Student, 18, drowned while celebrating her A-level results as devastated family pay tribute to ‘bright & talented girl’
A TEEN girl drowned while on a holiday celebrating her A Levels as her family paid tribute.
Afaf Ahmed, 18, was described as “beautiful, bright and talented” by her devastated mum Dr Hanan Abdelaziz.
The teenager tragically drowned after getting caught in choppy waters while away with friends after her proud mum took them to Holland as a treat.
Afaf died in August while swimming with friends off the Zuidelijk Havenhoofd, near The Hague.
Since seeing the tragic incident unfold, the Coventry GP has been trying to come to terms with the fact her only child’s life was cut short so abruptly.
“She was a beautiful person, both inside and out,” Dr Abdelaziz told CoventryLive.
“I raised her as a single parent to be kind and brave and strong, and she was all of those things and more.
“She was my best friend, my soulmate, and living without her is so hard.
“She was a talented dancer, pianist, and guitarist. She was a beautiful singer and could hit all the high notes in the choir.
“She loved to help children, she even taught dance for free. She touched so many people’s lives and cared so much for others.”
Having passed her A Levels, Afaf was getting ready to take up a place studying biomedical sciences at Liverpool University with plans to eventually study dentistry.
Her mum said she worked hard taking extra tutelage outside of school hours to make sure she was on the path to success.
She was a much-loved pupil at King Henry VIII school touching the lives of her classmates and teachers.
Her role as a prefect made her an ideal advocate for encouraging new enrolees.
The school described her as “a shining star” when she died and have since planted a tree on the grounds in her honour.
After taking time to grieve privately, Dr Abdelaziz began looking for ways to make sure her daughter’s legacy would live on.
“I always taught my daughter to be a strong woman, a good human being and to be resilient,” Dr Abdelaziz said:
“I can not let her down, I have to try and be all the things she was. I am so very, very sad but I’m so proud of the woman Afaf was turning into.”
To cement her daughter’s legacy, Dr Abdelaziz has created a charity, Afaf Above the Water, inspired poignantly by the last moment she saw Afaf alive.
“Afaf would put a smile on anyone’s face she met, she was a beautiful person, and my heart is still breaking,” Dr Abdelaziz said.
“But I’m determined to keep her memory alive, to tell the world about who she was, and to celebrate the wonderful person she was.”