Cancer survivors stress the importance of screening and early detection at the 24-hour walkathon 

Sharjah, 11 December 2022:  “Perseverance and hope are the ultimate way to fight through your cancer treatment journey,” said 35-year-old Rukayat Muideen, a Nigerian national and cancer survivor at Relay for Life 2022 (RFL), out of more than 700 survivors who attended the 24-hour walkathon that concludes at 4pm on Sunday (December 11) with the support of over 2,000 participants.

Raising the slogan “Ready, Set, Live”, the RFL is a 24-hour multidisciplinary relay organised by UAE-based Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP), and the largest peer-to-peer cancer fundraising event in the world that allows parents and guardians to participate in raising awareness and understanding among children, in a friendly, gentle and engaging manner.

“I was breastfeeding my then four-month-old when I noticed a lump in my breast and talked to my doctor. She suggested doing an ultrasound scan to rule out any complications. Thanks to her, my condition was diagnosed at stage two. The reality kicked inside me somewhere two weeks later after diagnosis. I knew I had to pull myself together and decide on the journey I want to take to survive,” explained Muideen.

“I always knew from my genetics that I was at a greater risk than others. I lost my mother, aunt and my grandmother to breast cancer. All of them were diagnosed at later stages and couldn't survive their conditions. I always made it a point to do self-examinations on most mornings,” said the cancer survivor who underwent more than 25 sessions of chemotherapy on her road to recovery.

With three kids under the age of five and a supportive husband, Muideen embarked on a journey where she credits Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP) as her biggest backbone. “My insurance declined to pay for the treatment claiming they do not cover pre-existing conditions. Thankfully, FOCP helped me cover my treatment and today I am 100 per cent cancer-free.”

Putting a halt to the negative voices in her head was the biggest challenge, said Muideen. “No matter how much hope we have, there are going to be times when you have self-doubts. It's important that we hold on and endure those days with strong resilience as it is the only way to overcome the journey,” she said.