Fundraiser for University of Reading law student with cancer to get ONC201 drug

Sabreena Majid, from Southampton, was diagnosed with brain tumour diffuse midline glioma on January 28.

Sabreena, who attended St Anne’s Catholic School and sixth form, studied ICT, religious studies and sociology for her A-Levels and went on to study for a law degree at University of Reading.

In December 2019, Sabreena started to suffer from double vision and loss of balance, and was rushed to hospital.

But her family’s “world changed” when they were told she had a grade four tumour. She later began to start 13 rounds of radiotherapy.

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Her condition deteriorated quickly and as a result, she was made exempt from her final year law exams.

Sabreena’s family are asking for help to raise £48,000 for a drug called ONC201. It is a new drug candidate believed to kill cancer cells.

It comes after Sabreena and her sister Nafisa Ilyas saw an article in the Daily Echo on Brooke Leavey, an 11-year-old who died after battling cancer.

They visited Brooke’s family, and Sabreena started taking ONC201 - costing £4,000 a month - from April to June.

Nafisa said: “Sabreena is the youngest of five of us. She’s the most bubbly, happy-go-lucky character.

“We met Brooke’s family, who had raised money for treatment from Germany. We were preparing for the worst case scenario so they gave us six weeks of this drug ONC201 that they had left.”

During an MRI scan in May, doctors discovered her tumour had reduced slightly, and in another MRI in August.

Nafisa added: “If we’d never met Brooke’s family, we would never have known about this drug. We can’t stress enough how grateful we are.

“Once we realised the drug was very helpful, we wanted to get hold of it.

"We’ve contacted a doctor in Germany and are waiting until we have enough funds to go there and buy the drug.”

To donate, visit https://uk.gf.me/v/c/gfm/help-sabreena-beat-dipg.