about noor setaara foundation

The Inspiration Behind the Noor Setaara Foundation

My name is Bethany Taufiq. In March 2018, my husband Behzad and I welcomed our twins into the world.

Shortly after the first trimester, Setaara was diagnosed with a serious heart condition. Our family was devastated when she passed away at just 5 days old. Even as we cherished her brother, the twin she left behind, we have struggled to come to terms with her death. Before long, we also found ourselves searching for a way to honor Setaara and the all-too-brief time we were able to spend with her.

It was especially difficult for our daughters, who were almost 4 and 2 years old when the twins were born, to make sense of this sudden tragedy. Because Setaara means “star” in Farsi, we told them that their little sister had gone to live among the stars. Now, they love to look skyward, blow kisses toward the stars, and tell their sister how much they love her.

When Behzad and I were inspired to create a foundation focused on helping children, we decided to name it after our baby girl, who shone so brightly and whose memory continues to illuminate our lives. Thus, Noor Setaara — starlight — was born.