Meet Our Supporters: Maaz Nayyar

‘At the heart of the Imran Khan Cancer Appeal is the basic idea that poverty shouldn’t be a barrier to cancer care.’

Maaz Nayyar comes from a family of IKCA supporters, so it was natural that he would be one too. But Maaz is no ordinary volunteer, which we discovered when we interviewed him about his Great Manchester Run.

Maaz, we’re thrilled you ran the Great Manchester Run to raise funds for our needy patients. What motivated you?

“With strong roots in Lahore, I was aware of the great work that the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospitals do. From when it first began and Imran Khan hit the streets all over Pakistan, not as a cricketer, but as a volunteer whose sole purpose was to ensure cancer treatment access for the poor.

My parents, particularly my father, supported this cause for many years. It was inevitable that I would eventually follow his passion to eradicate the imbalance between the rich and the poor in Pakistan. I was fortunate enough not to need convincing.”

It sounds like your whole family is active in fundraising?

“Yes. We as a family have always supported IKCA and various other charities. I’d previously completed the Keighley 10K run to raise funds for Sue Ryder, a UK organisation. But with growing poverty and inflation in Pakistan, I wanted to help the underprivileged there. I challenged myself to raise a higher sum by doing something I hadn’t done before – a half marathon.”

Well done and thank you, Maaz. How was the experience?

“Well, I’ve been running for a few years but this was my first half marathon. Unfortunately, my training wasn’t injury-free, so I always knew the half marathon wasn’t going to be easy. On the day, I managed to run the distance, limping towards the end but thankfully I didn’t need to stop at all. The weather helped with a bit of rain towards the end of my run but the biggest motivator was the fundraising. I could not let down all those who had supported me.”

So far, Maaz has raised over £1,400 and still counting!

On behalf of all our patients and staff, we thank Maaz for his commitment to helping needy people access free cancer treatment. It’s great when families instil activism among their younger members because it ensures that organisations like ours are supported over generations.

You too can volunteer and encourage other family members to raise funds and awareness about our life-saving work. Together, we can change the face of cancer in Pakistan. Find out more below.