“Advocacy directly helps Soraya and her quality of life, but it also helps every kid and their family. It gives Soraya’s life, and the struggles that we go through, a purpose."
Tasha Faruqui, quoted from a featured article published by the Children’s Hospital Association
Advocacy
Tasha is a passionate advocate for parents of medically complex children and those with limited life expectancies.
Previously serving as a National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholar, Tasha now works in the Cincinnati community as a pediatrician and educator. She is a Make-A-Wish Ambassador, a community preceptor for doctors in residency at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and on the board of the Hamilton County Department of Developmental Disability Services. In addition to these pursuits, Tasha participates in advocacy events such as the 2020 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Week, where she met with representatives in Congress and shared her family’s story to help educate lawmakers about the role of children’s hospitals and the care they provide.
Alongside Tasha, the Faruqui family was the spotlight family at the 2024 Southern Ohio Make-A-Wish Gala and has been chosen as the face of the Make-A-Wish national Summer of Wishes campaign.
Media Mentions
Inside Edition feature
Inside Edition is television's longest-running, top-rated, and most-honored syndicated newsmagazine. Boasting 18.5+ million followers across platforms, Tasha and the Faruqui family jumped at the opportunity to share Soraya’s story when they were contacted by the Inside Edition team.
2024 Emmy Winner
To Love and Be Loved, a short film created by Make-A-Wish OH, KY & IN to showcase the impact Soraya’s wish trip to Hawaii had on the Faruqui family, was awarded an Emmy in the Human Interest – Short or Long Form Content category at the 2024 Ohio Valley Emmy Awards.
Advocacy in Action
Watch Tasha and her family’s news feature, She’s 12 and dying. Doctors don’t know why. It’s not stopping her joy. Originally shared by WCPO Cincinnati, the story was picked up by news stations across the country and has now been shared in nearly every state in the U.S.