{"id":26909,"date":"2025-10-29T10:10:33","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T02:10:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/friends\/?p=26909"},"modified":"2026-07-16T11:22:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T03:22:37","slug":"afias-walk-of-courage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/friends\/afias-walk-of-courage\/","title":{"rendered":"Afia\u2019s Walk of Courage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

29\/10\/2025. By Carmelle Wilkinson<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dressed in her graduation regalia, Afia Anjum stood beside the stage at Curtin\u2019s 2025 Djiiba Graduations, her heart racing as she waited for her name to be called.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just weeks earlier, the Master of Architecture student had received news no one is ever prepared for – doctors had found a rare and aggressive tumour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an instant, her whole world came crashing down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Known for her bright smile and gentle spirit, Afia had been counting down the days to graduation, the moment she would walk across the stage with her classmates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But after beginning chemotherapy, she wasn\u2019t sure she\u2019d be well enough to make it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe day I was diagnosed, my world stood still,\u201d Afia said.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey told me I might only have weeks to live. It honestly felt like an out-of-body experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite several gruelling rounds of chemotherapy and its harsh side effects, Afia was determined to be there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supported by her husband, friends and fellow graduates, Afia was well enough on her graduation to make that walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Afia accepting her Masters of Architecture at the 2025 Curtin Djilba (September) Graduations Ceremony.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was such a wonderful feeling,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was just so grateful I was strong enough to enjoy that moment alongside my peers.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A few weeks earlier, Curtin\u2019s graduations team had organised a private ceremony for Afia, in case her health wouldn\u2019t allow her to attend the official event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While deeply touched by their kindness, nothing compared to the feeling of hearing her name called, walking across the stage, and holding the degree she had worked so hard for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Afia, that short walk symbolised so much more than the completion of a degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Afia with her husband at her private ceremony organised by the Curtin Graduations team.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It carried the weight of her father\u2019s unwavering encouragement, the fulfilment of her late mother\u2019s dream, and her own extraordinary courage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That same courage had guided her in 2023 when she left Bangladesh to begin a new life in Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life in Perth was everything she had wished for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was thriving at university, surrounded by new friends, and excited about what lay ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"curtin<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Afia with her friends at her private graduation ceremony<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in June this year, while completing her final thesis, everything changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI remember feeling tired all the time and losing my appetite,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just thought it was stress. Then one day I became so sick I vomited at least 20 times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy husband rushed me to hospital, where they treated me for dehydration and sent me home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Days later, after submitting her thesis, Afia collapsed and was rushed back to hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis time, they did a scan and found a tumour blocking my intestine,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey removed it and sent it for biopsy. When the results came back, they told me it was Extraskeletal Ewing\u2019s Sarcoma- a very rare and aggressive cancer.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Since then, Afia has faced hospital visits, countless tests, and more chemotherapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet through it all, she radiates calm, gratitude and grace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI try not to dwell on the negative,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI take it one day at a time. If today is sunny, I go outside and enjoy it. If I\u2019m well enough to smile, I smile. That\u2019s how I keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are hard days, yes – but positivity helps. I really believe your mindset makes all the difference.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Afia said her husband had been her constant source of strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"curtin<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Afia with her husband, who has been her constant source of strength.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been my rock,\u201d she said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t have done any of this without him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With her father and younger brother back home in Bangladesh, Afia is determined to continue to make them proud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"curtin<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Afia with her family.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe lost my mum in 2021, so it hasn\u2019t been easy on my family,\u201d she said.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I got the diagnosis, I didn\u2019t even know how to tell my father.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was her father, a civil engineer, who first inspired her to study architecture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGrowing up, I watched him work with architects, how they combined creativity and practicality to bring ideas to life. It fascinated me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe once told me, \u2018You should study architecture,\u2019 and it just made sense. I already loved sketching and had a science background.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After completing her five-year bachelor\u2019s degree in Bangladesh, Afia decided to pursue her Masters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMum always wanted me to further my education,\u201d Afia said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen she passed away, I decided to come to Australia to honour her dream.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now, even in the face of one of life\u2019s toughest battles, Afia\u2019s strength and optimism continue to inspire everyone around her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"curtin<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Afia decided to come to Australia to honour her mother’s dream.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She hopes her story reminds others to listen to their bodies and trust their instincts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur body is like an alarm clock – it gives us signals when something\u2019s wrong,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re often so busy with work or study that we ignore them, especially if they\u2019re subtle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile there\u2019s nothing, I could\u2019ve done to prevent my cancer, maybe we could\u2019ve found it sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through her remarkable journey, Afia reminds us all that even in moments of deep uncertainty, there\u2019s always space for courage, gratitude – and a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

–<\/p>\n\n\n\n

** Afia Anjum lost her battle with cancer on June 27, 2026.

Although she held her Curtin degree for only a short time, Afia leaves behind a legacy far greater than any qualification. She embodied the courage to keep going, the determination to pursue her dreams, and the spirit of never giving up, even in the face of unimaginable adversity.

We are incredibly grateful to have known her, and we know her story will continue to inspire others for years to come.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

___<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n \n\n

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