Couple diagnosed with cancer gets married
Image adapted from: @egyazira
We’ve read stories like this in books or have seen them on the big screen. If you happen to be a sucker for romantic tales, this story of how a Malaysian couple overcame their struggles together will melt your heart.
Akin to the powerful tale of The Fault In Our Stars, Azira Baharum and Mohamad Izham Abdul’s story begins with their diagnoses for stage 3 cancer. They both suffer from Hodgkin’s disease — a cancer that affects the lymphatic system.
Image credit: @egyazira
When the 2 first met, Azira – affectionately known as Egy – had just been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease, while Izham was a cancer survivor.
First date at the hospital
According to Erinsakura, Egy shared the results of her diagnosis on Twitter back in September 2018. Soon after, her inbox was swamped with DMs from concerned friends and strangers. One DM in particular had caught her attention: a woman proposed the idea of introducing Egy to her brother Izham, a survivor who was declared cancer-free.
Egy and Izham at the hospital
Image credit: @egyazira
Egy was open to the idea as she figured it would do her good to talk to someone who understood what she was going through. She was also hoping to get a few tips on how to adapt to a new lifestyle.
It just so happened that Egy and Izham had their doctor’s appointment on the same day, which goes to show that coincidences aren’t just limited to movie magic. They had their first date at the hospital and Izham gave her a tour there. Their visits to the doctor became a lot more romantic as they turned their routine appointments into something they could look forward to as unconventional dates.
Izham made sure to accompany Egy on all her chemotherapy sessions even though he was dizzy and nauseous at times. She was touched knowing that he sacrificed his rest time just to make sure she wasn’t alone.
Egy and Izham during Hari Raya.
Image credit: @egyazira
Their cancer had relapsed
With Izham by her side, Egy had the courage to push through 12 rounds of chemotherapy and was told by doctors that her tumor was cleared up. She only needed a final scan to be declared cancer-free.
Just a few weeks later in March 2019, doctors found a tumor in Izham’s chest and thorax, which came as a big shock as he had been declared cancer-free for 3 years.
Image credit: @egyazira
The couple was dealt another blow in April when doctors found a tumor in her chest as well as thorax, meaning that Egy’s cancer had relapsed.
Image credit: @egyazira
The couples’ friends stepped up to the plate and started a crowdfunding campaign so that they wouldn’t have to shoulder the huge cost of treatments by themselves. The campaign even caught the attention of a local actress, Neelofa, who urged her followers to help the cause.
Happily married to each other
After making it through a year that saw plenty of twists, Egy and Izham finally got married on Saturday (3 Aug) in a small ceremony.
Image credit: @egyazira
Though they weren’t able to visit the sandy shores of a beautiful beach or have a night’s stay at a luxurious hotel, they were contented with spending their honeymoon at the hospital.
To top it all off, they had received positive results regarding Izham’s recovery and was possibly “the best wedding gift” ever to the couple.
Cancer-stricken couple’s love story
Egy and Izham are now both fiercely fighting their illnesses and are determined to make it through. The power couple insists on earning an income to settle their hospital bills even though they have received some funding from friends and other fellow Malaysians.
They founded an Instagram-based business called Senja Lawa, where they sell jewellery, bags and clothes.
As two individuals going through a life-changing experience together, Egy and Izham’s story truly is a happy ending made for romantic books and movies.