Teenage girl sacrifices schooling as both parents battle stage four cancer

JOHOR BARU: A teenage girl has suspended her schooling to care for her parents, both diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Nur Sara Ayryna, 16, has given up her education to look after her ailing parents, leaving her heart heavy as she watches both of them struggle for survival. Her mother, Noor Diana Hashim, 47, was diagnosed with breast cancer that has metastasized to her liver, lungs, spine, and neck.

Her father, Zek Ayry Khan Zarak Khan, a 47-year-old frontman for the nasopharyngeal cancer-stricken Iman Heart nasyid band, also battles a malignant tumor in his nasopharynx. Both are unable to work and are unable to fund treatment. Noor Diana now relies on nightly oxygen therapy. They are urgently seeking assistance as time runs out.

Noor Diana requires chemotherapy to extend her life. She received a breast cancer diagnosis in 2021 and had surgery the following year. Doctors recommended urgent chemotherapy, but delays due to patient waiting lists forced the family to consider costly private treatment at around RM10,000 per cycle. Noor Diana's left arm, already swollen from surgery, has worsened, restricting her mobility even further.

The couple's eldest son works, while their second son is a motorcycle mechanic. The family previously ran an event management company and volunteered extensively to aid the needy, including asfaq, single mothers, people with disabilities, and flood victims. Noor Diana's husband, Zek, expressed their plight, stating, "We were healthy and generous, giving aid to others.

Now, we are being tested, and we beg for help so my wife can receive the treatment she desperately needs."