Professor Fayyaz Ahmed has published his memoirs with proceeds to be donated to The Migraine Trust
Professor Fayyaz Ahmed and a copy of his memoirs, Beneath the Dust(Image: Humber Health Partnership)
It is 40 years since Professor Fayyaz Ahmed graduated from medical school in Pakistan and arrived to work in the UK. As a neurology consultant based in Hull for the past 29 of those years, Prof Ahmed will be a familiar face to thousands across the Hull and Humber region.
He has dedicated his life to the treatment and research of headache and migraine, and is now considered a world-leading expert in his field. Countless patients under his care talk of how he has changed their lives.
His knowledge and expertise have seen him invited to chair numerous prestigious organisations specialising in headache and migraine, and to serve as a trustee and adviser to many others. He has been privileged to organise the British Association for the Study of Headache biennial conference for the last 20 years, and his career achievements saw him rewarded with an invitation to the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace last year.
But for someone so eminent, Prof Ahmed remains a humble man. Now, as he begins to consider what life might look like beyond a career in health, he has published his memoirs, “Beneath the Dust”, to share his life’s journey, his highs and lows, with the wider world and to raise money for a cause close to his heart.
Prof Ahmed said: “My life has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, with its various ups and downs. In sharing my memoirs, Beneath the Dust, I am not only giving an insight into the person behind the professional, but I hope to interest and inspire doctors who graduate abroad to carve out a successful career for themselves in the UK.
“I’ve been blessed with remarkable colleagues, mentors and teachers who have guided me with pure sincerity. There have been obstacles, of course, and I did make my fair share of mistakes, but with the support of my family, friends, my colleagues and my faith, I found success beyond my own merit; achievements that once upon a time, I wouldn’t have thought possible in my wildest dreams.”
Beneath the Dust documents Prof Ahmed’s whole life journey, from his childhood in Kharadar, Pakistan, through his medical training, his arrival in the UK, his family life, his research and his journey to become an honorary professor. And in true Prof Ahmed style, he has chosen to donate the proceeds to The Migraine Trust, a charity he has been involved with and worked alongside for the past 16 years.
“The Migraine Trust does some incredible work to support patients and families affected by migraine, and I was honoured to serve as a trustee for the charity for 12 years,” he said. “For those who have never experienced migraine, they can just assume it’s a bad headache, but in reality it can be truly debilitating, affecting a person’s ability to work or study, relationships with family and friends, and their overall quality of life.
“The Migraine Trust works so hard to promote better understanding of migraine among those who suffer, but also to research into the condition and to campaign for access to new and emerging treatments. Donating the proceeds from sales of my book to The Migraine Trust is one way in which I hope to be able to continue to support patients and families, near and far, whose lives are affected by migraine, for years to come.”
Reflecting on his extensive career, Prof Ahmed said: “I feel privileged to say I have now achieved everything I would want to on a professional level, and I can look back on my career with both pride and satisfaction, but I won’t be retiring just yet. The responsibility of safeguarding people’s health will ultimately fall on the youth of today, so my real calling now is to share what I’ve learned, to pass on the essence of the last 35 years and more to aspiring doctors – to teach, to examine, and to lecture. I want them to be prepared, not just academically, but practically as well.”
Copies of Beneath the Dust are available from debbie.buttle@nhs.net priced £15, inclusive of postage and packing (book price £10).
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