TRIBUTES have been paid to a dedicated charity worker who had sadly lost his battle with cancer.
Kamal Aftab was just 32 years old when he passed away on Friday.
His funeral is taking place at 2pm on Sunday (August 9) at the Ahmadiyya centre at The Pavilion, Spaines Road in Fartown.
His uncle, Fathul Haq, led the tributes to his nephew, telling the Examiner: “He did so much for charity, even right at the end when he was in hospital he was determined to raise as much as he could.
“He was a very active member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association and he was closely involved with charities and young people.”
Mr Aftab, who was previously shortlisted for an Examiner Community Award due to his dedication to the community, was an optometrist in Honley.
He volunteered as a regional youth leader and mentor for Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Associations (AMYA) – a charity that seeks to teach young people life skills by engaging them in community and charitable initiatives.
He was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and was treated at St James’ Hospital in Leeds.
In a blog post to raise funds for charity, Mr Aftab wrote of his diagnosis: “I suppose that people in my situation react in a whole host of ways; some feel utter despair; others, a sudden sense of mortality and most, a bit of everything... As for me, I’m an optimist by nature and while different people look for strength in various places, it’s my belief in God and prayer that have carried me through the challenges of cancer.”
In recent years alone his efforts have raised £50,000 for good causes – and even during his time in hospital he did a ‘hospital marathon’ in aid of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.
So far he has raised £14,929 for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research - visit www.justgiving.com/hospitalchallenge to donate in Mr Aftab’s memory.
