POLOKWANE – Imke Geldenhuys celebrated her fourth birthday in New York and while that might seem like a great birthday treat to any other four-year-old, Imke spent her special day in pain.
Imke was diagnosed with phase four neuroblastomata, a rare cancer which usually occurs in children under five years old, at the beginning of 2016. Since then she has been in and out of hospital for various treatments.
In September last year Imke, along with her mom, Ilona, her dad, Darius and twin sisters Anebelle and Zielke, flew to New York where she was to undergo further treatment. Almost eight months have passed since their departure and Imke is still not out of the woods and the family recently asked for continuous prayers as this is a very emotional time.
“It is emotional, especially to see Imke in so much pain again the past few weeks. We all thought the pain in her sides and abdomen were because of her being so constipated during the past few weeks and she was on morphine for 37 days. She is still recovering from the high dose of ice chemotherapy treatment and that the pain would soon go away,” read a post on a Facebook page in honour of Imke called Warrior Imke / Prayers 4 Imke / Gebede vir Imke, which is regularly updated by her father.
“The day after Imke’s scans we had a follow-up appointment with her oncologist. He and the team love and care so much for Imke. The appointment was scheduled so that we could go through the results and plan forward. This meeting lasted for about 40 minutes.”
With tears in his eyes the oncologist told the family that the cancer had progressed.
“I am so sorry, it feels like I’ve let you down and disappointed you but we did not expect this, we are at times banging our heads against the walls when it comes to MYCN Amplified Neuroblastoma,” he said.
The spots in and behind Imke’s lungs appear bigger and new spots have developed. The doctors say they are doing everything possible to aid her.
Immediately after meeting with Imke’s oncologist, a meeting with the hospital’s pain management team was scheduled and they increased her daily pain relief dosage to make her more comfortable during this time.
Her father said the doctor provided clarity on why Imke is experiencing pain. He explained that the mass behind her lungs has grown and is pressing on her spine, this, together with the emergence of more masses is causing the pain.
“A decision was made to start with radiation to help with the pain. We just finished today with a week of radiation treatment which was done just under Imke’s lungs, spine and lower back, which really also looks like it helped a lot with Imke’s pain,” Darius said.
“Imke my Warrior Angelface, you’ve done this whole week’s radiation without anaesthesia…. being the warrior that you are and being so strong and courageous you overcame your fear again. I can only imagine how intimidating it must have been and looked for you in that BIG room alone and only hearing my voice speaking and encouraging you through a microphone. Daddy and Mommy are so proud of you,” the Facebook post concluded.
Imke’s next treatment is scheduled to start on Monday, 30 May. Imke will not be able to sleep next to her parents, and they will also not be able to be too close to her. However, they remain positive and believe the family will overcome this obstacle.
#WarriorImke #FaithfulGod #GodofMiracles
#LiveLifeToTheFullestEveryDay #TreasureEveryMomentWithYou
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