DUBAI: Even after being diagnosed with breast cancer, nurse and mother Sarah Ilyas did not stop helping others.
Originally from Pakistan and currently a chief nursing officer at Aster Hospitals and clinics in the UAE, Bahrain and Oman she worked her way up the ranks from being an intensive care nurse to nursing supervisor at the Dubai Health Authority.
However, just as her career was really taking off, and during her son’s 14th birthday party in November 2021, Ilyas felt something was wrong.
“I felt this shrill pain in my left breast, then I felt the lump, but since I was so exhausted, tired and burnt out, I just went to sleep,” she recalled.
The next day, Ilyas had the lump examined. A biopsy was carried out at the same hospital in which she worked, and she carried on as normal until she received her results.
It was bad news. The lump was malignant — a stage three metastatic carcinoma.
“It is one of the most difficult cancers and notorious tumors to get over, it’s not simple breast cancer,” she explained.
After working on developing an oncology department at the hospital, Ilyas never expected she would one day be a patient benefiting from her own hard work.
By December, she had started “scary” chemotherapy, and was grateful for a strong support system that meant she could carry on working and being around her family.
“My bosses took care of me so well throughout my treatment plan. I was given so much flexibility, and I could work from home if I could not get myself out of bed,” she said.
Today, Ilyas has a new outlook on life after working throughout her treatment and beating her illness. She also urges others battling cancer to share their own stories to inspire and help others.
“I didn’t even know my daughter’s favorite color or what my son likes to eat. I regret not giving my time to them,” she said.
“Let us not shy away from telling our story, words of encouragement can inspire and give hope to others.”
