Survival Fight: Cancer Patient Ghulam Nabi Appeals for Assistance

News Desk

Chitral: In his battle for survival against cancer, Ghulam Nabi, a financially struggling laborer from Chitral, appealed to the government and philanthropists for much-needed financial support.

Speaking with APP on a Saturday, Nabi, who presently earns a livelihood by selling perfumes, Miswak, Tasbeeh in Chitral Bazar, is supporting his family through these means. However, a year and a half ago, he received a devastating diagnosis of throat cancer, forcing him to halt his work and remain at home.

“I am undergoing treatment at the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital in Lahore, a facility that has become inaccessible for me due to the absence of work and the financial constraints preventing me from covering the expenses associated with frequent travels to Lahore for my treatment,” he shared while recounting his poignant story.

Ghulam Nabi is confronted with additional challenges as his two brothers are disabled. With a wife and two small children depending on him, his already precarious situation worsened when he, having previously acquired a small house in Daneen, was diagnosed with cancer.

The lack of income resulted in his children facing starvation with no means to purchase food. Ghulam Nabi said that he belongs to the Gujjar community, which lacks property or alternative income sources, relying solely on the sale of items from a small cart.

Ghulam Nabi, in a desperate attempt to provide sustenance for his children, resorted to selling his own house in Daneen. His sacrifices extended to enduring deprivation of food and drink himself. To meet his nutritional needs, he relies on soft food administered through a tube fixed in his throat, administered using a syringe.

With a small son and daughter who are unable to contribute to the family income, Ghulam Nabi underscores that his illness rendered him incapable of working when it struck. Although he has made considerable progress in his recovery, the lingering effects still prevent him from engaging in strenuous work.

Ghulam Nabi also sold his personal house in Daneen to feed his children. Ghulam Nabi himself was deprived of food and drink, and he continued to take soft food through a pipe fixed in his throat by pushing through a syringe.

Ghulam Nabi is burdened with the responsibility of providing for his small son and daughter, who, due to their young age, are unable to contribute to the family’s income. Ghulam Nabi recounts that when he initially fell ill, the severity of his condition incapacitated him from working. While he has made significant strides in his recovery, the lasting impact of his illness impedes his ability to undertake strenuous or demanding work.

Ghulam Nabi earnestly appeals to both the government and non-government organizations, along with philanthropists, for financial assistance. His plea is driven by the pressing need to ensure his wife, children, and elderly parents are spared from the harsh realities of starvation. Currently residing in a rented house in Mustajpanda, Ghulam Nabi is grappling with the inability to afford the house rent due to the absence of work.

While undergoing treatment for throat cancer, Ghulam Nabi’s condition necessitates the consumption of soft food exclusively through a tube and syringe, eliminating the possibility of consuming hard food through his mouth. For those willing to extend support, contributions can be made to his Easy Paisa account number: 03409862968.