Zahra Khan, founder of ‘If You Like Cheese’ and vocal cancer awareness advocate, passes away | The Express Tribune

Zahra Khan, the founder of No-Nonsense Cheesecake (also known as If You Like Cheese), and breast cancer advocate known on Instagram as @heybreastie, passed away on Sunday after a prolonged and courageous battle with metastatic breast cancer. Widely admired for her culinary creativity and unflinching honesty about living with cancer, Zahra leaves behind a powerful legacy of advocacy, entrepreneurship and community-building.

Zahra had been publicly sharing her journey with cancer on Instagram since 2022. After a period of healing, in 2024, Zahra’s cancer returned and metastasized to critical areas, including her spine and supraclavicular (neck) lymph nodes, marking a significant progression to Stage IV triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) – one of the most aggressive and challenging forms of the disease.

News of her being on a ventilator had circulated throughout the week, until her family confirmed that she had passed away

Despite her struggles, Zahra chose to publicly document her experience, including chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, radiation, and the emotional and physical toll, offering an unprecedented look into life with terminal illness.

Through her candid social media presence, she became a voice of hope and vulnerability in South Asia, using Instagram reels, long-form captions, and honest storytelling to shed light on women’s health, early detection, and the social stigma around cancer. Her courage resonated deeply with young women, caregivers, survivors, and even healthcare professionals across the region.

In addition to her advocacy work, Zahra continued to grow her home-based cheesecake business during her treatment. If You Like Cheese became known not just for its signature desserts, but for its message of perseverance, creativity, and heart. Her kitchen became both a business and a sanctuary, a space where she continued to create and inspire.

Social media pours in with tributes

News of Zahra’s passing sparked an outpouring of grief and admiration online. Friends, followers, and members of the food and wellness community shared tributes celebrating her honesty, strength, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Popular Instagram comedian Swinery posted a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, writing:

“Thank you for praying guys. Our friend Zahra has passed on, surrounded by the deep love we all have for her. I would like to elaborate on who she was and what she meant to my friends and I. Not sure it’s possible to articulate it well. But there will forever be a Zahra Khan shaped hole in our circle.”

She went on to say, “Seventeen years is a long time to know someone, but it is a brutally short amount of time when you realize that’s all the time you’re going to get. That the person you grew up with won’t be growing alongside you anymore. Zahra was always a star and now she shines in every moment, every laugh, and every moment she was a part of.”

She ended off with, “I love you Zahra and I will always regret not spearheading the last plan. We miss you.”

Followers have flooded her post with prayers, broken hearts and memories, celebrating her unwavering strength. One user wrote, “Inna lillahi wah Inna elaihi rajeoon. So deeply saddened by the loss of an incredible human being with the fortitude to bear such immense illness and fight till her last breath. May you be blessed with ease and Jannah.”

Zahra is survived by loved ones and a growing community that remains forever shaped by her story.