Trailblazing doctor helps while off-roading
Dr Nizami, who is now the medical officer in-charge at a Srinagar hospital and on Covid duties, says that her experience during her husband’s illness pushed her towards helping patients and the needy. “Though we were relatively well off, we had to go outside for treatment as he was suffering from pancreatic cancer. We realised that the treatment is expensive and drains most families’ savings,” she says.
Even before her husband’s death, she would collect money from attendants using charity boxes outside OPDS. Later, friends and colleagues asked her to setup a trust with a separate account where people could donate money. “We get a lot of donations during Ramazan, which are primarily used to help cancer patients and those needing a kidney transplant. The trust also helps widows and orphans,” she says.
Dr Nizami, the eldest of four siblings, says that her parents Mushtaq Nizami, a military contractor, and Shahida Parveen, a homemaker, have been her strength. “Any girl can do big things in life when her parents support her,” she says. Ask her what got her interested in adventure sports, and she says, “In 2018, I came upon some videos of the Kashmir off-road club which organises competitive events and overland expeditions, and decided to participate in a snow-race event (Frozen Rush) at Gulmarg.”
Dr Nizami, who always wears a hijab, was the only woman to participate in the adventure sport and created quite a buzz on social media.
“I hadn’t realised that I was breaking stereotypes , until I saw people’s reactions,” says Dr Nizami, who has since participated in dangerous events like mud race and river crossing.
She says her faith in the Almighty has never wavered despite the many challenges in her life.