bank limited, Banani Branch
Shamsul Alam - Janata Bank, 002063901, Gulshan-2 Corporate Branch