The father of a young Edmonton girl with an incurable form of cancer says he’s struggling: emotionally and financially, after quitting his job to be by his daughter’s side.

Haydar Easa’s 13-year-old daughter Zahra lives with sarcoma, a type of cancer found in the soft tissue.

Zahra’s been in and out of the hospital for years, but recently her health took a turn for the worse – and that’s when Easa quit his job to be with his little girl at all times.

“Zahra held my hand and said ‘daddy please, don’t leave me alone, I’m scared. Daddy, please stay with me,’” Easa said.

“Zahra said ‘daddy, you have to be beside me. I need you.’”

He had originally left his job in Fort McMurray five years ago, for a job in Edmonton to be closer to Zahra and his three other children.

However in October, Zahra’s condition worsened.

Easa said she went into a coma twice and had severe seizures and bleeding.

“Doctors said Zahra, she’ll never wake up again, it’s the end of the line,” Easa said.

“It was a very bad experience for us.”

That’s when the young girl asked her father to be with her at all times – so, Easa quit his most recent job.

But with no income coming in, he says he’s struggling to pay his mortgage, bills, and put food on the table.

“Most of the time, I use my VISA, my credit card,” Easa said.

And that’s where the Islamic Family and Social Services Association came in.

The association heard about the Easa family’s situation about a year ago.

They’ve been trying to raise money and provide support to help Easa and Zahra ever since

“We started raising money through Facebook,” said Lena Hamdon, who volunteers with the organization.

Hamdon said the group is trying to reach out to the community to help put Easa’s financial worries at ease, so he can focus on being there for Zahra.

“She just needs love. She needs her dad, she needs her family,” Hamdon said.

“With the financial part, if us as a community can take care of that part and they can focus on making Zahra happy, then that’s the main goal.”

Easa has been appreciative of the association’s help.

He says the money they’ve been able to collect so far means he can spend more time making sure Zahra is happy.

“When she sees daddy beside her, she feels strong,” Easa said.

“She feels like she’s not alone.”

Anyone wishing to donate to the Easa family can do so through PayPal, by clicking here or contacting the Islamic Family and Social Services Association.

There is also a trust fund in Haydar Easa’s name at TD Canada Trust, account information is: Transit # 83249. Inst. # 004. Account #. 83246067666.

With files from Carmen Leibel