AFTER being declared cancer-free, a woman is on a mission to break down the stigma surrounding the disease amongst people of colour. 

Nagina Kaleem, 54, lives in the Bitterne area of Southampton with her husband and two sons.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, which left her and her family 'completely shocked'. 

Nagina told the Daily Echo: "I went to see my doctor because I was feeling very tired and unwell. 

"The doctor discovered a lump under my armpit and from that point, he asked me to get scans and a biopsy, which revealed that I had breast cancer. 

The diagnosis left Nagina feeling numb and overwhelmed, but it also affected her family.

Her husband and sons found the news hard to cope with. Daily Echo:

"When I was shaving my head, I asked my husband to do it for me, but he just couldn't do it," recalled Nagina. 

While her battle with cancer was hard and challenging, she was finally declared cancer-free in 2019. 

And since then, she has been committed to raising awareness about the condition in the Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) community.

Nagina says that some of her friends and family members avoided speaking to her when she received her diagnosis. 

She added: "In many cultures, people are so scared that they do not even want to think about it or say the word cancer. 

"One of my very close friends stopped talking to me for eight years, and still does not want to talk to me about cancer."

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Nagina now hopes that through campaigning, people can become more accepting and understanding.

She is inviting people to share their experiences of treatment and the problems they had.

And, how they can stay positive and healthy and avoid the risk of developing cancer.

She added: "I think many lives can be saved by educating people about the signs and symptoms of cancer and how the treatment is more effective in the early stages of.

"I strongly encourage people to go for check-ups and treatment if they are not sure about any changes in their bodies."

An event will take place on Saturday, April 30, from 4 to 7pm at Lighthouse International Church Hall in Southampton.

It will feature discussions led by cancer specialists, gynaecologists and more. Daily Echo:

Nagina is originally from Pakistan and arrived in Southampton 11 years ago. She is also the founder of Cross-Culture Hub CIC, a community service group that supports immigrants.