Teen Nasir Finds Comfort in Second Battle with Cancer
It was the start of Nasir’s senior year of high school. He was looking forward to the long-awaited senior rite of passages: prom and throwing his graduation cap in the air wearing his silky graduation gown.
But in an instant, life shifted — and for the second time, Nasir’s cancer returned, and with it, the treatments he thought he’d left behind.
Courage in the Face of the Unimaginable
Facing cancer once is unimaginable. Facing it twice, especially during such a milestone year, is something not many could endure.
Still, Nasir remained brave as he re-entered the cycle of chemotherapy and hospital stays.
“He was determined to beat this and not let anything stop him,” Iteahsa, Nasir’s mom, recalled.
Though Nasir approached each day with courage, he would still feel sick and down at times.
He had 28 hospital stays, all for one week each. Stuck in the hospital, Nasir was often separated from his friends, too.
Challenge Accepted: Speed Builds and Game Duels
For teens like Nasir, peer connections are a big part of how they form their identity.
Being away from friends creates a deep emotional toll that compounds the isolation, anxiety, and stress that accompanies hospital stays.
Thankfully, Nasir was able to connect with his hospital care team by doing something he loves – building with LEGO bricks!
The staff used LEGO sets provided by the Starlight Toy Delivery program to do timed challenges with Nasir.
Iteahsa recalled, “The staff and I would place a bet on how long it would take Nasir to finish building a LEGO set with many breaks in between."
Other times, they dueled in Uno and Connect 4. “For some reason Nasir would win each time no matter who he played with!” laughed Iteahsa.
Playing these fun activities supported Nasir by helping him cope, connect and stay engaged.
His mom, Iteahsa, noticed a difference in his mood and outlook — he was happy and full of cheer!
Lasting Connections of Care
Though Nasir is no longer in the hospital, the people he connected with made a lasting impact.
“He still keeps in touch with all the staff and children he met throughout his time there,” Iteahsa said.
When kids and their families can’t control a cancer diagnosis or treatment timeline, programs provided by Starlight work to bring a sense of choice, connection and happiness to them during their hospital stay.
“Even though my son was physically sick, Starlight made his experience better with so much to do while receiving treatment.”
- Iteahsa, Nasir's Mom
Be a Helper to Families In Need
Healing Begins with Happiness™. Nearly five million children are hospitalized each year.
We are working to ensure that every one of them has access to the happiness and connection that Starlight programs provide.
With a network of more than 800 hospitals, our goal is to make sure every facility has the tools they need to transform a child’s hospital stay.
But we can’t reach every hospital alone — we need your help.
Be a helper to teens facing cancer who need your support most.
