Nasim Rad was a 21 year old college student from Fresno, CA. She went out with friends, played tennis, loved to cook, and enjoyed music. Nasim also enjoyed spending most of her time outdoors; she marveled at the beauty of the mountains and aspired to travel the world. She finished high school as a junior and soon after attended Willow International College where she maintained a high GPA. Nasim was ambitious and had plans to become a Nurse Practitioner.
Nasim was diagnosed at the age of 16 with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (A.L.L.) in 2008, relapsed in April of 2011 and relapsed for a second time while on treatment in October of 2012. Unfortunately, her battle was lost on March 2nd, 2013 while receiving treatment at City of Hope Hospital in Duarte, CA. She suffered for many years and with many different hardships, but she never once complained.
Nasim was fun, outgoing, accepting of everyone and her smile lit up the entire room. Friends and people who knew her described her as beautiful, logical, strong, funny and determined. She loved people, she loved life, and above all, she loved helping others.
Helping and giving back to the community was a passion of hers. Nasim was always optimistic, and turned her experience into something she learned from and used it to help others. In October of 2008 she hosted a fundraising event for the Oncology Department of Children’s Hospital of Central California. With the help of the local community and the Persian American Cancer Institute she managed to raise over $15,000. Nasim also raised money as a model for the Persian American Cancer Institute in 2009 and 2010. She inspired everyone around her, and always stayed strong even in the face of such a terrible illness.
Nasim was adamant about raising money for cancer research. She became very involved with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society during the years she was fighting her battle. We, as her friends and family, are determined to continue her legacy, by raising awareness and money for innovative cancer research. Please join us in our campaign in honor of Nasim.