A Sister’s Story

Sasha G.M. Shaikh was a tall, handsome, and intelligent man, with an infectious sense of humor and a passion for life that showed through in everything he did. In his days as a graduate student at Tufts University, he hosted international poetry readings at his home, where the worldly students of the Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy shared poems in languages from throughout the world, as Kashmiri chai brewed on the stove. Sasha was the love of my life, the life of the party, and a gentle soul, with great empathy for others. He dedicated his life to fighting social injustice, working with women and girls in impoverished communities, and advocating for people who feel as though they have no voice in the world.

In the fall of 2002, while at Tufts, Sasha experienced severe abdominal pains and was hospitalized. He was eventually diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. For ten months, Sasha struggled with agonizing pain as doctors tried medication after medication in vain. Eventually, Sasha had surgery to remove his colon. Though the surgery was successful, Sasha was never the same. Sasha suffered “loss of limb syndrome,” where a person grieves the loss of an organ. This grief led to anxiety and ultimately depression. Sasha valiantly suffered through ten years of major depression, graduating with a Master’s degree in Law and International Diplomacy from Tufts, writing for Examiner.com on South Asia Foreign Policy, and volunteering for organizations such as NOMI Network, whose mission is to create economic opportunities for survivors and women at risk of human trafficking.

At times Sasha’s depression was so debilitating he was catatonic. He felt lows he described as “bringing him to the foyer of death.” Sasha’s depression made him feel powerless and hopeless, and his own struggles further connected him to victims of social injustice throughout the world. Sasha was an impassioned advocate for people in suffering and leaves behind more than 100 pieces of writing, much dedicated to creating awareness of causes not being covered by major news outlets. Of all of the causes he supported, the plight of women and girls who are victims of gender-based violence was perhaps where he saw the single greatest injustice in the world.

I lost my beautiful brother Sasha on May 18th, 2012 to suicide. He died at age 35 after suffering with major depression for a decade of his life. Sasha’s illness and passing prevented him from being able to accomplish all he wished, to help the most vulnerable members of society. His passion was so strong that this energy still resonates. If we can harness this energy and dedicate ourselves to this important cause, we will carry on this important work and help women and girl victims of gender-based violence. We do this in memory of my brother Sasha. This work is his life’s legacy, and he would be so very proud.