COMMENT: Pride of Portsmouth awards are a great way to show appreciation of NHS

Imagine the joy of Shakardokht Jafari when she finally found out she was pregnant after trying for a baby for more than 12 years.

Then try to imagine her shock at receiving a cancer diagnosis at the same time and fearing that she would have to terminate her longed-for pregnancy because of the treatment required.

It was a cruel blow for the medical physicist, who could see her dream of becoming a mum being snatched away from her and also had to deal with the awful news that she had Stage 2 breast cancer.

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The 42-year-old said: 'It was horrible getting such good news and such bad news at the same time.'

But an emergency appointment saw Queen Alexandra Hospital consultant breast surgeon Masooma Zaidi reassure Shakardokht that cancer treatment didn't mean losing her baby.

After regular check-ups and a course of chemotherapy, she gave birth to son Sina in May this year - and she was so grateful and impressed with Masooma's help at such a difficult time that she nominated her for a Pride of Portsmouth award.

There are lots of healthcare professionals like Masooma working in the National Health Service and it's great to have a way for them to be recognised for their care and dedication.

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We applaud Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust for running the awards each year and shining a spotlight on some of the fantastic work that goes on right across the organisation.

Stories like that of Shakardokht are a powerful reminder of why our NHS is so precious and why we owe its workforce such a debt of gratitude for the job they do every day.

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