MANAMA: Brave Hassan Al Kheej died yesterday morning in the intensive care unit of an American hospital after a long battle against cancer.
According to his cousin Fadhel Al Tajir, the student’s condition worsened in recent weeks after a last-ditch medical trial proved unsuccessful.
“His death was expected because we always hoped for a miracle,” Mr Al Tajir told the GDN.
“He was under trial with a new medicine but his condition worsened four weeks ago. Last week his health deteriorated and he died yesterday.”
The 23-year-old’s father Habeeb Ahmed and mother Ghalia Tajir were by his bedside at Houston MD Anderson Cancer Centre, University of Texas, when he passed away.
His younger siblings, two brothers and one sister, are in Bahrain at their Abu Saiba home being comforted today by family and friends.
“Hassan’s parents took him to the hospital when his medicines stopped working and he started falling sick,” added Mr Al Tajir. “He was admitted into the intensive care unit where his condition deteriorated and he wasn’t able to eat anything. He grew tired and weak. It was an emotionally desperate period for the whole family.”
The GDN reported earlier how the whole kingdom rallied round to support the young man. He was extended a helping hand from His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, who stepped forward to sponsor his treatment.
The Barbar resident was selling ribbon pins to help fund his hospital stay in the US where he was offered the chance to undergo pioneering treatment for osteosarcoma – a bone cancer that had spread. He was hoping to raise BD150,000 for the treatment.
Fighting the cruel disease for a third time, he also expressed his happiness at hearing that His Majesty’s representative for humanitarian and youth affairs Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, was following his case and offering support.
He was first diagnosed with bone cancer in 2018. In a touching video which went viral last November, Mr Al Kheej revealed that he had only three months to live after the cancer metastasised in his lungs and chemotherapy treatment appeared to be failing to control its spread.
raji@gdn.com.bh
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