The fall that turned her life upside down

Sharmin, aged 16, lives in Mymensingh and is the only daughter of her farmer father, Abdus Samad.

Sharmin is the beloved sister of her five brothers. One day, when she was in Grade nine, Sharmin slipped on mud and hurt her waist badly. After a week, the pain was gone and Sharmin was fine. After a month however, the pain came back with higher intensity and swelling.

The wound didn't heal internally and resurfaced with pus. The local doctors operated and cleaned the wound but the pus kept on coming back. At one point no one was willing to clean her wound anymore and her brother, Jahangir, used to do it for her. The wound reached her pelvic bone and Sharmin got diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma.

Ewing sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that occurs in bones or in the soft tissues around the bones. Her father did not have the means to treat his daughter's expensive illness. Bangladesh Cancer Aid Trust (BANCAT) came to their assistance. Sharmin got treatment for a year at National Institute of Cancer Research & Hospital (NICRH) and was cured completely.

Sharmin appeared for her SSC examination in 2019 and passed with a CGPA of 4.28.