“When I was studying in my second year of Intermediate, in 2009, my health began to deteriorate. I would often have a fever, chest infections, dizziness and I became lazy. I would go to the doctors or take the medicines I thought were right for the symptoms I was experiencing. My cough began to get worse and my fever became more consistent.

My parents then took me to the local doctor who conducted some tests and referred me to a pulmonologist who diagnosed me with tuberculosis (TB). We went to many other doctors, hoping for a different diagnosis, but they all said I had TB.

Most of the doctors said my TB was at an advanced stage and some even said it was untreatable. It was a lot to take in for me and my family.

However, my father did not lose hope and continued taking me to doctors. My condition would get worse during the nights and in the winters, but my father was always there for me.

Three years later, someone told us to go to a doctor in Rawalpindi, who said my condition was treatable. He started treatment, and made a diet plan and a medicine schedule for me. It took two years to cure my disease and in all that time, I lost a lot of weight.

I missed my FSc exams but I thank God for making me better. My father was my strength during that time and he was my support. He always gave me hope when I lost faith.”

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2017