Nadia's story
Hashim's cancer diagnosis
In late May 2023, Hashim was rushed to A&E after experiencing sudden symptoms including difficulty breathing, swelling in his leg, and a numb arm. Days before, he had also told his mum he had back and stomach aches.
After some tests at the hospital, Hashim and his family are told that doctors could see shadows on his chest X-ray and that it could be cancer.
“Initially we thought they made a mistake,” remembers Nadia. “My son is a 6’3 body builder, how can it be cancer? We made the doctor double check that they had the right patient. We think there must have been a mistake.”
Later, Hashim received a physical exam and an ultrasound, and are told he had testicular cancer that had spread to his abdomen, chest, lungs, brain and back.
“Hashim admitted he had felt a sharp pain in his left testicle in December, just before he was going to Singapore with his brother, but thought it was just excitement about the trip,” says Nadia. “Doctors were baffled by his lack of symptoms, but they confirmed the cancer has spread.”
Hashim was then transferred to the Barts Cancer Centre and began chemotherapy immediately.
The decision to host a Coffee Morning
“Hashim was a big foodie, and would meal plan each day of what he wanted to eat from my home cooking, However, during treatment he would often struggle to eat because of mouth sores. But if I brought in home cooked food he would always make sure to eat every bite, even if it was a struggle,” says Nadia.
Hashim’s sister Zartashia suggested that Hashim signed up to host a Macmillan Coffee Morning.
Nadia says: "At first Hashim was worried he wasn't going to be well enough, but he realised it wasn't until September and he was so excited and couldn't stop grinning. He was more excited talking about the plans for his Coffee Morning than he was talking about his 25th birthday plans."
Zartashia bought him a special mug and Hashim told all his friends to book the day off work so that could come along to his Coffee Morning. He wanted them to watch him smash the mug to celebrate the end of his chemotherapy treatment.
Coffee Morning in memory of Hashim
Unfortunately, Hashim died just 6 weeks after he was diagnosed with cancer due to complications from a sepsis infection.
“Hashim’s last request was to hold the Coffee Morning, so we decided to hold it in his memory and use it as a way for all his friends and colleagues from other cultures to pay their respects and get some closure,” says Nadia.
“From 10am sharp people started arriving to our Coffee Morning and we had over 100 people in our house, sharing their stories of Hashim. We couldn’t believe how many people showed up, even people we didn’t know.
“The event really brought people from all walks of life and all backgrounds. Everyone felt called to come.
“Hashim was always very giving and wanted to give back. If he was alive, I know he would still be sitting here, raising money and awareness.”
Join us for Coffee Morning this September
Coffee Morning returns on Friday 26 September. Gather your friends, family and loved ones together to hold a Coffee Morning and make a difference in the lives of people affected by cancer.
If you can't host, use our postcode search to discover Coffee Mornings near to you or make a donation to help us continue to provide vital support.