The reason I was quiet on Twitter: my super mum (62) was fighting covid in ICU for nearly 3 months. She lost her fight last Friday in Ramadan

She is more than a covid statistic.

Her history like many women of colour from her generation needs to be told.

A thread (1/8):

At 18, she arrived to the UK in a cold February (1977), newly married & with hope & worry. Her first slip in snow taught her that she needed to to change her stilettos for boots. Her first home was my aunt's 2 bed house, sharing it with her 4 children, grandad & ofc dad (2/8)

She was never sent to school so could not write letters to her family overseas. Instead she used the best workaround, sending voice notes via cassettes (long before they became cool on WhatsApp). Holidays to see family were rare. (3/8)

Mum devoted herself to family & community. Her samosas were the first to go at school fairs, extra money was raised by stitching clothes, she looked after my grandad who was severely disabled after a stroke. Everything was done with a smile. (4/8)

A staunch advocate of girls' education, she took me to libraries, made me listen to news, sent me on overnight school trips when many Asian girls were not permitted by families. She backed me to drive at 17 & wanted me to make my own choices. (5/8)

Mum called out racism from society, stuck up for women's rights in the community & wore her headscarf with pride. She cleaned eggs thrown at our doors & when comments were made post 9/11 about our faith, she responded with dignity. 'We set the standard' she said. (6/8)

Mum raised 4 children: an award winning lawyer, a businessman, a full time carer & a diplomat. Our biggest ally together with dad, we were encouraged to do our best & what made us happy. Yet she also taught us to look beyond titles & positions. Kindness to others was no1 (7/8)

My mum was from a generation of women who put self interest aside, to raise Britain's future generations, who are now making a difference in all walks of life. Their stories are often not told, their voice still missing from conversations. We owe you. Thank you. (8/8)