Mail Online

Having our stomachs removed didn’t stop us

THREE siblings running in the Sandwell Pretty Muddy Race For Life in June have already overcome huge obstacles in their life – having had their stomachs surgically removed to prevent cancer.

Tahir and Omar Khan and Sophia Ahmed underwent the drastic surgery after losing their mother, Pearl, at 49 and sister Yasmin at 32 from the disease.

A series of tests revealed they all carry the genetic mutation CDH1, which meant they had a 90 per cent chance of developing aggressive stomach cancer.

Surgery has cut that risk to almost zero. Now, the West Midlands family are determined to ‘give back’ to

Cancer Research UK, the charity they credit for saving their lives.

Sophia, 43, said: ‘We lost Mum to this horrible cancer just six months after she was diagnosed. Then we lost our sister ten years later.

‘I read in Yasmin’s hospital notes that it might be genetic, so I did some research and found out Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge was doing a study into cancer genes. I contacted them and volunteered us for testing.

‘The results came back showing three out of four us were carriers of the gene – called CDH1.’

Sister Tracey, 52, wasn’t a carrier, but Tahir, Omar and Sophia all opted to have their stomachs removed in a procedure known as a total gastrectomy. Surgeons then create a small pouch that collects food by connecting the oesophagus to the small intestine.

The family last year began fundraising for Cancer Research UK. ‘We did our first Race For Life, which was the best day of our lives. We raised around £7,000 by the end, which was fantastic,’ says Sophia.

In December, her 19-yearold son, Zain, was found to carry the CDH1 gene.

‘In this year’s Race For Life, Zain will be running with us and we can’t wait to raise funds and awareness for the charity. We owe them everything.’

Health

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2023-05-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

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https://mailonline.pressreader.com/article/282540137712395

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