World Cancer Day 2026 “Job’s Not Finished”
Ihsan receiving his bone marrow transplant in July 2023
As I waited for my turn to be seen by the doctor, I counted the number of patients coming in and out of the clinic in my head.
“..eight, nine, TEN? If there are 9 million people in North Carolina, then… cancer is not one in a million!”
That was my thought process years ago, as a 14-year-old boy recently diagnosed with leukemia. Sitting there in the pediatric oncology clinic, it devastated me to know that cancer affected more people than I had originally thought. For reference, the incidence rate in North Carolina that year was 465 in 100,000. Meaning, cancer’s incidence rate was about 1 in 215. Wayyy off from “one in a million”. Today, it is estimated that 40% of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives.
Though young, I knew cancer was a major health crisis and I wanted to be part of the solution.
I learned a lot about cancer–both in school and through my own personal experience. The nausea, fatigue, hair loss, sensitivity to noise and bright lights, mucositis, weird metallic tastes in my mouth, I mean, the list goes on and on. The side effects of chemotherapy are crazy to say the least.
The treatment lasted 3 years, taking up a large part of my time in high school. Nevertheless, I graduated on time and was glad to be living a normal life again. I felt that the world was mine. Now that I’ve beaten cancer, it’ll never come back, and I’m going to achieve great things.
My battle with cancer motivated me to study biology in college. After graduating, I decided to pursue a master’s degree to deepen my understanding of the human body.
However, I was wrong that the cancer would never come back.
In fact, I relapsed with leukemia three times during my master’s program, in March 2023, August 2024, and November 2025, respectively.
In 2023, doctors determined that my best shot at survival was with a bone marrow transplant.
The events that unfolded that year ultimately prompted me to establish Muslim Cancer Support.
I received overwhelming support from my community, friends, family, and people I had never met. Needing a suitable stem cell donor, many jumped into action and got tested to see if they would match with me so they could save my life. Many donated to help pay for my medical bills. Many sent words of encouragement and prayed for my recovery.
Allah ﷻ had sent down his cure, love, and mercy to me through countless kind people, easing my test. There were times when I was afraid I would not make it – the doctors had told me my odds. But realizing that I had God on my side and such a caring community backing me up, I knew Allah wanted me to survive so that I could continue to serve Him and fulfill my purpose. I am blessed to have received the necessary treatment, not just from a medical standpoint, but emotionally and spiritually as well, to be where I am today.
I was motivated to ensure that other cancer patients receive the same kind of love and support that I did during my toughest times.
However, not every city or town in America has a strong Muslim community.
But with the internet, social media, and our phones and laptops, we can build strong, supportive communities – regardless of distance.
That is why I created Muslim Cancer Support: to foster a compassionate community while also addressing the unique barriers and needs faced by Muslims impacted by cancer.
I invite you to join us in making a difference. Explore and share our resources. Contribute to our scholarship fund. Sign up to be a blood or stem cell donor. Ease someone’s burden and empower them in whatever way feels most meaningful to you.
Be the answer to the duas of our brothers and sisters facing hardship.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever relieves the hardship of a believer in this world, Allah will relieve his hardship on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever helps ease one in difficulty, Allah will make it easy for him in this world and the Hereafter.”
Sahih Muslim 2699
May we all continue to be a means of mercy for one another.
With sincere gratitude,
Ihsan Yüksel
Founder, Muslim Cancer Support
