Two years ago, the newly married couple Rebecca Alkland and Zackaria Al Tememe went to Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg. Once there, she received her message – straight and clear from the surgeon. She had triple-negative cancer, a particularly hard-to-treat form of the disease.
– Somewhere there I checked out. I was so shocked that I passed out a little.
But even for the then new husband Zackaria Al Tememe, the tough news came as a big shock.
– It was a change. We had just got married and the joy was bubbling over, so it was tough, he says.
Bedridden for three months
After the shocking news, tough treatment awaited Rebecca Alkland. In the same vein, the couple had just found out they were going to be parents. But in order to treat the cancer, she had to undergo an abortion – otherwise it would not have been possible to start the chemotherapy.
– Within two weeks I would have surgery and have time to have an abortion. It is not possible to start chemotherapy at the beginning when you are pregnant, she says.
Zackaria Al Tememe describes how it felt to be a relative and stand next to his new wife in the new everyday life, when she was, among other things, bedridden for three months due to chemotherapy.
– Standing next to it is very difficult. It is not you who has cancer, but you are very much involved in it. So I switched off, it was easiest that way, he says.
“It’s a small miracle”
Today, Rebecca Alkland feels well and feels healthy, she says. She still feels like her body is trying to recover, with body aches and fatigue.
But despite the hard setbacks the couple had gone through, they still dared to believe in the future. After Rebecca Alkland underwent radiation treatment, three months passed and she became pregnant again.
And today the future looks very bright – as they now have four-month-old Nour.
– It is a small miracle. Life goes on somehow and there is so much love, says Rebecca Alkland.
Zakaria Al Tememe can’t help but agree with his wife.
– You appreciate life in a completely different way today, he says.