‘All kinds of thoughts went through my mind. What did I do wrong? Is it hereditary? But it was just bad luck.’

Elidah shares: ‘It started exactly one year ago. All of a sudden, I began coughing a lot. So badly that the coughing even bruised my ribs. According to the family doctor, I needed to take it easy. That went well for a while, but two months later the cough came back. I also started sweating heavily at night. I slept on a towel because otherwise my bed would be soaking wet. And I was no longer hungry, my appetite had completely disappeared. I found that strange, because I love Nutella.

What I had not told anyone yet was that my period had also stopped. I did not understand it at all, because I definitely could not be pregnant. Just before the Christmas holidays, I decided to tell my parents everything. I had not done so earlier because I did not want them to worry.

Pneumonia?

My parents were very shocked. We immediately made an appointment with the family doctor. He thought I had pneumonia. I had to take medication three times a day, but it felt like it did nothing at all. A week later, the doctor decided to take blood samples. We were supposed to get the results the next morning.

But that same evening we received a call. We had to go to the hospital in Breda urgently. Right away I had a feeling that I might have to stay there for a few nights. I packed a small bag with snacks, things they do not have in the hospital.

At the hospital they did a scan of my lungs. They also saw that I had lost a lot of weight. My gut feeling turned out to be right. I was admitted. On day three in the hospital, I was tested for coronavirus. And what did it show? I was positive. That meant a week of isolation. On top of everything else.

In shock

After two weeks in the hospital, the scan results came in. There was a tumor somewhere between my lungs and my diaphragm. At that point they did not yet know it was cancer. Blood was taken again, this time it was sent to the Sophia Children’s Hospital. Sophia also advised making a CT scan of my lungs.

Two hours later we were called. We had to go to the Princess Máxima Center immediately. ‘That hospital for cancer?!’, I asked. Everyone was completely in shock. That was the first time I had ever seen my father cry. My mother and I were taken to the Máxima Center by ambulance.

Hodgkin

All kinds of thoughts went through my head. What did I do wrong? Is it hereditary? Did I maybe get the wrong vaccination? But it turned out to be pure bad luck. I had to stay right away for a week. A week full of tests, ending with surgery to place a port-a-cath.

Fortunately, Amy, my wonderful child life specialist, explained everything to me. I received very clear information. That week I slept very poorly. Because of the treatment, I sometimes did not fall asleep until around 3:30 a.m. On Monday, after all the tests, the results came in. I had Hodgkin lymphoma. Once again, I was in shock and everyone was very sad.

During the first round of chemotherapy we were allowed to go home, but because we live quite far from the Máxima Center, we decided to stay at the Ronald McDonald House nearby first. If anything happened, we would be close by. That first round was tough. Three chemotherapies in five days. I thought I would feel pain, but mostly I was very nauseous and exhausted. After each chemotherapy session, I immediately slept for two or three hours.

The yellow banana hat

During the second round of chemotherapy, my hair started falling out. I touched my hair and just pulled the clumps out. I had never seen my head without hair before. Did I have an egg-shaped head? A blocky head? At some point we had no choice but to cut my hair off. I had braids and by then I looked like an octopus with tentacles on its head.

My child life specialist and I picked out a hat together, a yellow one with a banana on it. I wore it for most of my treatment. After a while, I had to accept that I was bald, just like other children in the hospital. No one would judge me. That made me slowly feel comfortable enough to walk around without a hat too.

At the end of the second round, I suddenly fainted. My potassium level turned out to be too low. I also had rotavirus. Everything came out. I was completely dehydrated. That meant I was admitted to the Máxima Center for the second time. Fortunately, after four days I was allowed to go home again.

The last stretch is the hardest

The results of my second PET and MRI scan were good. More than 50% of the cancer cells had disappeared. So I had a chance to survive this. Instead of radiation therapy, I had to undergo five heavy rounds of chemotherapy. Five. Each lasting three days. I had no idea how I was supposed to survive five rounds. It felt like too much. I was very scared.

My friends promised to come over and talk with me. That helped, but it was still tough. I was extremely nauseous, vomited a lot, and felt incredibly hot. Nothing tasted good and I slept as much as a baby. It felt like I had run a marathon. And that feeling lasted an entire week.

I received my last chemotherapy on July 18. To celebrate, I went to IKEA to eat fries and Swedish meatballs. Not a smart idea, because the chemotherapy made my stool very hard. But it was my last chemotherapy, so I thought it would be fine. It was not. I could not have a bowel movement for three days. In the end, I needed an enema and I was in a lot of pain.

Tips for other children

Now the chemotherapy is over. I can eat normally again and after the holidays I can go back to school. Not full time right away, but three half days a week. I am happy that I can move on to the third year with the same class. I only take one pill now to prevent infections. And four times a year I have to return to the Máxima Center for check-ups.

To other children in a situation like this, I want to say: do not be afraid, be strong. Pay attention to what you eat. Not too many hamburgers and pizzas, but healthy foods. Plenty of vegetables and fruit help your immune system. And if you cannot sleep, try meditation exercises. I got that tip from my child life specialist. It helped me a lot.

And even if you are tired, keep moving. Do not think that people do not understand you. They may not know what it really feels like, but do not blame them for that. I am very grateful that I am alive today. That I did not die from this illness. That I can live, day by day.’