From Marathon Runner to Fighting Cancer: Help Mahmoud and His Family and Help Our Family Through Mahmoud’s Stage 3 Cancer Treatment.

Please Help Our Family Support Mahmoud Through Stage 3 Cancer Treatment

My name is Sumaya, and I am fundraising for my husband, Mahmoud, and our family as we face the most frightening and difficult period of our lives.

Our lives have changed completely since Mahmoud was diagnosed with late Stage 3 nasopharyngeal cancer.

His cancer affects his nose, throat, head and neck, and he is now preparing to undergo an intensive course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We have been told that the treatment journey ahead will be long and extremely difficult.

Before cancer, Mahmoud was incredibly active, fit and healthy. He was an athlete who ran marathons, worked hard and was always there for his family.

Watching cancer change him so quickly has been heartbreaking.

Mahmoud is now extremely unwell and frail. He struggles to walk, swallow and eat normal food and is living with significant pain and exhaustion.

The man who was once running marathons is now facing one of the biggest battles of his life.

We are frightened about what the coming months will bring, how Mahmoud will cope with the intensity of treatment and whether the treatment will be successful. But we are trying to remain hopeful and take each day as it comes.

Our Family

We are a family with four children who depend on us, as well as our two much-loved dogs, a Doberman and a Labrador.

Our children are all affected by Mahmoud's diagnosis in different ways.

Our youngest child is only 18 months old. He was born prematurely and continues to need a great deal of care and attention because of his allergies, feeding difficulties and health needs.

At the same time, our son Malek is a talented young table tennis player who has worked incredibly hard to represent England internationally & has come back with amazing Gold, Silver and Bronze titles and trophies.

This August, Malek is due to represent England at the European Mini Championships.

We are immensely proud of him.

Even while facing cancer, Mahmoud desperately wants our children's lives, opportunities and dreams to continue. We do not want Malek to lose the sporting opportunities he has worked so hard for because our family can no longer afford the costs associated with training, competitions and travel.

Our other children are also trying to cope emotionally with seeing their father become seriously ill.

As their mother, I am trying to hold our family together, care for Mahmoud, support our children and manage everything that comes with a serious cancer diagnosis.

I am disabled and unable to work, and our family is now experiencing significant financial pressure.

We do not have a wider family support network that we can rely on financially or emotionally. We are facing this journey largely on our own, drawing strength from each other and from our faith in God.

Why We Are Asking for Help

As Mahmoud begins intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy, our family's income and financial security have been severely affected.

At the same time, our normal household expenses have not stopped.

We are asking for help towards essential costs including:

* Rent, household bills and everyday living expenses while Mahmoud is unable to work.

* Travel, parking and other expenses connected with hospital appointments, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

* Suitable food, nutritional needs and other practical costs arising from Mahmoud's difficulty swallowing and eating.

* Supporting our children's everyday needs and providing stability during their father's treatment.

* Helping Malek continue his table tennis training, travel and competition commitments, including representing England at the European Mini Championships.

* Essential care and expenses for our two dogs while hospital appointments and treatment place increasing demands on our family.

* Unexpected expenses that arise during Mahmoud's cancer treatment and recovery.

Asking for financial help is not easy for us.

We have always tried to manage independently, work hard and provide for our children. But the reality is that cancer has changed our circumstances almost overnight, and we cannot manage everything alone.

Every donation, no matter the amount, would help relieve some of the financial pressure and allow us to focus more of our energy on Mahmoud's treatment, our children's wellbeing and keeping our family stable during the months ahead.

If you are unable to donate, sharing our fundraiser would mean just as much to us. The more people who see Mahmoud's story, the greater the chance that our family can receive the support we desperately need.

We will provide updates throughout Mahmoud's treatment journey so that everyone supporting our family can see how their kindness is helping us.

Our greatest hope is that the treatment works and that our children can have their father healthy and present in their lives for many years to come.

Right now, we are taking things one appointment, one treatment and one day at a time.

We are scared of what lies ahead, but we are holding onto hope, our faith in God and each other.

Thank you for reading Mahmoud's story.

Thank you for donating if you are able.

Thank you for sharing our fundraiser.

And thank you for keeping Mahmoud and our family in your thoughts and prayers.

With love and gratitude,

Sumaya, Mahmoud and our family