'Have courage and trust in Jesus' - cancer patient, 14

"We're nothing..."

That's what 14-year-old cancer patient Rosenwald, who has just undergone a bone marrow transplant, has learnt from his short life.

"One minute you're here, and the next you're gone," he says, with the resigned, philosophical but in no way pessimistic air of a more mature person. It is the bitter experiences his short life has served him that have speeded up his maturity.

At nine, Rosenwald was diagnosed with leukaemia, which was immediately treated - only to rear its ugly head again four years later. Dealing with the monster the second time around was even harder. Rosenwald knew what to expect and it wasn't anything anyone would want to suffer twice... apart from the fact that the chances of survival the second time are always slimmer.

"I still have vivid recollections of the day we found out he had relapsed. Normally, we would play fight and joke around every time he visited Wonderland (the children's oncology ward at St Luke's) for check-ups, which were becoming less and less frequent," recalls Rennie Zerafa, a dedicated Wonderland nurse, member of the Puttinu Cares Children's Cancer Support Group and event coordinator.

"But that day, a deadly silence fell... There was no more play fighting in the ward that day."

Rosenwald got a second chance and it worked, despite a 40 per cent rate of survival in the case of bone marrow transplants. Today, he is back "home" in Wonderland.

He loves cooking and wants to be a chef when he grows up. "It would be great if a chef in some hotel would take him on as an apprentice a couple of times a week, so he can watch the experts at work and learn," says Mr Zerafa.

"It is true that cancer is a bad thing and even the word is scary. But if you are reading this and have the same thing I have, or another type of cancer, have courage and trust in Jesus because you won't get better if you don't do these two things."

This is what Rosenwald wrote in his essay submitted to the Wonderland Experience competition, which about 30 current and former cancer patients, aged between four and 16, have participated in.

They have put pen to paper to write about their experiences in the Wonderland, producing inspiring and touching material.

The word cancer is still shrouded in stigma but the children discuss the illness matter-of-factly, showing a deep understanding of it. They can even look at the positive aspect of their experience and talk about Wonderland being their second home.

"I remember the first thing that came to my mind was that I was going to die. But I didn't want to. There was so much out there and I was too young. I wanted more in life, so I promised myself to try and do everything I was asked to do." Such is the fighting spirit of a 14-year-old boy that clearly emerges from an extract of his essay.

"As staff, when we see the children's courage, it fills us with energy to create more activities to make their life easier. In this ward, we have seen love taken to a whole new level."

Twenty-five per cent of the Wonderland patients do not make it. "At least we try to make the last moments of their life the best they ever had, and allow them a peaceful and dignified death."

Mr Zerafa is pleased to note that this month was the first in which eight families travelled to the UK for treatment. Thanks to Puttinu, the government and the Malta Community Chest Fund, they did not need to pay for flights and accommodation.

The Wonderland Experience writing competition has been organised by the children's cancer support group, in collaboration with the MCCF. The presentation is being held at the President's Palace, in San Anton, on Tuesday at 4.30 p.m.