Abedi, the daughter of a retired railwayman, was born and grew up in
Quetta. After
meningitis aged 14, she lost the hearing in her right ear, and specialists advised her to leave school: At the age of 21 she also lost the hearing in her left ear, and as a result her engagement was broken off. "It was a cruel blow", she wrote. "I prayed to God I should die". A campaigning group, Friends of Rashida Abedi, also raised the profile of her case. Abedi wrote her autobiography to inspire others to overcome similar problems. She died of cancer in 2017, aged 65. ==Works==