Support Shakira’s Chemotherapy After Thymoma Surgery
Shakira Saeed's Story
After months of chest pain, shortness of breath, a persistent cough, and trouble swallowing, Shakira Saeed, a 25-year-old woman from Larkana, Sindh, finally learned what was wrong. Doctors diagnosed her with thymoma, a tumour that grows in the thymus gland in the centre of the chest. In July 2026 she underwent major surgery at Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi. Surgeons removed the mediastinal mass through a sternotomy and also performed a left upper lobectomy, taking out part of her left lung with the tumour. The operation was the first step of this management. Her treating doctor later advised six cycles of chemotherapy, given every three weeks, followed by a repeat PET scan to see whether the disease has been controlled. Shakira and her husband cannot afford that course of treatment. If this chemotherapy is delayed, the cancer that has already invaded her chest may keep advancing, and the gains from her difficult surgery could be lost. She has already endured sternotomy and lung surgery. Completing the planned adjuvant treatment is important to ensure she receives the protection she needs during this critical period.
Shakira is a housewife. Her husband, Saeed Ahmed, works as a dispenser at a private clinic and brings home only PKR 12,000 a month. They are a family of two, with no children, and they live in a rented two-room brick house in Larkana. Rent alone is PKR 7,500 a month, and utility bills add about PKR 1,800. To pay for Shakira’s surgery, her husband has already taken a loan of PKR 800,000. After rent, bills, and the weight of that debt, nothing is left for six cycles of chemotherapy.
Shakira shared her heartfelt plea as follows:
“I thought the hardest part was over when I woke up after the operation. Now I am told I still have a long road ahead, and I am frightened that we will not be able to finish it. I want to get well and walk through my days without this fear in my chest. Please help me complete the life-saving treatment.”
Shakira has already given so much of her strength to survive surgery for thymoma. She deserves the chance to finish chemotherapy with dignity and hope.
Give your Sadaqah so she can receive the six cycles of chemotherapy she needs and take the next step toward recovery.
Please Note: In certain situations, we proceed with the patient's surgery/medical procedure despite incomplete funding displayed on the website. Following the surgery/medical procedure, we persist in collecting funds and maintain the campaign on the website until funding is secured in full. Hospitals have granted us a grace period for bill payment.
