Cardiff Plumber Loses Battle with Rare Cancer at 25, Family Seeks Help for Memorial

Mojtaba Almassi, a 25-year-old Cardiff plumber remembered as "the sweetest boy ever," passed away last month after an 18-month battle with orbital rhabdomyosarcoma - a cancer so rare it affects fewer than 60 people annually in the UK. What began as unexplained eye swelling in April 2024 led to a devastating diagnosis that would test the Almassi family's resilience.

His sister Yasmin reveals the heartbreaking timeline: "We initially thought it was an infection. By the time doctors identified the tumor in June, it had already spread to his lymph nodes." The family drained their life savings funding experimental therapies when NHS options exhausted, including multiple rounds of chemotherapy at Cardiff's Velindre Cancer Centre.

Mojtaba's coworkers at Pipelife Plumbing launched a workplace fundraiser during treatment, describing him as "the teammate who'd cheer us up during rainy roof jobs." Neighbors rallied to maintain the family home while parents Hassan and Parvaneh alternated hospital shifts. Now facing funeral costs exceeding £4,000, the Almassis have reluctantly turned to GoFundMe after spending £18,000 on alternative treatments.

"Hospital parking fees alone cost us hundreds," Yasmin shares, her voice trembling. "Moj would hate us asking, but we can't even afford the headstone he deserves." The campaign has raised £2,300 of its £5,000 goal in three days.

Cardiff Central Mosque is organizing a memorial service next Friday, imam Idris Patel noting: "Mojtaba's quiet kindness - fixing elders' boilers without pay - embodied our community spirit." Colleagues will install a commemorative bench at Bute Park, honoring the apprentice who"could unblock drains while cracking jokes."

As Yasmin puts it: "Cancer stole our future, but not our memories. We'll hear his laugh every time a tap drips in this house."