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Parents of the late Fatema Abid Mohsin, who battled muscular dystrophy throughout her life and worked on helping other specially-challenged youngsters cope with their conditions, are elated that their daughter’s final book ambitions can come to fruition.
Fatema had been coping with the condition, which causes progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass, since childhood and spent the last three years of her life dependent on a ventilator and on a peg tube for food.
With the help of her parents Abid and Rashida, both naturalised Bahrainis, her siblings Sakina, and Mariam, and members from the Special Families Support (SFS) Group run by Fadia Qureshi, Fatema published and launched a book in 2018, entitled My Understanding Of Life As I Know It.
The 53-page book features her thoughts and perceptions on life, love, relationships and dreams. Her aim was to be an example for emotionally, physically and mentally-challenged young people and to encourage them to never give up and carry on fighting no matter what.
One of her goals was to present this book to the person she idolised most – His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, His Majesty King Hamad’s representative for humanitarian work and youth affairs and Supreme Council for Youth and Sport chairman.
In 2019, two weeks before she passed away aged 24 on October 31, she met his highness and handed over her book.
“She was a great admirer of his and wanted to present the book to him personally,” said Rashida from Sanad. “We’re extremely grateful to Shaikh Nasser for his kind gesture.
“Her goal in life was to set an example to the specially-challenged children, inspiring them to keep going, that life never stops and to live their ambitions and never give up.”
And even though she is gone, Shaikh Nasser has granted Fatema one more wish – he has purchased the remaining 300 copies of her book and, according to a representative from his office, the books will be distributed to people who will benefit from reading her inspirational story, as well as to locations requested by her parents.
“It is such a wonderful feeling that even though she is no longer with us, one of her dreams has been fulfilled,” added Rashida.
“We are so grateful to Shaikh Nasser for making that happen. Inshallah her thoughts in her books will inspire today’s young people.”
