Former Geordie Shore star Zahida Allen has said her father was repeatedly sent home from his GP and A&E with laxatives before he was diagnosed with incurable bowel cancer. Anhar Miah died in February 2023 at the age of 62.
Repeated GP visits and misdiagnosis
From January 2021, Anhar made multiple visits to his GP with digestive problems including diarrhoea, constipation lasting up to a week, and abdominal discomfort. He was consistently given laxatives rather than being referred for further tests.
In December 2021, after experiencing sudden weight loss, severe tiredness, deteriorating bowel problems, and blood in his stool and vomit, he was sent away from A&E with a box of laxatives.
Diagnosis after insistence
Following Zahida's insistence, an X-ray and CT scan revealed a bowel blockage. A biopsy in February 2022 diagnosed stage four metastatic bowel cancer, which was incurable and inoperable.
Zahida, now 32 and living in Newcastle, believes that if her dad's symptoms had been taken more seriously and testing done sooner, more might have been done to prolong or save his life.
Family's ordeal and awareness campaign
Anhar began chemotherapy in May 2022 but died in February 2023. Zahida now helps run his restaurant, the Bay Leaf in Cramlington, Northumberland, and raises awareness of bowel cancer symptoms and early testing.
She has partnered with Newfoundland Diagnostics to launch the "Know Your Sh!t" campaign, offering free bowel health tests in pubs across London.
