Luton community rallies to aid of family after devastating brain cancer diagnosis - raising £18k in just 7 days

A devastated Luton woman, whose husband has an aggressive brain cancer, has praised supporters after an appeal raised more than £18,000 in just seven days.

Rohima Mughal launched the GoFundMe page to raise more than £100,000 for vital medical care after her husband Mohsin’s shock diagnosis.

"I’m overwhelmed and Mohsin is too,” said Rohima. “It’s lovely that everyone is donating but even more is the fact that they are giving us hope and that’s so precious.

"I knew I would have to go down this route of fundraising but I was afraid of getting the children’s hopes up.

"I just cried, and then Mohsin cried and the children cried about the fact that people cared enough in these difficult times.”

She and her ‘little army’ of three young daughters, Eyva 4, Arissa 9, and Inaaya aged 12, have had their lives turned upside down after Mohsin started feeling unwell on May 23 this year, the day of the couple’s 15th wedding anniversary.

Within days of an initial diagnosis, the 42-year-old, who worked as an engineer and foster parent, was deemed to not have the mental capacity to make decisions about his own health care.

On May 23 he went to Luton A&E where he was first suspected of having a mini stroke, but CT and MRI scans uncovered a 4.6cm tumour on is frontal and parietal lobe. Rohima was told they suspected Mohsin had glioblastoma.

She said: “Due to the location of his tumour Mohsin lost the sensation to the right side of his body, struggled with stability. He was no longer able to understand live information, his speech and processing skills including his hearing was greatly impacted. He started to suffer with short term memory loss. With great difficulty I had to find other ways to communicate to him what was going on, it was only once he saw an image of his tumour that he finally realised that he had cancer.

"The day before it all began, Mohsin drove us to London to go shopping for my nephew’s wedding. He had shown no symptoms and handled a day of women and children shopping like a pro!!

“It took a while for Mohsin to be seen by the team at UCLH neurosurgery in London and on June 6 a biopsy was finally conducted. By this stage Mohsin had already been deemed by the medical team as having no mental capacity to make decisions about his own medical care. This is stark proof at just how fast and progressive this cancer is and how adversely it has affected Mohsin.

“On June 20 we received the devastating confirmation that Mohsin did indeed have Glioblastoma Multiforme, which is a stage 4 cancer. His neurosurgeon also explained that the tumour was inoperable due to the location and size of the tumour.”

Treatments in Germany could slow tumour’s progression

He is now reaching the end of a gruelling round of radiation and chemotherapy travelling from their home in Challney to the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Rickmansworth every weekday.

Rohima said: “He is coping remarkably well but it hasn't been easy. He has had many days of sickness. The daily commute on the M1 and M25 during the peak of summer traffic is taking its toll on him and us all as a family; the fatigue is immense. However, Mohsin continues to soldier on, always smiling, fighting for me and his children.”

But after being told the treatment might only give Mohsin another 12 months, Rohima has found treatments in Germany and the US which could slow down the progression of the tumour. And she is hoping to raise more than £100,000 for treatment and to raise awareness of glioblastomas.

"The key to helping patients like Mohsin is time and unfortunately a lot of money,” she said. “Time is currently not our friend and therefore we need to move and act fast! But we simply don't have the financial means to give Mohsin the best fighting chance to live long enough to see his girls grow up.

“We have already spent large amounts of money purchasing an alkaline water machine, private consultations with specialists in nutrition, private orthopaedic massage treatment to help with the debilitating pain Mohsin is experiencing in his joints and the purchase of many, many supplements and alternative treatments to help manage his symptoms and fight his cancer. Mohsin's diet is also strict and due to the rising cost of food it is not cheap.

“We are a family of five and prior to his illness Mohsin was the main breadwinner. However, neither of us are currently in a position to work as I am now his full-time carer and need to be home. As an ordinary family we simply don't have the money to provide Mohsin with the best chance of survival.

"We have always been hardworking with both of us working multiple jobs since the age of 16. The NHS is amazing and wonderful most of the time but in our situation it is limited and ineffective in helping my husband. The sad fact is only 1% of the national spend on cancer research is spent on brain tumours! Only 2% of Glioblastoma patients reach five-year survival and the majority pass away within 12/18months of diagnosis.”

Devoted family man

"He is devoted to me and the children”, Rohima added. “Everyone who knows him agrees that he is the kindest, most selfless and generous person anyone can know. He is a wonderful son, the most brilliant foster parent, everyone’s best friend, the loveliest colleague, a helpful neighbour, the best father and husband that I could have prayed for. Every second that I have been with him has truly felt like a blessing. He’s such a beautiful soul and he has already lost so much to this horrendous disease in such a short time. However, Mohsin remains unshakeably positive, rebelliously hopeful and remarkably views his cancer as a gift for allowing him to appreciate life to its fullest and connect on an even deeper level with God and our family.

"When Mohsin first found out he had cancer his only concern was for the welfare of his daughters and myself, he kept apologising for having cancer! I will never forget when he asked me - will Eyva remember me? Mohsin, forever the father, had more concern for his daughters than for himself. It's the saddest position to be in for any parent!

“It’s been difficult managing the holidays and children whilst also dealing with Mohsin's medical treatment and needs. We are the proudest parents to witness their resilience and positive attitude. At the same time, it is heartbreaking to see them in this position. But they are always happy to help us out even taking their dad to the hospital to have his treatment. Mohsin calls them his little army!”

To find out more go to to the GoFundMe page.