A PEACH Street restaurant was filled to the rafters and buzzing with animated conversation, as diners gathered for a delicious fundraising curry night in aid of CoppaFeel last week.
Hosted by The Tamarind Tree manager Koush, the event was put together by Wokingham ‘force of nature’ Dalia Ismail.
Her curry night event has raised an impressive £1446 for the young people’s cancer charity, just exceeding last year’s CoppaFeel fundraiser total.
Dalia, now in her mid thirties, was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago.
Since surgery and treatment, she has climbed the Himalayas with a team of other cancer surviving fundraisers, raised large sums charity, and promoted better cancer diagnosis in the young.
Her family were at the curry night event, brimming with pride at what she has already achieved, and continues to do.
Her father Tareq said: “Dalia had the shock of her life, getting cancer.”
“She’s had treatment; surgery, powerful chemotherapy, everything you read about – she’s had the whole lot,” he said.
“But she’s always been really proactive in her own treatment.”
Dalia, a professional clinical researcher for fifteen years, has applied her work skills to her treatment.
“It’s almost as if she’s two people: the patient, and the scientist,” he continued.
“She doesn’t just take whatever is said to her, she checks everything out and has been in discussion with her oncologists to check that each treatment is suitable for her.”
Dalia has also supported friends, and helped them to decipher the science behind their cancer treatments.
It’s not an easy journey.
“She’s had some very strong chemicals pumped into her, which have made her very sick for months on end,” said her father.
“But as soon as she started to get some strength back, she has always had a sense of humour, and she always manages to bring a light side to any situation that isn’t good.”
Dalia’s accomplishments are impressive, for anyone, never mind someone recovering from cancer; she’s been a keynote speaker for Breast Cancer Now, a fashion show model (wearing a dress designed by Zandra Rhodes) and more recently modelled loungewear, she’s been a Himalayan trekker covering 1,000 miles on foot, a writer, a researcher, and a mega fund raiser.
“As she has become stronger she has seen a real purpose in what she’s doing,” said Tareq.
“She has always acknowledged the help she has had from the cancer community, and has helped to raise hundreds of pounds for cancer charities.
“And she’s passionate about highlighting better cancer detection in young people.”
Often seen as an older person’s disease, cancer can be dismissed as unlikely in the young, risking late diagnosis.
“If there was anyone able to turn things around, then it’s her,” said her father.
“She’s phenomenal, a force of nature, and we’re so very proud of her.”
Dalia thanks Koush and his friendly restaurant team, and all the diners who generously turned up to support the event.
For information, visit: coppafeel.org and the-tamarind-tree.co.uk
