Disclaimer: This story reflects one person’s personal experience with bladder cancer and is shared with the hope of raising awareness and offering different perspectives. It is not intended as medical advice, and does not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of Bladder Cancer Canada. Everyone’s health journey is unique, and symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments can vary widely. If you are experiencing symptoms or have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional.
My connection to Canada Walks for Bladder Cancer really started with my Bari Mamijan (aunt) who lived in Pakistan and had cancer.
Growing up in Canada, I only saw her when we visited Pakistan, so I was never involved in her everyday care but what I did see was how much my extended family did for her. I have a very large family there, and everyone took care of her in whatever way they could. There was always someone around her, helping her, going with her to appointments, or just making sure she was okay.
She was surrounded by people who loved her, but I also remember realizing that everyone was figuring things out as they went. My family could take care of her, but they could not necessarily understand everything she was experiencing or answer all of the questions that come with having cancer.
When I came back to Canada, I started searching for what resources existed here for people going through cancer and for their families. I found things I had never really thought about before, like patient support groups, educational resources, peer support and organizations dedicated to specific cancers.
Eventually, that search brought me to Bladder Cancer Canada.
Her experience made me curious about what exists beyond medical care. What happens when you go home after an appointment and have another question? Who do you talk to when you want to hear from someone who has actually been through it? Where does a family member go when they are trying their best to help but don’t know what to do?
That was a big reason I wanted to get involved, and eventually I became the Brampton Walk Lead.
I had never organized a Walk before, so a lot of it was honestly just figuring things out as I went.
But that has also become one of my favourite parts of the experience because of how many people I have met along the way.
I have an amazing volunteer team who give their own time to help make the Walk happen. I have met community members, doctors, local businesses and leaders who care deeply about the people in their own communities and are willing to help when you give them the opportunity. Whether someone volunteered, donated, sponsored us, shared the Walk with someone else, or simply showed up, I started seeing how many people were willing to contribute in whatever way they could.
On Walk day, more than 50 people came together in Brampton, and we raised over $2,700.
Iffah (pictured on the right) at the 2025 Brampton Walk.
For our first year, I was obviously really proud of that, but what I remember most is looking around and seeing everyone there. Some people had been affected by bladder cancer themselves, some were there for someone they loved, and some simply cared enough to come.
That is what fundraising for BCC has come to mean to me. Yes, we want to raise as much as we can because that money supports resources, education, research and the work BCC does for people affected by bladder cancer.
I originally went looking for resources because of what I had seen with my Bari Mamijan and what I ended up finding was a community much larger than I imagined.
And that is why I keep walking.
