'Her spirit will live on': tributes pour in after Dubai entrepreneur loses 13-year cancer fight

Mother-of-four Negin Fattahi-Dasmal was the founder of some of the UAE's leading beauty salons

Negin Fattahi-Dasmal with her husband Salem and four children. Courtesy: Maryam Fattahi Salaam 

Tributes have been paid to a much-loved Dubai entrepreneur who has died after a 13-year fight with cancer.

Mother-of-four Negin Fattahi-Dasmal, who died on February 2, had been given only six to 12 months to live when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 31.

Described as a visionary and pioneer, the 44-year-old established several beauty salons in the UAE including N.Bar, 1847 and JetSet.

Her younger sister, Maryam Fattahi Salaam, said she fought with everything she had until the very end.

"She wanted to live so badly for her family," Ms Salaam told The National.

“[It was] a rollercoaster journey from being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer at the age of 31 while pregnant with her fourth child.

“Initially given a prognosis of six to twelve months to live, she defied all odds.

"She underwent several surgeries, had repeated radiation treatment throughout her body and continued on chemotherapy and drugs.

“It exhausted her but she found energy in it as well. She fought the fiercest of battles and fought against the cancer that had consumed nearly all of her.”

After battling for several years with breast cancer, Ms Fattahi-Dasmal was told she had leptomeningeal cancer of the brain in December 2016, which later spread to her spinal cord.

Ms Salaam said her sister had done so much in her 44 years and was truly admired by people around the world.

Having lived in the UAE for nearly four decades, her body was laid to rest in "Dubai, the place she called home" last week.

Many shared memories of their time spent with Ms Fattahi-Dasmal over the years.

“Negin’s passion, innovative nature, and pure brilliance changed the region’s beauty industry 20 years ago, and her spirit will forever live on in our brands as we navigate through this difficult time,” management of JetSet Dubai posted on Instagram.

“This made me burst [into] tears. I will be forever grateful that I was given a chance to work with you. I’ve learnt so much from you,” a former colleague wrote.

Born in Iran, Ms Fattahi-Dasmal moved to the UAE in 1981 at the age of five.

Years later she met her husband, Salem, before having her four children Kian, 17, Alia, 15, Noor, 13, and Amir, 12.

Ms Salaam said the family would never find the words to express their sadness, but took solace in knowing what an impact she had made, both in her personal and professional life.

“She had a bright force that ignited her even as a child,” she said.

“She was such a lover of life and no goal seemed out of reach.

“She didn’t settle, she was never a rule follower, she pushed boundaries, strived for more and was the leader of the bunch.”

Ms Fattahi-Dasmal opened her first N.Bar branch in  2001. She opened 1847 in 2004 and JetSet the following year.

With 18 locations located across the country, her family said her legacy and hard-working spirit would always live on.