Our Story
Hi there! ☃️ I'm Samah, a 27-year-old Muslim, wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend, and architecture graduate.
But there's something significant that has shaped my perspective: On February 27, 2021 when I woke up and found myself lying in a hospital bed. I had no idea what had happened or how I ended up there. As I lay there, I realised that all of my worst nightmares had come true as I was completely paralysed. I was opening my mouth in an attempt to speak but nothing came out.
After many attempts to explain to me what had happened and I found out that I had suffered from a stroke which caused aphasia. I felt trapped, lost and empty because I never imagined a world where I would be unable to speak. My whole world had come crashing down around me and all I felt was complete loneliness while a feeling of sadness would take over my body and my mind on a daily basis.
Each day became a battle because every call and every conversation was a stark reminder of the situation I had found myself in. I put on a brave face and tried to show others that I was strong but my emotions would grip me, leaving me crying. I would ask myself “what use am I if I am unable to speak?”. I avoided conversations and communications and I was afraid to speak but with the support of my family around me, I ventured on a journey whereby I worked hard to learn to speak again as well as write and read and I have made amazing progress but there is still lots of work to be done.
Every day, billions of people around the world are fighting a battle of their own. Some talk about these battles while others struggle in silence but this is a part of their everyday reality. However, through my experiences, I hope that I can encourage, empower and inspire others to heal and fight by these posters. My aim is to help everyone practise kindness, regardless of who they are, what they do and their attitude towards you.
So, take it upon yourselves to smile at a stranger today because everyone and I mean everyone is fighting their own battle.
At this point, I would like to thank you for being here and for taking the time to read this. Always remember that you are more than enough so embrace your journey, remember to stay true to your purpose and always be kind to yourself.