Young cancer patient achieves her goal
A studious Dewsbury teenager missed more than a year’s worth of school when she was diagnosed with bone cancer, but still managed to achieve a First-Class Honours degree in Pharmacy when she graduated last year.
Arzoo Dar, was only 13 when she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma – a bone cancer which mainly affects children and young adults under 20.
As a sporty teenager, keen on football and netball, she noticed an extreme pain in her left knee which affected her running.
Over several weeks the pain got worse, until she realised, she was limping as a matter of course. Her GP suspected it was growing pains and sent her away with painkillers, but her pain was not improved.
A second visit to the GP prompted a referral for an X-ray, as the GP suspected something sinister, but two weeks later, when a referral still hadn’t come through, Arzoo’s Dad took her to A&E as she was in excruciating pain.
She was referred to Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield for a CT scan and an MRI, and the consultant then referred her to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham for a biopsy.
The family set off to Birmingham in the early hours but were still waiting to speak to a specialist by 5pm that evening. Arzoo up to that point was worried but hadn’t suspected she may have cancer. When she started noting the posters on the wall, she realised this was a centre that treated children with bone cancer.
“I just knew it was bad news. The consultant tried to make light of it. He told us in quite a blunt way. There’s a tumour in your leg and I’m 99% certain it’s cancerous.”
Arzoo and her family had to wait two weeks for the results and went along on 20th May 2011 to Leeds General Infirmary to receive the diagnosis.
Arzoo adds: “I was relieved I knew what was wrong with me. All the tests had been exhausting. I’m a geek. I just wanted to go to school and get involved with my schoolwork and meet my friends.”
The day after, Arzoo celebrated her 14th birthday knowing she was about to start chemotherapy and to undergo surgery. Unfortunately, she reacted badly to the chemotherapy and had to stay in hospital as an inpatient, as she struggled to cope with sickness and weight loss.
After three cycles of chemotherapy, Arzoo was back at Birmingham for surgery to remove the tumour on her knee. She also needed intensive physiotherapy to help bend her new knee and build up her strength. She was able to walk on crutches and her mobility improved. She began to access immunotherapy as an outpatient, which carried on for 12 months.
During this time, Arzoo tried to access home schooling or the tutor on the children’s ward. Often, she was too weak or unwell to take part.
She missed out on most of Year 9 and 10 and went back to school part-time initially to help her acclimatise to the building and routine. No concessions were made for Arzoo’s mobility, and she still had to access lessons on the upper floor, managing to get upstairs on crutches.
Despite the interruption to her studies, Arzoo still achieved a clutch of A and B grades in her GCSE’s which she completed in just one year.
She stayed on at the school Sixth Form and got two A grades and one B in sciences which allowed her to apply for medical school.
Her four chosen universities turned down her application, although later Liverpool reconsidered and offered her a place to study medicine. As life returned to normal, Arzoo struggled to come to terms with her treatment and disability. She started experiencing panic attacks and decided leaving home for University probably wasn’t the best option.
Instead, she switched plans and studied Pharmacy at University of Bradford, where she graduated last year. A training year at Pinderfields Hospital had to be deferred until this year, because she was shielding due to the pandemic.
But inspired by the compassionate and brilliant oncologist who treated her at St James, Arzoo applied to the Hull York Medical School where she will start next year.
Looking back on her cancer journey, Arzoo who is one of our Cancer Champions, raising awareness as part of the Cancer SMART programme, explained what has motivated her:
“There are dark days, but you just have to push through. Failure is part of the cancer journey. There is no point saying, ‘Why me?’.
I’ve had cancer and I now have a disability, but it has made me the person I am today. It is a part of my identity, which I am very proud of.
I have compassion, I know what it feels like to be ill. I now want to go out and do something meaningful. I’ve been given a second chance to make a difference to someone else’s life.”
Arzoo has found being creative has helped her during lockdown. The picture with this article is an example of her work.