Two-time thyroid cancer survivor Fatema Frutan has been sharing her story of strength and perseverance across the kingdom in a bid to spread awareness, to inspire and to support those suffering from the disease.
The 33-year-old deputy chief of the Environmental Citizenship Programme in the Bahrain Women Association for Human Development, was first diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer in 2014 – battled it twice until 2018 – and has come out stronger than ever.
“When I was first diagnosed, I felt down but it didn’t take long to realise that this was God’s plan for me and I had to be strong for myself and for my loved ones,” said the recently-elected regional representative for the United Nation Environment Programme for West Asia.
“Being diagnosed caused me to take a full look at my life. I knew that I had so much left to give.
“It was too early for me to stop fighting and I had to fight with all that I got. I wanted to do my role in the community and being a part of the Environmental Citizenship Programme in the Bahrain Women Association for Human Development gave me the motivation to fight and give more.
“My aim is to raise awareness about cancer, support the fighters out there and their caregivers too.”
Her message is clear – never ignore symptoms, no matter how small, do not neglect any follow-ups with a doctor even if you are cancer-free and keep the faith.
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