Mosque could be built to honour Luton brain cancer campaigner

The family of a law graduate who raised thousands of pounds for a brain cancer charity says they are "immensely proud" of her legacy.

Amani Liaquat, 23, from Luton, Bedfordshire, had glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a brain cancer, and passed away on Monday.

She was diagnosed after she suffered a seizure on her birthday in April 2020.

Khuram Liaquat, her father, said her final wish was for a mosque to be built in her name.

He said he was "so moved" that a fundraising page for the mosque, wells and a school to be built in a developing country, possibly Uganda, had raised £81,000 of its £100,000 target in just a few days.

"Her wish to make a change, not just in her life, but [for] all those going through the same pain, with terminal brain cancers and other brain cancers, has made me immensely proud.

"I've lost a beautiful daughter," he said. "But at the moment I am just riding a wave of joy and pride for what my beautiful daughter has achieved."

She also raised more than £37,000 for the Brain Tumour Research charity and spoke for more awareness of the condition through her podcast, Chat2Amani.

Tom Parker, the singer from the band The Wanted, and who was diagnosed with a brain tumour, went on the show last year where he spoke about how he was shocked by treatment and lack of funding for people with brain cancer.

Miss Liaquat was awarded a first class honours law degree and was given her Masters degree in Applied Social Welfare, with Distinction, from the University of Bedfordshire, at home on the Tuesday before she passed away, her father said.

"We've been grieving for 22 months and from the day our daughter was diagnosed and watching her slowly deteriorating, the ability to walk, her ability to see, the brain is our most precious organ and to watch your daughter lose those faculties is really painful", he said.

He said the family, including her mother, Yasmin and sisters Ruqayyah and Meah, had been left "broken" but had been inundated with best wishes from around the country and across the world.

"She achieved so much and touched so many people, its really really helped us", he added.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]