Meet Our Supporters: Seema Sarwar

‘This experience shook me to the core. Afterwards, I knew I wanted to do something for cancer patients. I guess it was only natural that I would decide to support Shaukat Khanum Hospital.’

Seema Sarwar reached out to Imran Khan Cancer Appeal with the desire to leave a legacy in her Will. Our team guided her through the process and got to know Ms. Sarwar better during this time. Hers is a life dedicated to helping people. Moved by her story, we asked if we could share it with others. Ms. Sarwar agreed and gave us permission to translate her words from Urdu into English. We’ve tried to stay as true to them as possible.

“One of my earliest memories is from when I was 11 years old. I helped an old lady cross the road. I remember how tightly she held onto me, praying for me every step of the way. She seemed so nervous. And I kept telling her, ‘Don’t worry Aunty. I’m with you.’ When I got home, I told my big sister what had happened. She was pleased and asked me, ‘If you had lots of money, Seema, what would you do with it?’ I didn’t have to think long about the answer. ‘I’d buy a very big house and where I could take care of old people.’

“Allah must have accepted my prayer. In my 20s I was running my own nursing home, in Pakistan, where most of the residents were the elderly in need of care. Unfortunately, one of the people I had to care for was my own sister, who suffered a stroke at a young age. I supported her for seven years before she passed away. It breaks my heart to see young people suffer. Another young person whose suffering affected me profoundly was a lady who had cancer. She only lived three months after being admitted to my nursing home.

“This experience shook me to the core. Afterwards, I knew I wanted to do something for cancer patients. I guess it was only natural that I would decide to support Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital. After all, I have met Imran Khan several times in London. It’s from him that I learned about charitable projects. He inspired me and taught me, and the causes he worked for have always been close to my heart.

“You never know with cancer. Patients can have a long life after being diagnosed, or just a few months to live. People can recover or die quickly. Alhamdulillah, nowadays a lot of people are able to survive cancer. But the important thing is to give someone hope and the medical care they need to have a real chance at recovery.

“I have one daughter. Alhamdulillah, she is financially comfortable. She has no need to inherit from me. But if through my support to the hospital, I can help one person with cancer to survive, or even get the care they need, then I’ll get their prayers. And inshallah, Allah (SWT) will forgive my sins. What more can I ask for?

“Enough from me. I get emotional when I talk about needy people. Thank you for all your hard work at Imran Khan Cancer Appeal and Shaukat Khanum Hospital. And please keep me in your prayers.”

Seema Sarwar is one of the many dedicated supporters who have committed to providing lifesaving treatment for needy patients through a gift in their Will. If you’d like to find out more about legacy giving with Imran Khan Cancer Appeal, click below to find out more.