Saudi blogger, influencer and motivational speaker Hamza Iskandar has recently lost his battle to cancer. A battle he did not give up on. A battle that will forever be remembered.
In 2012, Iskandar was >diagnosed with Stage 3 gastroesophageal cancer, a diagnosis that left him and his family heartbroken.
Being an expert at marketing, Iskandar wanted to spread his optimism to the world.
That's when "I fight cancer with a smile" came to life. Over the years, Iskandar's positive energy and vibe inspired millions around the world.
"Let's not let cancer put us down , we fight because we can fight and win," was his motto.
He inspired millions by telling his story on a stage
Iskandar used various social media channels to share his story with a wider audience.
He launched a YouTube channel, a blog and used his personal Facebook and Twitter accounts to document his battle with cancer.
"I can’t explain how hard it was, what made me realize that I’m OK was the fact that as soon as I head home, I would always find extremely encouraging messages, e-mails and people telling me of their stories," Iskandar said in an interview with Arab News in 2014.
"Having a good attitude is 90% of the cure"
"We were all born to challenge ourselves. You have to be strong, you have to build yourself so you can win this," he says.
Iskandar also designed t-shirts to show his support for cancer patients with one of them stamped with the phrase "Hug a cancer patient" written across.
He is the real "Sound of Hope"
In 2014, Iskandar became an ambassador for Sound of Hope, a campaign that aims to raise hearing aid funds for the underprivileged.
"Life is too short to be negative," he said. "I can't be sad. I have to fight."
Iskandar opened his own cancer support center
Iskandar opened the "Cancer Fighters Support Center" and helped change the name of a cancer unit in Jeddah from IMC Cancer Patient Center to the IMC Cancer Fighter Center.
Following the news of his death, many posted tributes to Iskandar -- a soul who will forever be remembered.