Help Saif fight his battle with cancer!

My husband Saifullah Khattak was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma on September 14, 2023. Saif is an extremely caring and loving father as well as a doting husband. We had a baby earlier this year, Shavez is a daddy's boy and keeps Saif’s spirits high. My husband is a good cricket player who has participated in New York and Cedar Rapids cricket tournaments. Those who know Saif can attest that he is a reliable friend, who is always there for you.

On September 14th, what we thought was going to be a short visit to the ER for another back pain episode turned our world upside down. Saif was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. It was hard to accept this fact for anyone considering Saif’s physique and strength. After multiple tests and doctors’ visits it was suggested to get the treatment in Mount Sinai hospital, New York. This hospital is considered as one of the best in the US for cancer treatment.

At Mount Sinai, Saif is going to be receiving chemotherapy over the course of 6 months in 6 different phases/cycles, where each time the expected stay at the hospital is a week. After that there will be a month-long stay for bone marrow transplant or an alternative procedure, whichever the team of doctors find suitable for him at that time. This will be followed with outpatient chemotherapy for 2 years beyond that.

We moved to New York last weekend and rented an apartment near the hospital where they will stay for the next 6 months or so. Yesterday was his first day of treatment and the doctors found that he has a fracture in his backbone and cancer has spread into it rather aggressively. This is a new development which has resulted in holding off the Chemo until the surgery.

In August, a month before the diagnosis, Saif’s employer had a few layoffs and unfortunately Saif was one of the employees that was laid off. In this situation, without a salary, it is really difficult for him to cover the co-pays/medical expenses and rent for the New York apartment.

At this incredibly difficult time we are requesting your help as Saif started a long road to recovery. We are not clear on how much we need until Saif beats the cancer, but surely it is going to be a couple of hundred thousand dollars to cover both medical and necessary expenses. There are so many things for us to consider as we start this journey, and your incredible support will make it easier for us to help Saif financially as he begins this fight. Thank you in advance for helping us, we can’t tell you how thankful we are for your support and prayers.