Sasha Ghosh, a 16-year-old gymnast from Ashford, Kent, had hoped to be part of Sarcoma Awareness Month, but tragically died from a rare and aggressive cancer before she could fulfil this wish.Now, her family is determined to honour her legacy by raising awareness about desmoplastic small round cell tumour (DSRCT), the disease that claimed her life on 28 April 2024.
Sasha’s father, Arin Ghosh, has written a heartfelt song titled I Hear Your Voice in memory of his daughter. He performed the song at Sasha’s funeral, held at St Mary’s the Virgin Church in Smeeth on 31 May. The song not only pays tribute to Sasha but also serves as a powerful reminder of the need for more research and funding for rare cancers like DSRCT.
Prior to her diagnosis, Sasha had been competing internationally in gymnastics and had a promising future in the sport. Her father believes she could have potentially represented Great Britain one day. However, in 2022, Sasha began experiencing back pain and an upset stomach, which led to the devastating diagnosis of DSRCT, a cancer that affects only 12 people each year.
The Ghosh family moved back to Kent from the Middle East to seek treatment for Sasha, but were left frustrated by the lack of specialised options available beyond chemotherapy. Despite contacting clinicians in the US who suggested a different type of chemotherapy, Sasha was already very weak by the time she received the treatment, and it took a heavy toll on her.
Just two days before her death, Sasha expressed her wish for someone to have spoken out about DSRCT 10 or 20 years ago, believing that things might have been different for her if they had. Her father, inspired by these words, wrote “I Hear Your Voice” to raise awareness about the disease and to call for more research and funding.
Richard Davidson, Chief Executive of Sarcoma UK, emphasised the rarity and aggressiveness of DSRCT, stating that Arin’s poignant song and Sasha’s tragic story serve as a powerful reminder that rare cancers cannot go unnoticed or underfunded. The charity urges the government to prioritise and invest in research that could unlock new treatments and hope for families facing the unimaginable pain of losing a loved one to sarcoma.
The Ghosh family’s story echoes that of Kelly Turner from Dover, who also died from DSRCT at the age of 17 in 2017. Together, these families are campaigning to raise awareness of this rare cancer and to push for more research and funding to help others in the future.
Read more about sarcoma and help us raise awareness this Sarcoma Awareness Month.
