It was a nail-biting, heart-stopping, and excruciatingly mind-numbing 20 minutes. Nasheen could hear a “Code blue” page from the intercom through the thin walls of room #3 at the hospital. She and her husband were told to wait there. They had come to hear the results of her pathology from a surgery six weeks prior. A surgery that she didn’t think she needed, but her doctors had insisted on. Nasheen had her own theory; a theory that was well researched and backed by literature and her medical journey over the past few years. While her doctors agreed that Nasheen’s arguments were well reasoned, they had evidence to believe otherwise. Unfortunately, what was supposed to be an uneventful procedure had turned into a nightmare. She lost a large amount of blood and had to be given a transfusion. She felt awful for three weeks after leaving the hospital. Now six weeks later, she tried to brush away any negative thoughts as she waited. This was a hot and sticky August day in 2012. The AC was cranked to the max and sent shivers down her spine. The door opened and in came her surgeon. “It’s benign”. Her doctor told the news right away. “We are very sorry to have to put you through this. It looked highly suspicious on all of the tests. We’ve only been wrong once in 13 years.” Nasheen was speechless. She had just heard the best news in three years. She was right and the experts were wrong. She had been through five months of confronting her own mortality. She didn’t know what to think and what to say. She took a deep breath and felt that her luck might finally be turning around for the better.
Nasheen arrived in Canada in the summer of 1991 to obtain her Master's degree in German Literature after studying in both China and Germany. At the age of 22, she couldn't speak English, having only learned Chinese and German. As a Teaching Assistant in the German faculty at University of Alberta, she had to quickly teach herself English to converse with colleagues and students. By diving into text books and practicing, Nasheen gained confidence in speaking the new language. One day, she turned on the TV and Oprah was on. She was immediately addicted to the show. Soon enough, she noticed that her conversational skill was improving by leaps and bounds. She thoroughly enjoyed teaching the first year students. She often came up with creative ideas to make learning a fun experience for her class. The students were very forgiving about her Oprah-like (and broken) English. Oftentimes while she was talking, Nasheen would notice funny but well contained expressions on her students’ faces. She knew she must have said something inappropriate again – like instead of “I’m so inspired by this story” she would say “I’m so aroused by this story”. By the end of the first semester, not only was she speaking fluent English, her students achieved the highest average amongst 10 classes. A year into her graduate studies she would often be asked by strangers if she was born in Canada. She would smile and tell them that she had an English crash course from Oprah. She was proud of herself for having somewhat mastered a third language in a relatively short period of time. She felt that she could overcome any challenge.
Her positive attitude led her to a diversified and rewarding career path after obtaining her Master’s – from language instruction to tour & travel to technology marketing. Each time when faced with a new domain, Nasheen would embrace the opportunity with the same determination. She was always curious and never complacent. The unknown excited her. In 2006, she was recruited by a Fortune 500 company and landed her dream job of heading the firm’s software marketing for Canada. She was consistently recognized as a top achiever by senior leadership and was well respected by her team. In the summer of 2008, she married the love of her life, Jeff, with her beautiful 9-year old daughter by her side. They moved into their newly renovated home. Life was grand. Some days Nasheen would wake up in the morning and think to herself: “how can I be this lucky”?
That question was answered on November 17th, 2009 and her life would take a sharp turn. At the age of 41, Nasheen was diagnosed with a serious illness and had to undergo several procedures and treatments. At 5’5 and 125lbs, Nasheen had always lived a healthy and active life. She hadn’t taken a prescription drug in 10 years. Her diagnosis was a shock to her core that made her question everything she’d ever done. To make matters worse, Nasheen was laid off as a result of a corporate M&A during her medical leave. And if she thought her luck might have bottomed out, she hadn’t prepared herself for what was yet to come.
Just as Nasheen was finishing off her 4-month long intensive treatments and beginning to see a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel, she was given more bad news. Another life-threatening illness was confirmed, unrelated to the previous one, but just as lethal. The odds of surviving one diagnosis wasn’t the greatest. The odds of surviving two would require a miracle. She would have to endure a new round of procedures – eight months more. She was on an emotional roller coaster: horror; disbelief; anger; despair; sadness; denial; acceptance. For the first time, she questioned her ability to conquer. The days kept getting darker. She felt she had won the worst lottery in the human gene pool. She allowed herself to cry, but she was determined to pull herself together. After all, she could not change the cards she’d been dealt. She had to make the best of her hand. She decided that she belonged in the world of the living. She had a vision of a vibrant and meaningful existence. Her will to live dominated her thoughts.
Nasheen immersed herself in research. She decided that she must be on top of her own health. She was lucky to have an enormously strong support system. Friends reached out to lend their helping hands. Her elderly parents prepared healthy meals and nurtured Nasheen with their love. Her husband would accompany her to every medical appointment. Being a busy technology executive, Jeff prioritized his daily schedule according to Nasheen’s needs. He had a briefcase dedicated to Nasheen’s medical files. He organized all tests, reports, imaging, research, and meeting notes by category and date. He told her not to worry about anything and just focus on getting well. He would chart her blood test results and identify “red flags” over time to alert the doctors. He would carry the briefcase with him to each medical appointment. The staff at the hospital thought he was a lawyer. Nasheen benefitted immensely from the recommended conventional medical treatments as well as complimentary methods. She incorporated Yoga and brisk-walking into her routine and replaced coffee with green tea. She would not skip a meal anymore, no matter how hectic her schedule might get. She was passionate about sharing her insights and experiences with fellow patients and encouraged them to “own” their own health.
In 2011, after being declared healthy, Nasheen and two partners founded The IT Media Group, a C-level content and relationship marketing firm. Although new to the scene, the company made a splash in the Canadian marketplace, becoming profitable right away. In their first year of business, The IT Media Group signed several prestigious clients and was awarded by LinkedIn as one of the “Best Company Pages of 2012”, placing their start-up in the same company as 11 other well-established firms such as Disney and CNBC.
Like learning English, Nasheen had no prior experience of being an entrepreneur. Instead, she had determination, drive and focus. Years of business and marketing background also came in handy, along with the expertise of her two seasoned partners. Nasheen looks after sales and marketing for the company. Each day, she bounces between client meetings, crafting proposals, presentations and campaigns. But no matter how busy she gets, she never lets work get ahead of her life anymore. She takes time to pause and breathe. She will extend a work deadline to take her daughter, now almost 14, shopping for a graduation dress. She calls her parents every evening. She prepares daily healthy meals for her family. She takes a walk with Jeff every day. On their walks, they hold hands and smile. Nasheen considers herself to be the luckiest person in the world.