08/05/2020
We had a campaign donation made in honor of this amazing woman and mother yesterday. Donor Maliha Williamson wrote out her mom’s story for us and the entire campaign staff was in tears. Maliha wrote, “I lost my mom, my best friend, Shama (which means candlelight in Urdu), to ovarian cancer in 2007. My earliest memories with my mom are of me and her back in Pakistan, doing everything together. I was her little assistant in the kitchen and we also loved going shopping together.
Her own life came with a bit of tragedy. She was an honor student in her days and wanted to pursue to be a doctor, but back in those days, women “too” educated were a threat to societal norms and her my grandparents worried that they would have trouble finding her a husband. So, they went against her wishes, her marriage was arranged, and even though my dad promised her she could pursue her doctorate degree, he changed his mind after the marriage, again probably coming under the pressure of societal norms in those days in Pakistan.
My mom was devastated, but she put that energy into her kids and she raised us, encouraging us to pursue whatever she wanted. She didn’t want her kids to go through what she went through. The result was 3 amazing, confident kids. My oldest sister ended up becoming a doctor and specializing in dermatology. I became the first woman engineer in my fam and completed my bachelors and masters in chemical engineering. And my brother got his bachelors and masters in mechanical engineering, with an emphasis in robotics.
She lived through her kids, since she couldn’t live out her own dreams.
She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in her 40s, and cancer in her 50s, so her soul wasn’t happy, but we became her hope and dreams. I just wish she was still here to enjoy what her kids have accomplished. But, I have a feeling she is watching from the other side because my professional life took off after her passing💜💕”
We stand with you Maliha and Shama. May your mom rest in power. Thank you for your support of our campaign and for sharing your mom’s amazing story with the world.
We are proud to honor her! If you’d like to donate you can do so at burr2020.com @ Temecula, California