Hi, my name is Pankaj, and I am trying to raise funds to help my friend Shehnaz a widow, with Rehan, her nine-year-old son, who is battling for her life in Kashmir, India. Her unending medical complications include- blood poisoning, uterine fibroids, a broken leg, gall bladder stone, UTI, a dislocated knee, two brain tumors, DVT, and now, cancer in the pelvic region.

We have known Shehnaz for decades. I never knew her destiny. Her story is of how fate can drag anyone down to rock bottom. And worse...

Her husband died following a debilitating stroke within ten years of her marriage. The business stopped. Income ceased. Within a year, she lost her house and with no visible means of income; with her son, she moved to a relative’s house. The relatives had enough of her and asked her to move out within a few years.

And then the health issues struck – blood poisoning, uterine fibroids, a broken leg, gall bladder stone, UTI, a dislocated knee, two brain tumors, DVT, and now, cancer in the pelvic region.

All these years, she has managed by appealing to local people and borrowing money from whoever she could. Her own family – a brother and sister - has abandoned her.

She seeks assistance for more surgeries, including an impending hip replacement, all in the hope that she can get back on her feet and make a living. Her son stays with her in the hospital ward, where she is now being treated, but that cannot be for long.

This petition is to raise at least $20,000 for her to live. So she can yet aspire to build her life and her son’s.

We, her friends, thank you all in advance for your good wishes and financial support.

Shehnaz's bank details:

Name Shehnaz Akhter*

Jammu & Kashmir Bank

Account: Savings

A/c # 0897040800001475

Branch: Samote

Ifsc code: JAKA0SAMOTE