A BRADFORD "pillar of the community" is fighting for his life in hospital after suffering a stroke. 

Shadim Hussain, who is the CEO of My Family Group CIC and involved in many projects across Bradford was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary on Sunday afternoon.

His family has been left devastated.

His eldest daughter, Aisha Hussain said: “We got up on Sunday morning and got ready to start our training for the Great North Run.

“We wanted to take it seriously, so we headed out and, my dad’s a cyclist and this was his first time running, so he struggled a little bit.

“We decided to go to the park and walk two laps so he could recover before we started running again but he said, he was struggling and was going to head home.

“He told me he managed 3.5k and was happy with the run but said he wanted to commit to it and was going to do the route again the next day.

“He left to go to the Bradford Literature Festival and he returned home at 2.45pm.  

“He went to the living room and put his prayer mat down but sat on the sofa instead.

“All of a sudden, his face started drooping and he couldn’t move the limbs on the left side of the body."

His family called for an ambulance, but then rushed him to hospital themselves.

“It’s been a hell hole, that’s the only way to describe it," said Aisha.

Shadim, 42 had no major health conditions and had recently taken up hiking on the weekends.

His older brother Naz, who travelled from Germany, upon hearing of Shadim’s condition said he is "fighting for his life".

Aisha described her dad as a "pillar of the community" and said: “As a family, we are so grateful to everyone in this community and across the world who has shown us support and got in touch to ask about my dad.

“He’s our backbone and right now the community is supporting us and holding us together.

“We have to stay optimistic and hopeful that he’ll pull through, but it’s the start of a new journey for us and him.

“If he gets home, it’s going to be a long recovery, and me, my sisters and my mum will do everything we can to help him.

“He’s sacrificed his life for everyone and now we’ll do the same for him.”