WHEN my father had a stroke recently, it was as tough a situation as one can imagine. That moment changed me, and taught me a big life lesson. Many people call their fathers ‘superheroes’, but, for me, my father is a real-life hero.

He has taught me everything about everyday life. When people used to tell me to ‘be a son’, my father would interrupt them immediately. “A daughter, too, can protect her family. Why should we call our brave daughter a ‘son’? A daughter can be strong in her own way.”

When he suffered the stroke, I saw his blood pressure rising and his hand becoming weak and fragile. Because I have the relevant academic background, thanks to my father, I realised that he was having a stroke. I did not wait. I gave him the right medicine, and rushed him to hospital. I made that decision on my own. I did not ask my relatives because I knew they would only make me feel weak.

That was the beginning of our journey with ischaemic stroke. While, as a family, we are busy with the recovery process, we continue to hear unhelpful advice from people who do not even understand the condition. There are always a hundred people giving us thousands of different suggestions. We are under stress, and all the advice coming our way makes it worse.

One month on, people still come with bottles of oils, weird homemade medicines, and all kinds of strange ideas. Every day, we hear something new. We are exhausted not from caring for my father, but from dealing with all the myths and concoctions. At a time when we need mental peace and support, we are bombarded with confusion.

Hani Wahid Baloch
Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2025