900 Days: One International Boy’s Journey from Cancer Diagnosis to a New Beginning in Beijing

In May 2024, 10 year old Leo (a pseudonym) travelled from Saudi Arabia to Beijing United Family Hospital after developing a small lump on his neck, recurrent nosebleeds and persistent low grade fever. Comprehensive MICM testing confirmed B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B ALL), the most common form of childhood leukemia and one of the most treatable.

Under the leadership of Dr. Yue Yan, Chair of Pediatric Hematology, Leo’s care team quickly developed a risk stratified chemotherapy plan. The first two weeks brought encouraging news as the leukemia cells rapidly retreated. Then came a series of serious complications. Drug resistant bacterial, cytomegalovirus and fungal infections struck simultaneously, sending his temperature to 40.5°C. A deep vein thrombosis developed in his left leg, his potassium level dropped to a life threatening range causing abnormal ECG changes, and severe liver injury led to significant liver dysfunction. A multidisciplinary team including specialists from Pediatric Hematology, Laboratory Medicine, Pharmacy, Nutrition and Psychological Support met every evening to review his condition, continuously adjusting his treatment. For 28 consecutive days, they worked together to bring every life threatening complication under control.

Leo continued with consolidation and maintenance therapy over the following months. On 15 July 2026, exactly 26 months after his diagnosis, his final minimal residual disease (MRD) assessment was negative and his cerebrospinal fluid examination was completely normal. He completed treatment and was discharged from the hospital.

On the day Leo was discharged, his father captured the moment with a photograph that later became the family’s phone wallpaper. Beneath the image, he wrote, “We spent two years fighting for a lifetime of tomorrows.”