The fundraiser for Dr Farooq Arshad’s family has surged past £72,000 just days after the 40-year-old anaesthetist died suddenly at his home in Littleover on Sunday, May 10. More than 700 people have contributed to the appeal, which was set up by his colleague Dr Anser Ali to help his widow, Farhat Fatima, and their three children.
Arshad worked at Royal Derby Hospital and had built close friendships with fellow anaesthetists after moving to Derby once restrictions began to ease following the pandemic. Ali said he first met him over dinner with friends and was struck by how open and gentle he seemed, remembering that he thought instantly that Arshad was “so innocent and nice.” He said Arshad “wouldn't hide anything, but he was incredibly kind,” and later added that he was “incredibly respected in his field and by everyone who knew him at the hospital.”
That respect is now reflected in the response from colleagues and strangers alike, with the appeal drawing support at a pace rarely seen in a local family fundraiser. Arshad had moved to the UK from Pakistan after the pandemic, worked first in the South and then settled in Derby, where he became close to Ali and Dr Mubeen Salik. Salik said he had known Arshad since 2014, a friendship that stretched back years before the sudden death that left the family facing a difficult future.
The practical strain on Fatima is immediate and severe. One of the couple’s children is non-verbal and autistic, and she may take up to two years to become qualified in the UK despite having medical background in Pakistan. The fundraiser was created to give the family financial support, but it also underlines how quickly a life built around work, children and plans for the future can be changed by a single day. Arshad was meant to join a group travelling to protest in London on Saturday, but cancelled so he could stay home with his family. For those who knew him, that choice fits the picture they are now repeating most often: a man who put other people first, even in the last days before he died.
