Zoya Palliative Care Memorial Fund

**Update: Thanks to the generosity of our friends and family, we've already raised more than $200,000 total gifts. Our goal of $500,000 will help ensure the endowment makes a significant impact in the lives of children at University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital.**

On July 30, 2014, our younger daughter, Zoya, was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma. She was only five years old. Zoya fought a courageous battle that included numerous chemotherapy sessions, a resection and reconstructive surgery of her right hip and a bone marrow transplant. The cancer won the battle, but during her short time with us, our daughter taught us about patience, determination and optimism. She once told us that she wanted to be a cancer doctor, but then followed up by saying, "Actually, I want to become a nurse. I know how much it hurts when they put a needle in my port. I will make sure that no child will hurt anymore".

We want to share Zoya's mission of healing and empathy with those around us, to educate our community while ensuring a better society, albeit a tiny drop in the bucket.

It is with this intention that our family has created the Zoya Palliative Care Memorial Fund to further the education and research of future healthcare providers at the University of Minnesota, who wish to take care of the dying and their families.

Please support us in realizing Zoya's dream.

Sincerely,
Zoya's Family (Wajahat, Mariam and Maria)