A bright, calm and sweet girl from Jamalpur began showing severe weakness, pallor, and jaundice, and after many consultations, she was finally diagnosed with thalassemia in 1984 — a time when the disease was barely known in Bangladesh. Despite losing her mother early and struggling with years of unsafe transfusions that caused complications like Hepatitis C, osteoporosis, thyroid issues and potassium deficiency, she completed her studies, earned admission to the University of Dhaka, and became active in voluntary work.

Her dedication led her to work with the Bangladesh Thalassemia Samity to inspire blood donors and to help establish the Bangladesh Thalassemia Foundation. Later, she joined as a counselor at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital’s Thalassemia Center and is still working there, where she witnessed the hardship of patients coming from remote areas. Moved by their suffering, she arranged a two-room lodging for out-of-district patients with help from friends and the encouragement from Prof. Dr. Waqar Ahmed Khan, which remained the only such facility until the COVID-19 pandemic. Her inspiration also led to the creation of At-Taiyyeba Thalassemia Nibash by Prof. Dr. Manzur Morshed, offering patients a dignified place to stay. Since 2006–07, she has managed a personal Zakat fund to support patients’ treatment costs and basic needs.

She is Kamrun Nahar (Mukul). Her long-held dream gained momentum when she met others who shared her vision, leading to the formation of We Are Not Alone (WANA) on 25 December 2021, later registered as the Bangladesh Thalassemia Patients and Parents’ Welfare Association (BTPWA). Today, the organization works nationwide to support thalassemia patients and raise awareness.