Zahir and Afsana had just welcomed home a beautiful baby boy a few days ago when Zahir was told he has cancer. His whole world crumbled in front of him and he couldn’t stop thinking, ‘What if I don’t survive? What about my family? And what about my baby?’
Zahir suffers from Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a severe type of blood cancer. He needs chemotherapy to survive, but his family is unable to afford it.
Zahir suffers from Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a severe type of blood cancer. He needs chemotherapy to survive, but his family is unable to afford it.
He fights with a strong will to survive
“I am still in shock and in the process of accepting it all. It was so sudden. I had no signs of illness whatsoever, and now I can’t even get up from my bed because I feel so weak and helpless. But I will not lose hope, I want to go back home healthy and watch my child grow; I want to survive.” - Zahir
As the type of cancer he has spreads aggressively, there was no time to waste. He was immediately given his first dose of chemotherapy. Zahir has a strong will to survive and his body is responding to the treatment positively. He feels better already, but there is a long way to go.
Afsana is torn between being a mother and a wife
While Zahir is undergoing treatment at the hospital, Afsana, his wife, is worried sick about him at home. She is torn between being a mother and a wife. The baby is just 2 months old and so she has to constantly be there for him, as she cannot take him to the hospital.
“I try to be strong and talk as normal as possible without breaking down, but internally, I am shattered. These situations are just out of my control. They say he can be cured and that he will be alright. I just want him to come back home safe and be cancer free.” - Afsana
“It hurts to see my son so sick. I am a vegetable vendor, and with my income it was always hard to keep up with expenses. But ever since my son started sharing responsibilities, things got so much better. I just didn’t realize how quickly he grew up until he had a family of his own. The happiness in his eyes when he held his baby was priceless, but this disease is threatening to take all of that away and I can do nothing but watch helplessly.” - Jumman, father
Zahir needs rigorous and continuous chemotherapy to beat cancer and the treatment will cost 10 lakh rupees. The family’s financial condition is very bad; they can barely afford 3 meals a day, let alone cancer treatment. Zahir needs your help to survive.