Hyderabad: A six-year-old boy requested his doctor that his parents should not be told about his terminal illness. The child was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme grade 4 on the left side of his brain and he only had six more months left to live.
After the death of his young patient, neurologist Dr Sudhir Kumar of Apollo Hospitals shared his kindness and bravery on Twitter. He wrote: "6-yr old to me: "Doctor, I have grade 4 cancer and will live only for 6 more months, don't tell my parents about this."
He further wrote about his experience with the family. "It was another busy OPD when a young couple walked in. They had a request. Manu is waiting outside. He has cancer, but we haven't disclosed that to him. Please see him and advise your treatment, and don't share the diagnosis with him. I nodded my head, accepting their request. Manu, in a wheelchair, was brought in. He was referred by his oncologist for the management of seizures. He had a smile, appeared confident & smart."
The neurologist reviewed the six-year-old's medical history and found that the condition has caused the paralysis of his right hand and leg. After being operated on and undergoing chemotherapy, the seizures continued due to brain cancer.
After he spoke to the parents, Manu requested to speak with the doctor alone. "After the parents left the room to wait outside, Manu said - Dr, I have read all about the disease on iPad and I am aware that I will live only for 6 more months but I haven't shared this with my parents, as they would get upset. They love me a lot. Please don't share with them. I was shocked and couldn't speak for a few moments. I gathered myself - Sure, I will take care of what you said."
Dr Kumar said the parents were in tears after hearing about their child's request. "They were still thankful and left OPD with a heavy heart. I had almost forgotten this incident when about nine months later, the couple returned to see me. I recognized them at once and enquired about Manu's health." They said the family had a "great time" after the incident and they went to Disneyland. His parents took leave from their job to spend quality time with the child.
Manu passed away a month ago.
The neurologist also clarified that he could not keep the promise to the six-year-old because it is important to bring the family on the same page when it comes to sensitive issues like this.
The tweet shared on January 5 has already been viewed by over a million users. Another medical professional responded to the story and wrote: "The art of medicine is to cure sometimes, to relieve often, but most importantly, to comfort always. A good doctor is one who in addition to applying knowledge & skills, never ever forgets the importance of Counseling & comforting his/her patients & their relatives."