Health Bulletin - Breast Cancer Awareness - A Story of Hope, Faith and Strength

Secretariat
4 days ago
3 min read

The Central Health Board (CHB) of the Africa Federation is pleased to share the inspiring journey of Kanizefatema Bai Damji, the second breast cancer survivor featured in our ongoing awareness campaign. Her journey is one of faith, courage, and determination, serving as a powerful reminder of the importance of early detection, family support, and faith in overcoming life’s greatest challenges.

Kanizefatema Bai, who serves as the Secretary of the AFED Women’s Board, is a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and an active member of the community. She also supports her husband in managing their travel agency and restaurant.

On February 2024, she noticed a small lump and assumed it was hormonal, when it did not go away after several weeks, she began taking vitamin supplements, hoping it would resolve on its own. By April 2024, the lump was still there and she decided to get it checked.

An ultrasound suggested the need for a biopsy. Together with her husband, she travelled to India for further screening, including a PET scan and all other tests required.

She underwent surgery, during which her lymph nodes tested positive for cancer. Before the surgery, her doctor had informed her that she would only require radiation. However, a few days later, when she visited a medical oncologist to review her results, she was advised to undergo six sessions of chemotherapy, radiation and medication. Hearing the word “chemotherapy” was something she hadn’t expected, she wasn’t prepared for it and broke down in tears, as to her, chemotherapy felt like “the end of the story”.

The news came as a shock to her and her family, but her husband’s strength and her children’s encouragement gave her courage. “They kept reminding me, ‘Mom, you are our role model,’ and that pushed me to stay strong,” she said.

Chemotherapy was both mentally and physically exhausting, yet she remained determined to stay active. Even throughout her treatment, she continued to report to work on time and maintain her daily routine. On days when she had no energy due to chemotherapy and booster shots, she pushed herself to carry on and live as normally as possible.

Her faith in Allah (SWT) gave her strength. “In January, I lost my mother, and a few later I was diagnosed with cancer. It was a test, but I kept strong faith that this was temporary and that I would get through it,” she said.

Support from family, friends, and the community played an important role in her healing. “Many women reached out to me with prayers, khake Shifaa, tasbih, and carpet from Imam Ridha (‘a)’s Haram. Those gestures touched my heart deeply,” she shared.

Kanizefatema Bai also highlighted the importance of speaking openly about cancer to fight stigma. “Some people are afraid to talk about it because they fear being judged. But awareness saves lives. When we share our stories, we encourage others to go for screening early,” she said.

She emphasizes the importance of early detection saying; ““Don’t let fear stop you to do your screening, know that the earlier its diagnosed, the easier your treatment will be”.

Through this journey she learnt that health is truly a gift, you don’t realize how precious it is until it is tested.

To those who are going through this, she offers words of hope: “Please don’t lose hope, you are stronger than you think, keep faith and remember recovery is possible.” She also adds: “Fear is our biggest enemy during any illness, it weakens our mind before the body even begins to fight, when we remove fear and replace it with faith, half the healing begins right there”.

And finally, she highlights that cancer is not something to hide or to be ashamed of, it isn’t a curse but one of the tests from Allah (SWT), the more you talk about it, the more lives you can save through awareness and early detection.

Kanizefatema Bai Damji’s story reflects hope, faith, strength, and transformation. By sharing her journey as the second cancer survivor in CHB’s awareness initiative, she hopes to inspire everyone to prioritize their health, get regular screenings, and know that cancer is treatable.