Today we honor an amazing woman who broke through gender barriers in her home country and is incredibly inspiring to me.

Dr. Khurshid Khan, my mom, was an exceptional medical student in Pakistan.  Through the encouragement of her parents she attend medical school and despite being outnumbered by male students she excelled to the top of her class.  This was incredibly challenging in Pakistan’s patriarchal dominated system.  Dr.Khan was vital to her community and provided care to a district of 15 village as the only female OB/Gyn physician in the area.  She worked tirelessly to provide care to these deserving patients, even taking call on her own wedding night.  After the ceremony was over she rushed off to a delivery.  That’s dedication. She was so passionate about her work.

Most impressively, she worked with UNICEF to build the first women’s healthcare center in a small village, Memon Goth, to bring accessible care to the women in need.  Because of the conservative society many women preferred a female physician and Dr.Khan was the sole provider for their healthcare and comfort.  To this day this small village still benefits from the center she helped create.

Lastly, she has motived me to propel in healthcare myself.  I’ve made it this far because of all the wonderful support and guidance you’ve provided.

Love you mom!