In August my gorgeous mum was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer. Something we hadn’t heard of. To hear certain words alongside this diagnosis -  “terminal” & “incurable” was unbearable.

Mum would have her chemo and go straight back to work. Nothing changed and every step of the way she has been determined life will go on as normal. She has never once cried, never once complained of any of her side effects and “got on with it”. 

When we cry, she wipes our tears. When we struggle to come to terms with it, she tells us how strong she is and how she knows she can fight cancer. When we say, “why you?” Her response is “why not me?! I can handle it more than anyone.”

In January, very suddenly things took a turn for the worse and after being admitted into hospital, we learned the cancer has spread to her spine and brain and is termed leptomeningial disease. Mum suddenly lost the ability to walk, something we take for granted every day and this came as a huge shock for us all. 

On the 15th of January we were told she may only have a few weeks left but every day she is fighting. I cannot put into words how it feels to hear this kind of news. Nights become sleepless, the tears are endless. Nothing in life feels right anymore but as Mum reminds us constantly, we are lucky to have such amazing friends and family supporting us and for that we are forever thankful. 

My mum is genuinely the most incredible, brave, thoughtful and beautiful person in the entire universe and the way she has handled every challenge that has come her way is so admirable. Everyone who meets her finds her inspirational and we are sooooo lucky to call her ours. Every day brings us new emotions, new challenges and brings us even closer together but those suffering from secondary breast cancer deserve more.

Make Seconds Count is a charity based in our Edinburgh. Dedicated to fund research for secondary breast cancer as currently, not enough is done. Some of the money raised funds research which is also done here at Edinburgh University and lead by my Mum’s exceptional oncologist Dr Olga Oikonomidou who has been a blessing in our journey fighting cancer. 

Although there are treatments, it cannot be cured and around 1000 people in the UK die every month from secondary breast cancer. 30% of people who have suffered from breast cancer go on to develop secondary breast cancer. 

We all know someone who has or had breast cancer. We have to make seconds count and fund the research to help all these incredible women and men. For all the patients and their families, they HAVE to hear something more encouraging than the survival rate “on average  2-3 years.”

Please donate for us to abseil of the Forth Road Bridge on 10th May, for an incredibly important cause; Make Seconds Count in support of my one in a billion mummy. 

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Saqib

Furzana is my 24/7. My partner in crime. For everything she is going through, she has not stopped smiling and making me laugh. My days are not the same now that she is not next to me at work, after being glued to her (except for when I’m on my bike!!)

 Furzana has not only ran The Harvest Garden over the past 37 years, on many occasions being a little bit ruthless (!!) as you all know, she has worked unbelievably hard and there is no one like her. The efforts, the time and the love she has put in has made the business the brand that it is, no one has worked as hard as she has. My whole life is Furzana, she has given me the two most amazing kids, Farah and Rahib who are everything to us both. We are so lucky to have Adhnan and Nani with us every step of the way. We have everything and to see her going through this is extremely difficult for us all. 

Through our business, we have met the most amazing people; our staff, customers and suppliers who have become not just friends, but family. So many of you have supported not only the business, but us. 

I would kindly ask for a donation to an extremely important charity in support of my stunning wife Furzana who is fighting every single day. 

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