A 39-year-old mother passed away from coronavirus, leaving behind her 13-year-old quadruplets.
It was in early March when Shabnum Sadiq had traveled to Pakistan for a wedding but she contracted the virus during her five-day trip.
Her friend, Haqeeq Dar, said the mother-of-five was on a ventilator for 24 days before she succumbed to the virus.
“It’s a great loss. She was a colleague and very hard working councillor who always put herself forward. She was a fighter and fought for 24 days on a ventilator which is a long time,” he expressed.
“Cllr Sadiq was always up for it with a smile. She made your day by just being there which made a difference to a lot of people’s lives. She was always active but it’s just one of those things.
“It’s a tragedy. She only went to attend a wedding in early March on a short eight day trip.
“But she never came back. She was only there for five days when she contracted the virus. I just can’t believe that she’s gone.”
It was on June 26, 2006 when Shabnum, who had a polycystic ovary syndrome, gave birth to miracle quadruplets.
She had been a lead member for education and children’s services in Berkshire.
The leader of the council, Councillor James Swindlehurst, said: “This is very shocking for all of us and our thoughts are with her family and friends.
“Shabnum was a dedicated councillor and despite only being in her first term, she had made a contribution far beyond the years she’d spent in the council chamber.”
He added: “This has brought home to us that not only is this virus something we have to deal with as a town, but also personally; through our work, through our actions and through our grief for those it has taken.
“Behind every statistic about this virus is a family ripped apart and there is no starker example of that, to us in the council, than to lose one our colleagues.
“May she rest in peace and her family find comfort in the love she had for them all.”
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