Bismillah,
Assalamu'alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Update March 11, 2025 from Evelyne:

• I'm deeply thankful for everyone who has been donating and sharing. Deeply thankful for the support and love. It means a lot.
• Shareef had a scan that revealed a 4.7x4.3 cm tumor in his lung, other nodules and multiple lesions
• According to Dr Lotterman (New Orleans oncologist) the cancer is growing aggressively
• Without treatment, Shareef was given maybe 6 months. And Allah knows best of course. Effective treatment is crucial
• Immunotherapy is his best option, he is eligible, it is not available in Louisiana for his cancer
• We plan on moving to Houston within the next 3 to 4 weeks to get his treatment done.
• Shareef is currently taking oral chemotherapy to prevent progression. He has been feeling side effects more daily, finally broke his fast today. He plans on continuing on working as much as he is able until treatment time.
• Please keep him in your duas ♡ Here is a letter from Doctor Lotterman regarding Shareef's latest scans

End of update for March 11, 2025

We are reaching out to you today with a humble request for support to help Shareef, a beloved father, husband, and member of our community, as he battles advanced cancer. Shareef’s best chance at extending his life and slowing the progression of his illness is through immunotherapy and clinical trials at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas—treatments that are not available in Louisiana.

A Brief History of Shareef’s Cancer:

In 2015, Shareef was diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma, a rare soft tissue sarcoma that develops in the connective tissue around joints, after noticing a growing and painful lump on his forearm. Shareef underwent chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery to remove the mass from his arm. While nodules were found in his lungs in 2015, they did not grow and were not considered cancerous. After completing treatment, Shareef went into remission for many years.

In 2023, Shareef learned that the nodules in his lungs were growing and new ones had appeared in both lungs. He underwent VATS surgery to remove them, followed by oral chemotherapy. Unfortunately, due to insurance issues, he was unable to continue his treatment. By October 2023, new nodules appeared and tripled in size by December 2023, turning into multiple lung tumors. Shareef underwent another surgery. During this robotic surgery to remove the tumors, the cancer was found to be in the pleura, was advanced and deemed no longer operable after that surgery.  

Shareef, a few weeks after his surgery, went through chemotherapy again. After six months of chemotherapy, Shareef was happy to hear his scan was clear, but by December 2024, new nodules had appeared again. 

Since the cancer has spread to his pleura, surgery is no longer an option and radiation is ineffective. The doctors have recommended immunotherapy or clinical trials as his best chance to extend his life and slow the cancer’s progress. Unfortunately, these options are not available in Louisiana, and Shareef and his family must relocate to Houston to receive the necessary care at MD Anderson.

While Shareef is currently working as a teacher to support his family, the financial burden of relocating to Houston, combined with mounting medical expenses and his treatment plan, is overwhelming. The costs of insurance premiums, co-pays, and out-of-pocket expenses are continuing to rise, and he will need to take time off work during his treatment. Further, Shareef will not be able to work during the months he will spend in treatment and recovery, assuming his cancer responds positively to the immunotherapy or clinical trial. Shareef's goal is to get back to work once he has recovered, inshaAllah.

For this reason, we are seeking $75,000--to pay for the medical and relocation costs, and to allow the family some small comfort while Shareef goes through this treatment. 

A note about from AbdulAhad Boqiev, the previous imam of ISGH, based in Pearland Islamic Center:
 

"Assalaam Aleykum 

Dear Houstonians, as former Imam with a heavy heart, I reach out to you on behalf of our beloved brother, Shareef, who is waging a brave battle against cancer. He is set to undergo trial treatments at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas—one of his last hopes for healing. The financial burden of this treatment is unimaginable, and Shareef and his family are in desperate need of our support.

For my family, Shareef is more than just a neighbor; he’s a cherished friend who has touched our lives in ways we can never forget. When we moved to Louisiana, Baton Rouge, we were strangers in a new city, overwhelmed and uncertain. But Shareef and his family welcomed us as their own, offering guidance, warmth, and a sense of belonging that helped us find our way. Their home became our second home, their kindness a lifeline.

Now, Shareef and his family are facing one of the most difficult challenges of their lives. Before his diagnosis, they had plans to move to Houston to benefit from its strong Islamic schools and supportive community. But cancer cruelly interrupted those plans. Now, with his treatment unavailable in Louisiana, they must move to Houston, not by choice, but out of necessity.

This move is not just a change in location—it is a lifeline, one filled with uncertainty and hardship. And just as Shareef welcomed me with open arms, I wish for my community, to rally around him. I call upon the Houston community to embrace Shareef and his family, to not only lift their financial burden but welcome them with an open arms just like the Ansaar did to the Muhajereen during the Prophet’s time. 

We ask you in this month of Ramadan, the month of generosity to join us in helping Shareef during this critical time. Whether through a small donation or a simple act of kindness. Know that every bit of support counts with Allah. Your generosity will lighten the financial burden weighing on Shareef and his family, allowing them to focus on what truly matters—his recovery, Insha'Allah.

Please keep Shareef in your dua, and may Allah reward you for your compassion and grant him complete healing. Let’s stand together for Shareef, and show the true Houston hospitality."


A note about Shareef, from his Dear Friend Nick Pierce:
 
"Before I was born, my father left. When I was four, my mother died. She was 21-years old. 

My grandfather adopted me--he was a kind and gentle man and I admired him greatly, but when I was 13 he died, too. 

I struggled. I struggled to believe in God, to believe that I was not truly alone in the universe. But when I was 17, almost twenty-years ago now, I met my brother Shareef. 

We worked together washing dishes at a restaurant in Baton Rouge. Shareef gave me an English translation of the Qur'an (Yusuf Ali, may Allah be pleased with his effort, was all you could find back then…) and he challenged me to read it. 

I did, and encountered these ayat:

Your Lord has not abandoned you, nor has He become hateful. And the next life is certainly far better for you than this one. And your Lord will give so much to you that you will be pleased. Did He not find you as an orphan then sheltered you? Did He not find you unguided then guided you? And did He not find you needy then satisfied your needs? So do not oppress the orphan, nor repulse the beggar. And proclaim the blessings of your Lord! Surah Ad-Duhaa: 3-11

I became Muslim, and Shareef taught me how to proclaim the blessings of my Lord. 

The ummah became my family, and I was not alone. Eventually, I became a refugee lawyer focused on helping Muslims relocate to the U.S. from difficult places, representing people from Afghanistan, Palestine, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Iran, and many other places. I did this because, in many ways, it was what Shareef had done for me.

Back in 2015, when I was still in law school, Shareef came to pay me a visit. I noticed a mass growing in his forearm. It turned out to be a rare form of cancer--synovial sarcoma. Over the next ten years, Shareef fought the cancer. He would win a reprieve for some years, but then the disease would be back, now in his lungs, worse than before.

The reality of this circumstance is grave. According to Shareef's oncologists, because there is no known cure at the moment, all of his treatment options would only slow down the growth. Any additional days, hours, or minutes our brother will get to spend with his children will be of immense value to them. I know this is true, I know what it means to lose a parent.

Jazakhalakhair for anything you are able to give--it will be immensely helpful over the next few difficult months."

Dr. Craig Lotterman, Shareef's oncologist, was kind enough to provide a brief written account of our brother's struggle with this rare cancer. The doctor writes: