Ashfaq, a 10-year-old boy from Ghotki, Sindh, was bedridden for two and a half years due to a mysterious illness. In June 2023, he was admitted to the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) in Karachi. Doctors diagnosed him with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), a childhood cancer with a cure rate of 80% if treated properly. Ashfaq's family was shocked but agreed to long-term chemotherapy after counselling by doctors and social workers. Thanks to free treatment provided by the hospital and charity Child Aid Association, Ashfaq completed chemotherapy and is now in remission. He has returned home, playing and studying again. Childhood cancer affects about 10,000 children yearly in Pakistan. But fewer than half receive proper diagnosis and treatment due to limited paediatric oncology centers and cancer registries—there are only eight such departments nationwide. Survival rates are below 30% in Pakistan compared to over 80% in wealthy countries. In response, Pakistan joined the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines in July 2025. This WHO and St Jude’s initiative aims to double survival rates to 60% by 2030 through better cancer care, training, and infrastructure. Ashfaq's recovery shows what is possible with timely care and support. Yet many children never get treated. Experts say the biggest challenges are limited access to services, financial barriers, and treatment abandonment. “The question isn’t whether we can save these children. We know we can. The question is whether we will reach them in time,” said the head of paediatric oncology at NICH and Child Aid Association. Ashfaq's story inspires hope and highlights the urgent need to close childhood cancer treatment gaps in Pakistan.