At just 20 years old, Miss England semi-finalist Aliza Kanerawala is using her growing platform to champion a cause deeply personal to her – raising awareness of lung cancer in memory of her mother to help challenge the dangerous misconceptions surrounding the disease.
“When I was 13, I lost my mum to lung cancer.
“She was my world – my greatest comfort, my quiet strength, my home. Even during her illness, she was determined to shield me from worry. That was just who she was: strong, selfless, and endlessly loving. We had an incredibly close bond. She was the one I’d turn to for everything, and even now, I sometimes catch myself wishing I could ask her for advice or simply hear her say, “I’m proud of you.”
“Her diagnosis came out of nowhere. It was June 2018 when we found out she had stage 4 lung cancer. She’d never smoked. She was healthy, active, and full of life. Like so many others, we believed the myth that lung cancer only affects people who have smoked. We didn’t realise it could happen to people like my mum.
“She passed away just five months later, in November 2018. Everything happened so quickly. At 13, I was still trying to figure out who I was, and suddenly, I had to face the world without her. Her loss shaped everything. It forced me to grow up, but it also planted a deep sense of purpose in me.
Breathe of Hope
“That purpose became Breathe for Hope: Let every breath tell a story – a campaign I’ve created to honour my mum, raise awareness of lung cancer, and challenge the dangerous misconceptions that still surround this disease. Lung cancer doesn’t discriminate. It can happen to anyone. And because we didn’t know that, my mum didn’t get diagnosed until it was too late.
“Since losing her, I’ve poured my energy into turning pain into power. My work in acting and modelling has helped me find my voice. It’s given me the confidence to speak up and share my story. Through my degree, I’ve learned how to create powerful visual content that connects with people emotionally. Now, I’m using all of it—my voice, my platform, my story—to fight for better awareness, earlier diagnosis, and more understanding.
Advocacy
“Becoming a charity advocate for Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation means everything to me. This charity fights for families like mine, and for people like my mum who are too often overlooked. Together, I hope we can shine a light on the reality of lung cancer in people who have never smoked, improve early detection, and make sure no one feels alone in this journey.
“Since my mum passed, she’s missed so many of my milestones – my first acting roles, my modelling debut, becoming a Miss England semi-finalist, and starting university. I know she would’ve been proud. I carry her with me in everything I do.
“Breathe for Hope is my way of ensuring that her story, and stories like hers, aren’t forgotten. It’s how I keep her with me – by helping others take a breath of hope, in her name.”
Aliza has set up a fundraiser to help support life-saving research, early diagnosis, and families affected by lung cancer.
Donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/aliza-kanerawala-missengland