Abdallah Abou Zahr 701 benefit flyerThe week of 7/17/23, at age 39, Abdallah learned that his sarcoma cancer returned and has spread throughout his body at an unfathomable rate and is in his lungs, soft tissues, bone marrow, and spinal cord in just 30 days since his last scan. This makes his prognosis terminal, and he is already unable to work due to the pain he is in. Thus this ask is for help financially for this special couple.

This isn’t the couple’s first round with cancer and tragedy, as Shauna, his wife, was diagnosed a month before their 2021 wedding with breast cancer when she was only 32 years old. The week after their honeymoon, Abdallah was diagnosed with sarcoma cancer. Both had intensive treatments and recoveries with chemo, radiation, surgery, and significant time out of work. As if cancer wasn’t enough, the couple was forced to utilize IVF to secure the possibility of becoming parents one day due to their health struggles. The couple went through 4 total rounds of IVF totaling over $100,000 with no insurance coverage. The couple is still working to overcome this massive financial hardship. They were over the moon to learn right before their second wedding anniversary that they are expecting a baby girl due in January 2024.

The recent news of Abdallah’s prognosis has shocked, paralyzed, and sent the couple and their families into despair. Abdallah, an expert in cancer, is not optimistic that he will be alive to welcome their baby in January, and his doctors agree that making it 1-2 years would be a best, but rare case. If anyone knows Shauna and Abdallah, they have a one-of-a-kind love that they spread and share with everyone around them through their generosity, kindness, humor, honesty, and vivaciousness. They are people that show up for you whenever you need, and that is what I hope this fundraiser will be for us to them. They have lived through so much hardship and burden, and now face the ultimate burden of a terminal cancer diagnosis. Because of the short time frame between their wedding and his cancer diagnosis, Abdallah couldn’t secure a life insurance policy that would support Shauna and their baby in the event of his passing. He is the primary financial provider for their family. I hope that this fundraiser can be a way for us to show support and give back to Shauna and Abdallah in the way they live their lives for us in the community. The two of them have touched and given so much healing to people suffering in the oncology and mental health fields. Anything that we can do to make finances and economics less of a stressor to the Abou-Zahr family, the better, especially with their baby due in the coming months. Abdallah wants Shauna to be able to focus on her pregnancy and loving every minute of time she has left with her sweet Abdallah.

Lend A Hand Up will boost your online donation 20% to make your generosity go further – all proceeds go to Abdallah.  Cash/Check donations must be made payable and gifted directly to the Abou Zahr’s.