Bulu, aged 15, Cameroon

Bulu’s father, Mr Adlem was in disbelief after finding out his second child was diagnosed with cancer also after losing his first son. He was grateful they were able to receive support from World Child Cancer in Cameroon.

Bulu lives with his father (Mr Adlem – a local village tailor), mother (a subsistence farmer) and four brothers in a small village in the Southwest of Cameroon.  When Bulu was just 5 years old he was diagnosed with abdominal Burkitt Lymphoma. Unfortunately this was not the first time his family had been affected by cancer. Bulu’s eldest brother was also diagnosed with Burkitt Lymphoma when he was 18 years old and sadly died in 2014. Burkitt Lymphoma commonly occurs in children living in Malaria zones – chronic malaria is believed to reduce resistance to Epstein-Barr virus, allowing the disease to take hold.

Mr Adlem remembers when Bulu was diagnosed so quickly after losing his eldest son. He couldn’t understand why it was happening again. He remembers noticing that his son became increasingly weak and his stomach started to swell. He suspected his son could have cancer but didn’t want to believe it could be happening again. He felt powerless and scared and didn’t know how to stop it taking another one of his sons.

Bulu was taken to a local hospital in Mutengene where World Child Cancer has been working since 2011. Mr Adlem was worried the family would not be able to afford treatment. He was relieved when the nurses told him that there was a program set up to assist families likes his. Bulu started treatment immediately, receiving a number of cycles of chemotherapy. 

Bulu responded well to treatment and his father was very happy with the service and support they received at the Hospital.

You could tell that the doctors and nurses were passionate and dedicated to their work, and not just doing it to earn money.

Bulu is now 15 years old and has made a full recovery. He enjoys maths at school but really wants to make a career playing football. He would like to follow in his brothers footsteps and join a nearby football club so that he can improve his game. 

With your support more children with cancer, like Bulu, can have access to the best possible treatment and care. Thank you for giving children with cancer the gift of growing up. 

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