On Jan. 24, Shauna Erickson-Abou Zahr posted these words on her Instagram feed:
“The sun dared to rise today in a sunrise he certainly would have basked in with his beautiful smile on display. At 42 years and 23 days old, the greatest human I’ve ever met took his last breath in the first minutes of 1/23/26.”
Shauna’s husband, an oncologist at Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo, ND, died of a liposarcoma after a five-year battle with the disease.
Cancer has been a part of Shauna and Abdallah’s lives since the start of their marriage. Abdallah’s first diagnosis of a sarcoma, in June of 2021, was an event no one plans on. Abdallah knew his cancer was not curable when it returned two years later. Upon recurrence, when Shauna was three months pregnant, doctors estimated he had one to two years to live.
There were no guarantees that he would be alive to meet his daughter.
But, against the odds, the couple welcomed their daughter, Nadia Carmel, on Jan. 11, 2024.
“Obviously, there is happiness, but there is the background of sadness, fear of the uncertainty of the future,” Abdallah said to The Cancer Letter two years ago. “We’re trying to capture every moment with her.”
Abdallah’s intimate and unusually public story of a cancer diagnosis hijacking a young family’s future, and the rallying of Abdallah’s colleagues and community, was published in The Cancer Letter in February 2024 (The Cancer Letter, Feb. 23, 2024).It has remained one of the magazine’s most read stories.
“I know no amount of time would have been enough together, but a sprinkle over 6 years just wasn’t enough time to give you the love you deserved,” Shauna wrote after Abdallah’s death. “It’s been my greatest privilege to be your wife, your best friend, birth your children, sit next to you during unthinkable hardships, and lay by your side while you transition out of your body. Your legacy will be loudly and boldly upheld, I promise. Your impact on this world is forever known. I love you forever.”
Photo credit: Taylor Jane Photography
Photo credit: Taylor Jane Photography
The narrative that follows is pieced together from Abdallah’s obituary, and social media posts.
Abdallah was born in Saida, Lebanon, on Jan. 1, 1984, to Ramzi and May Abou Zahr. From an early age, he knew he wanted to become a physician. His youth fostered a deep love of the Mediterranean Sea, sports (basketball, ping-pong, and futbol), food—especially sweets—and a lifelong curiosity about world dynamics.
He completed medical school at the American University of Beirut in 2008 and then moved to the United States to pursue advanced medical training. He completed his internal medicine residency at UT Southwestern in Dallas, followed by a hematology/oncology fellowship at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York City, and a leukemia fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
The sun dared to rise today in a sunrise he certainly would have basked in with his beautiful smile on display. At 42 years and 23 days old, the greatest human I’ve ever met took his last breath in the first minutes of 1/23/26.
Shauna Erickson-Abou Zahr
Abdallah’s career ultimately brought him to Fargo, North Dakota, where he found what would become his dream job as a hematologist/oncologist at Roger Maris Cancer Center in 2017. When speaking of the future, he once told his wife that he did not want to retire “until they kicked him out,” because of how deeply he loved his work. His patients consistently spoke of his brilliance, compassion, and dedication to saving lives.
Abdallah, ever humble, would simply respond, “It wasn’t me, it was the medicine.”
In 2019, he met his future wife, Shauna Erickson (Abou Zahr), whom he described as “bringing color to his life” and as his “rock.”
In a tragic turn, just three months before their planned wedding, Abdallah discovered breast cancer in Shauna. She credits him with saving her life. The couple eloped in 2021 shortly after her diagnosis, knowing that all they truly wanted was to be married to one another.
Just one week after their honeymoon, Abdallah—previously the picture of health—was diagnosed with myxoid liposarcoma.
Together, they faced cancer with resilience and hope, preparing to celebrate survivorship and build a family. Cancer, however, had other plans. While Shauna was in her second trimester of pregnancy, Abdallah was diagnosed with a terminal recurrence and given a six-month prognosis.
Abdallah fought tirelessly to witness the sacred milestones of his children’s lives and cherished every moment he had. Though initially unsure about having children, the birth of his daughter, Nadia, revealed a role he loved even more than being a physician. He immersed himself fully in fatherhood, caring for her, doting on her, singing made up songs to her, and becoming her favorite place to rest until his body no longer allowed it.
As his health declined, it became clear that he was holding on to meet his son, Tarek—meaning “bright star”—who was born in October 2025.
Though the journey was not easy, he far surpassed his initial prognosis and completed his heroic battle on Jan. 23, when he passed away with Shauna at his side.
Abdallah was known for his love of food, travel, cycling, current events, and practicing medicine at all hours of the day. He filled every room with his warm, humble smile and eyes that seemed to embrace everyone he met. He lived gently and nonjudgmentally, offering a worldly and pragmatic perspective that inspired and challenged those around him.
It’s been my greatest privilege to be your wife, your best friend, birth your children, sit next to you during unthinkable hardships, and lay by your side while you transition out of your body. Your legacy will be loudly and boldly upheld, I promise. Your impact on this world is forever known. I love you forever.
Shauna Erickson-Abou Zahr
Abdallah is survived by his beloved wife and best friend, Shauna Erickson-Abou Zahr; his children, Nadia (2) and Tarek (3 months); his parents, Ramzi and May Abou Zahr; his sister, Nahed; his brother-in-law, Majdi Bizri; his niece, Natalya; his sister- and brother-in-law, Ashley and Michael Campion, and their children, Finley and Bridger; his parents-in-law, Kevin and Kim Erickson; and many extended family members, friends, colleagues, and patients whose lives he profoundly touched. His legacy is one that will live on indefinitely through the lives he changed for the better.
Abdallah viewed plants, flowers, and jewelry to all be wastes of money. He also passed away with worries about the economic impact his death would have on his family, so in lieu of flowers the family has a fund set up to support Shauna and the children at Gate City Bank under “Abou Zahr Family Benefit.”
“Abdallah lived with fear of death for many reasons, largely because he loved his life so much, but also because he was worried his passing would place burdens of many facets on me and our kids (despite me telling him otherwise). Two months ago he asked me to agree to share the included video about his “wishes” to decrease the economic impact of his loss, so at his request, I am including it in this post.”
The Abou Zahr’s Go Fund Me includes the video message Abdallah recorded shortly before his death.
Celebration of life to be held Feb. 18, at Riverhaven event center in Moorhead, MN.
Shauna is collecting stories about Abdallah to save for the children to have. If you have one you’re willing to share, but don’t plan to speak at the upcoming celebration of life, please consider mailing them to Boulger Funeral home and they will route these special keepsakes to Shauna to preserve for the future.
Claire Marie Porter contributed to this story.
