Please help Mubasher (Bash) beat Leukaemia

All praise is due to Allah the Most High.

Assalamualaikum and Hello, Can you spare a moment to read and share my story. I have recently been diagnosed with Acute T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma/ Leukemia. I am 44 years old, one of six siblings and a son, as well as a husband of 17 years and father of six. The eldest is 16, and the youngest is one year old. I have been a chauffeur running my own business for many years and recently completed a plumbing course and received a level 2 City and Guilds certification. All of my family rely on me, and I am very active in their lives. Up until I was diagnosed, I was very fit and athletic. I participated in exercising with weights and callisthenics as well as taking the children to boxing and martial arts, which I also would join in. As a result, my diet was relatively strict, and I did not particularly indulge in high fat or sugary diet. Instead, I ate very healthily and drank lots of water; I had no health issues other than some ongoing knee pain resulting from a car accident in 2015 for which I had an operation. So the diagnosis was a complete shock to myself and my family.

My story started around mid-December 2021 when I thought I had sustained a sports injury as an athletic person, with some enlarged lymph nodes appearing. A couple of weeks later there were also some small lumps evident in the neck however, as we all do I put this down to a cold and a bit of a sore throat. After another couple of weeks, the lumps continued to grow coupled with some near my elbows prompted a trip to the GP. The GP was unconcerned but ran some bloods, which came back normal. He also ordered an x-ray and CT. In March, the CT showed lymph nodes on the right chest which was covered with inflamed nodes and answered why I had issues breathing as well as a productive cough. As a result, they then took a biopsy from one of the nodes in my neck. At the beginning of April, this result came back as positive for Acute Lymphoblastic/T-cell Lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer rare in adults. As a result of this diagnosis, a bone marrow biopsy was performed, which showed unusual lymphoblasts in the marrow, confirming cancer as being Leukemia and that it had infiltrated 90% of the marrow. The doctors advised that I booked in the next day to begin a regime of chemotherapy for which the prognosis I was given was 50% chance of going into remission or that I would have a life expectancy of a couple of months without. As I had done previous research, I felt chemotherapy was not for me and that the side effects were so severe that even if I survived, I would be left with extreme side effects and that, indeed, it may not even have any effect at all. As it is important to me to spend time with my family, I did not want to be stuck in hospital for months, weak and unable to speak or eat and, most importantly, perform my Islamic duties. After this, the doctors were not very interested in me because I had deferred their treatment. They were sadly very condescending and rude to me at a time when I needed help. I had an ongoing cough which had been keeping me awake at night and impairing my ability to sleep. We requested the full documents to be sent to me as I wanted a 2nd opinion. On this report, it became evident I had a fluid buildup around my lungs and heart, causing the cough, difficulty breathing, and some chest pain. I was not advised of this fluid and had to attend an A and E dept of my own accord to have one and a half litres of fluid drained which gave immense relief, and I was once again able breathe comfortably and sleep at night.

As I decided to seek a 2nd opinion from a hospital that may be able to offer other solutions, the GP then referred me to Hammersmith Imperial College Hospital. I was placed under the care of a professor there. During this time, it was into Ramadan, and I could not reconcile being unable to participate due to my illness as I had never before missed even one fast. I approached the local Imam for advice. He advised he knew of a brother who, similarly to me, had had cancer but, to his knowledge, was much better/cured now. I made contact with the brother, and he gave me an account of the treatment he had used, which was based on natural remedies, which is more in line with my philosophy. I knew that I would have to travel to Switzerland for this treatment. Over the period through the end of May and beginning of June, I found it becoming more and more difficult to breathe again. I had decided to travel abroad for further therapy on the brother's recommendation but was awaiting an appointment from the clinic. It was deemed not safe for me to fly due to further fluid buildup on my lungs, so I was happy to make the journey by car. By now, I was also using ambulatory oxygen therapy to assist with breathing and it was once again impossible to lie on my left side due to discomfort in the heart area. I had requested that the fluid be drained at in the hospital and was admitted for this. However, due to the fluid around the heart, it was decided it may be too risky to remove the fluid. Instead, they advised me again to start chemotherapy, which I did not want to start with, so I returned home.

On the 20th of June, I travelled to the clinic in Switzerland to begin my therapies there. I was given several treatments, including ozone therapy, high-dose vitamin preparations, other immune-boosting therapies and medications, and a diet plan. This journey was arduous due to my breathing issues, I could barely take a few steps and would require a fan on mobilising to ensure there was adequate air circulation around my face as otherwise, I felt as though I was suffocating; at this point, any heat or areas with no air conditioning were just about intolerable. In addition, there was fluid building up around my feet, which was very uncomfortable, but elevation helped slightly reduce swelling. However, on my return, a further X-ray a week later showed further fluid buildup around the lungs, and some tissue damage inside the lungs impeded my breathing further. As they had not been willing to have the fluid drained off, I had to attend a local A and E department that had initially drained the fluid to have more drained away if possible.

So, here I am in sha Allah I have further therapies now ordered in the UK, which the clinic has advised me to continue for now. I have been advised to have further sessions, including ozone therapy and high-dose vitamins and supplements, to boost my immune system to help me continue to fight this disease. The Swiss clinic has also instructed me to visit them every month and gradually decrease the frequency of the visits until, in sha Allah, recovery occurs. Sadly, I am still unable to work and my wife cannot return to work due to caring for my ongoing needs. This makes our family situation very difficult to manage physically as well as financially. Therefore, I have had to make the difficult decision to start a go fund page to assist with some of our medical and financial struggles. I have applied for disability allowances, but despite being given two months of survival by my local hospital, I have not been deemed critical enough to receive assistance. Since being diagnosed, I have met many others in a similar situation to myself who I have been helping with treatment options and diet plans that are scientifically proven to benefit those battling cancer. I wish for others in our community to benefit from my situation, whether it be from support or just advice, help and tips, so they do not have to experience the difficulties I have been through. Every day, I thank Allah for giving me Shiffaa and allowing me to continue to spend time with my family and make a difference to others if I can. I am immensely grateful to all those who have donated sadaqah charity, given some of their spare time, and kept us in their duas and prayers. I would happily update my progress regularly, as it benefits me and many others who may find themselves in a similar situation.