Youssef story
When Youssef’s sister Dalia was diagnosed with cancer in January 2022 at just 33. Youssef decided to fundraise for Penny Brohn UK in recognition of the support she received.
Tell us about your fundraising challenge?
Dalia’s diagnosis was a massive shock to me and our family, especially because of her age. She is my older sister, and I look up to her, so it was very scary seeing someone you love being told they have cancer. She was young, healthy, exercised and ate well. After the initial scare, you move into action mode, thinking how we best support her through this.
I know that it was challenging for Dalia during her cancer treatment to find medical professionals that aligned with her mindset and ethos of prioritising overall wellness and quality of life. Dalia was integrating holistic methods, including diet, exercise, supplements and meditation, alongside her standard treatment to maximise benefits to her whole body. When she found Penny Brohn UK, she discovered support from their professionals with her integrative medicine approach, which gave her confidence going into treatment.
It was around the time of Dalia’s treatment that I took up running. It was nice to separate myself from work, cancer, and the pressures of life. Before Dalia’s cancer diagnosis, I had been on a massive weight loss journey, and I could barely run up the stairs. I started with a Couch to 5k challenge and took to running quite well, so started running further and for longer.
Last year (2023), I decided to set myself a benchmark and do my first half marathon. When I had signed up to the Wokingham Half, I knew it would be a massive undertaking, so training was not optional!
Why did you decide to support Penny Brohn UK?
When I first started running, there was only one charity I wanted to support – Penny Brohn UK. The charity had been so useful to my sister; how they helped her, empowered her and had her back was amazing.
I was already a supporter of the charity, donating when I could. I had dedicated a leaf for my sister’s birthday on the Tree of Life in the Penny Brohn UK gardens. The leaf represented how brave she was and the strength and tenacity she throws at everything. I knew through their updates the financial struggles they were going through. I wanted to do it for a charity I really believed in and who deserved the support.
Initially, I set a £500 goal and amazingly we are now over the £700 mark – I am over the moon with it.
Not only has the challenge helped Penny Brohn UK but it’s helped me to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Through Dalia, I experienced the impact cancer can have on your life and by taking up running and keeping active I hope to help reduce my risk of cancer.
What were you looking forward to most about your challenge?
I was actually dreading it! I was worried I would injure myself during training, not be able to finish it or mentally thinking halfway through ‘I can’t do this.’ I didn’t want to fail and let anyone down, especially as I had raised so much money and it was for a good cause. But I kept pushing and kept going. I was really looking forward to finishing it and getting across that finish line.
It was important for me personally to complete that goal, as it represented a milestone in my weight loss and fitness journey.
How did the challenge help you with your own feelings?
Running was amazing for me. I could go out, run and be in my own thoughts. It was useful for my mental health and allowed me to be in a better headspace, so I could provide the best support to Dalia that I possibly could. Running allowed me to be more physically able and mentally there for her.
What’s next?
I would love to do another half marathon this year, but unfortunately my knee injury may not enable me to do one too soon. The aim is to complete a full marathon in the future – one step at a time! For now, knowing my donations can help others, just like my sister, to access this support is amazing.
We’d like to thank Youssef for sharing their experience. The words used in each case study are preferred by the individual featured. Penny Brohn UK encourages everyone to use their own words to tell their story. If you have any questions about any of the language used, please email comms@pennybrohn.org.uk.