Brave five-year-old Dubai cancer patient beats Covid-19


Gillian Duncan
  • English
  • Arabic

On receiving news of her daughter’s Covid-19 diagnosis, the wave of shock that hit a mother in Dubai was eerily familiar.

Karin Voyatjes felt exactly the same way two years ago when she learnt that Alexa, now 5, had cancer.

With her daughter still undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a type of blood cancer, Ms Voyatjes worried how ill her girl could become from the coronavirus.

“It was such a shock because it was the last thing I expected. She wasn’t sick at the time,” said Ms Voyatjes, from South Africa, of her daughter's Covid-19 diagnosis in August.

You sort of have to disconnect yourself from the emotional side, because you are allowing your child to be tortured, in a way

“The following day the rest of the family all went for tests. My husband and my son tested positive.

“My husband had mild flu symptoms. My son, 6, was totally asymptomatic. I would not have known he had Covid-19 at all. Not a sneeze, not a fever. Absolutely nothing.”

Alexa eventually developed symptoms. Her oxygen levels were stable throughout, but a second chest X-ray revealed a concerning pattern in her lungs, so doctors put her on antibiotics as a precaution.

She tested positive for about six weeks, which is normal for people who are immunocompromised, but eventually beat the virus.

“It was a very stressful period, but luckily everyone was okay,” Ms Voyatjes said.

Alexa, who is now approaching the end of her lengthy treatment for leukaemia, has come a long way.

Ms Voyatjes, who posts on social media regularly to raise awareness about childhood leukaemia, said the early days of her daughter's treatment were hard.

Only three years old at the time, Alexa struggled to understand what was happening to her.

“She’s quite a feisty, outgoing child. She rebelled against the treatment. She [was] making herself vomit in the car,” Ms Voyatjes said.

Next week, Alexa will start the final cycle of her treatment, which is expected to end in February. Antonie Robertson / The National
Next week, Alexa will start the final cycle of her treatment, which is expected to end in February. Antonie Robertson / The National

“They put something under her skin to give direct access to an artery, which is how they insert the chemotherapy.

“During the first few months, she didn’t want it to be touched. She would cry and scream, make herself vomit and take her clothes off rather than have it done.”

It was hard for her mother to watch.

But she coped by focusing on how the treatment could save her life.

“You sort of have to disconnect yourself from the emotional side, because you are allowing your child to be tortured, in a way,” she said.

“It’s a really strange thing to go through as a parent.”

The family sought the help of a psychologist with experience in treating children with cancer. The doctor helped Alexa overcome her anxiety.

“You could treat her with something to calm her down or tie her to the bed, but the long-term effects of that would be worse. It’s a long journey," Ms Voyatjes said.

"So you can’t really use a short-term fix at the beginning. It’s better to treat the core problem.

“She’s absolutely amazing now. The doctors are amazed. We have a routine and there is no protest.”

At the time of the diagnosis, Alexa was ill but there were no major red flags.

She had a fever from tonsillitis that week, a few bruises on her legs, and a more concerning one behind her ear, which could not be explained by any injuries.

A doctor decided to run some tests, which initially suggested she was suffering from a blood clotting disorder.

“The paediatrician who ran the tests said we had to go to the emergency department,” Ms Voyatjes said.

“We agreed to stay overnight after doctors re-ran the blood. The next morning, I had to sign a disclaimer for an emergency blood transfusion and platelet transfusion.

“Her blood count dropped so significantly overnight that it was actually quite dangerous.”

Next week, Alexa will start the final cycle of her treatment, which is expected to end in February.

I don't think we will be able to do much to celebrate at the end of two and a half years of treatment, but it will still be an amazing day

She has been back in school since September and is enjoying being with her friends again.

Ms Voyatjes hopes sharing information online will help others spot the early signs of the illness in their children.

Results from Alexa’s blood tests are good, and they will soon learn whether she is in remission.

With her treatment set to end in a few weeks, the family is planning a celebration – but the pandemic does not make it easy.

“I don’t think we will be able to do much to celebrate at the end of two and a half years of treatment,” Alexa's mother said.

“But it will still be an amazing day.”

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
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  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Civil%20War
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RIDE%20ON
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How to turn your property into a holiday home
  1. Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
  2. Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
  3. Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
  4. Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
  5. Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Company Profile:

Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018)