Spotlight on Sbba Siddique
Encouraging more people to come forward at an earlier stage with suspected cancer signs and symptoms is one of our priorities.
But this is not something we can do on our own. We need people who are part of the community to support this work and our patient representative Sbba Siddique is determined to make a difference.
Sbba was shortlisted this autumn for the Asian Media Awards for her podcast with Macmillan Cancer, Taboos and Stigmas, where Sbba described her own experience of cancer and the work she does to increase awareness in the South Asian community, particularly women, to overcome the potential stigma and barriers they may experience.
As Director of the radio station Asian Star Radio, a prominent Bollywood UK music channel, Sbba was nominated by the producer of her show for the awards and she and the team attended a glitzy ceremony in Manchester as one of the finalists. She said: “The whole team were super proud of what we had achieved in tackling such a difficult subject in such an empathetic and compassionate way.
“I attended the event along with my managing director Ray Siddique and Hazel Slow from Macmillan who we partnered with on the podcast. It was a beautiful event with the cream of Asian media in attendance with many A-list celebrities. It was an opulent affair and we were treated to a five star five course meal.”
Even with such a demanding job, Sbba is determined to do what she can to press the importance of getting an early diagnosis and treatment if people suspect they have cancer, with help from others: “I have an extremely supportive and dedicated team around me that makes it that much easier and, as they say, it’s teamwork that makes the dream work.
“The advocacy and charitable work is not work for me, it’s what fills my cup and nourishes my soul. Making a difference in people’s lives while empowering women drives me. My own cancer journey exposed me to the disparities that people of colour face in a system that is just not designed for them, but at the same time the stigmas and taboos that I faced at the hands of my own community showed me how much needed to be done there to normalise the cancer conversation, raise awareness and foster early diagnosis and ultimately save lives.”
She seeks inspiration from her family and the other people experiencing cancer she has met on her journey: “My daughters inspire me. The cancer warriors, some of whom are no longer with us, who I have met on this journey inspire me. The women who are working tirelessly in this area already inspire me. But most importantly, the women who feel they do not have a voice, for whatever reason, they inspire me to not give in to the bystander effect. To take a stand and to try and improve outcomes for those that will inevitably follow.”
Her advice to all women is to remember: “Nobody knows your body better than you and if you feel something isn’t right , trust your gut instinct and get it checked out. If you are not happy with what your clinician is telling you or you feel you are being dismissed ask for a second opinion – it is your right.
“Knowledge is Power – educate yourself on your health, learn about your body and women’s health. Learn about symptoms and attend events – when you are informed you will be able to self-advocate. When symptoms are picked up early it means less invasive treatments and things can be dealt with quickly and easily.
“Take up those offers of tests and screening when the letter for a smear comes or the mammogram. Don’t ignore it.
“Normalise these conversation on women’s health. Talk to your daughters, sisters, mothers. Have open and frank conversations – they will save lives.”