One line summary about Maryam: “A positive and energetic fighter”

 The kind of person who is always the first one to be there for her loved ones and is willing to help others at all times. The kind that would stay up all night on an uncomfortable chair of thehospital to make sure her aunt is ok after her surgery and comforts her when her aunt’s body is reacting to a pain medication.
The kind that would drive extra miles to be by her friend’s side at times when life gets rough and lift her up when she desperately needs a hand. The kind of sister that helped guide her younger sister through college to make sure she gets her degree done.
The kind of high spirit human that takes English and Spanish classes to be able to communicate with tourists visiting Iran and show them around on her free time with no extra charge. The kind of daughter to work full time when going to school full time to help her parents pay their bills when times were tough at the age of 18.
The kind of niece that even though we’re 7,244 miles away from each other with 12 hours’ time difference still manages to call every day and support me emotionally when going through heartaches.

Even in the hardest times, after she was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer she still stands strong with a positive attitude and a high spirit to make sure you don’t worry for her.

The story:

My 31 year old niece, Maryam, is a fighter and she’s been fighting for her life as of 5 months ago when they found a tumor in between her kidney and liver that ended up growing aggressively to a massive 35 pounds cancerous tumor within 2 months of going to different specialists to try and get it removed.

Maryam is a very active and energetic girl that loves to hike. The few times she went for hiking with friends back in September she started realizing a shortage in her breath and swelling ankles and feet. When she finally went to the doctor and got tested they found a tumor between her kidney and liver and asked her to go to a different city where they had one of a kind liver specialist to get that looked at closely. That’s when they found out it was a fast growing cancerous tumor and by the time they got to operate it, it became 35 pounds.
She finally had the life threatening operation last month that took 8 hours but the doctors were successfully able to remove the tumor.

Unfortunately the cancer has metastasized to her lungs, kidney and some of her nodes but thankfully the doctors say it’s treatable. Because of her weak body due to the first surgery, they are holding off on the second surgery that was going to be done on her liver and she is starting the chemotherapy for time being to reduce the cancer cells. She lives in Iran and due to Iran’s sanctions it is really hard and extremely expensive to get medicines and the treatments she needs.

Our voice:

Dear friends, family members, colleagues, and generous strangers,

Please help Maryam get through her treatment process and battle with her cancer by your generosity. Even the smallest contribution is a major step towards saving this young fighter’s life.

It will mean the world to us to see Maryam regain her health and to see the motivating spark in her eyes and her smile again.