A tale of hope and courage
"When I learned I had breast cancer, I was not sure that I would be able to recover or survive." Rifat Syed
Rifat was 30 years old and a busy teacher in the village of Gahkuch in Gilgit Baltistan when she received the shocking news that she had breast cancer. Rifat had seen a lump in her breast during a self examination. Eventually she overcame her fears and visited a local doctor, who diagnosed her illness. Since comprehensive tertiary care was not available in her native village, her doctor referred her to the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) in Karachi.
When Rifat learnt that she had breast cancer, her first concern was for her parents. She was worried that they would grieve for her if she did not survive. For their sake, she remained very strong and calm. She told her parents, with alot of confidence, that she would visit Karachi for her treatment, recover and return home soon.
However, Rifat was not as confident as she sounded. She was worried about the quality of care she would receive for this life-threatening illness. She was also worried about the expense of the treatment.
The expertise and warmth of the medical team at AKUH and the comprehensiveness of the facilities, soon pacified all her fears. The Patient Welfare Programme provided Rifat with financial support while she took time off from her job and underwent treatment. This reduced the burdens and worries of her family even further.
After two years, Rifat's courage and faith has paid off. She has enrolled in a Masters Programme at the AKU - Institute for Educational Development and is now well on her way to recovery, as well as to receiving a further qualification in her field of work.
Rifat would like to return to Gahkuch and spread awareness about breast cancer among women in her village.
"I would like more women to learn about this disease in time to get the best treatment." she says.
You too can help cancer patients, especially those who cannot afford their treatment.
Donate now at https://donate.aku.edu/zakat.aspx
For donors in USA, please click here: https://i-care-america.org/donation-2/?general-donation=To
For donors in USA, please click here: https://i-care-america.org/donation-2/?general-donation=To
