The world fell into the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic and Ms Rehad had to continue the Ta’alouf Teachers Training program online and translate her newly honed skills working from home and conducting classes remotely to assist all the children of determination in her classroom.

A testament to her determination, Ms Rehad implemented the Ta’alouf components of global best practice methods, and she was able to achieve great results by working seamlessly in partnership with parents to meet the needs of students of determination in a holistic manner.

A wide range of resources and technology has provided the students at the school with a structured inclusion program that enhances their performance and provides teachers with various tools to engage students of determination.

Thanks to completing the Ta’alouf program, Al Hikmah Private School is fully inclusive, has flourished despite the challenges, and firmly developed the confidence of teachers to engage and meet the needs of students of determination.

Having been diagnosed with acute blood cancer (leukemia) in 2017, 5-year-old Naya had undergone a full round of chemotherapy and was receiving maintenance treatment in Syria although she and her family were living in the UAE. As her condition was stable, she would regularly travel back and forth to see her doctors but since February 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions, she was unable to travel to maintain her therapy. Unfortunately, during this period her father was made redundant making the situation very difficult for the family.

By May 2020 Naya was admitted to the emergency room after suffering from severe symptoms from her illness such as constant headaches, fatigue, fever and nausea. Through further clinical investigation and blood results it was revealed she had relapsed and needed to begin a new chemotherapy plan urgently.

The young girl’s medical team are familiar with Al Jalila Foundation’s A’awen program and submitted an application to support her case and Naya was able to receive the much needed treatment.

Naya has completed her treatment plan and is now preparing to travel to India to receive a bone marrow transplant in which her brother will be the donor.

It is thanks to the support of our donors that Al Jalila Foundation is able to offer life-saving treatment to young patients like Naya. To see how you can be a part of making a difference in patients’ lives please click here.

In May 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic and to strengthen the national capabilities to deal with viral diseases, Al Jalila Foundation offered an exclusive international postgraduate scholarship to UAE nationals to undertake studies at world class international universities in the medical fields of: virology, genetics and genomics, nanotechnology, stem cells, immunology and biomedical data science.

Driven by widespread interest from the medical community several applications were received from the brightest minds in the country and after a rigorous review process, the successful candidate Abdulrahman Alzarooni received the scholarship to study for a Master of Medical Genetics and Genomics (MSc Med Sci) at the University of Glasgow, UK.

Abdulrahman, who holds Bachelor of Science in Biology, has always been fascinated by how DNA carries information to create our bodies and only small mutations can cause genetic diseases. Through projects in sequencing DNA and researching stem cells, he realised how the field of genetics can contribute to diagnosing and treating diseases fueling his interest in the field of genetics, gene editing, gene therapy, and biotechnology.

Abdulrahman hopes to become an expert in his field and bring his knowledge and expertise to the UAE, “This scholarship from Al Jalila Foundation is an incredible opportunity for me to be part of the research community and an active contributor to the biomedical sector in my country.

Most therapies prescribed for genetic diseases treat the symptoms and not the cause and my dream is to contribute in designing therapies for patients who suffer from diseases with no available therapy giving them a new life without lifelong medication or lifestyle restrictions.”

In June 2020, the story of young kidney patient Pritvik touched the hearts of the nation as His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum offered to support the family through this difficult time. Pritvik was born with small, partially functioning kidneys and in early 2020 suffered kidney failure and required immediate renal replacement therapy.

Pritvik is an exceptionally talented young boy; he is as an official affiliated researcher at Beyond Center, a published co-author on NASA’s Primer on Astrobiology and a World Science Scholar. However, his medical condition was taking a heavy toll on his school and research.

Pritvik’s father, Bhaskar Sinhadc, was identified as a successful donor match. The groundbreaking transplant was funded by Al Jalila Foundation and successfully carried out by a team of physicians from Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) and Mediclinic Middle East, marking the UAE’s first pediatric kidney transplant from a live donor.

The operation, which has saved Pritvik’s life, is also expected to improve the quality of his life in the years ahead.

Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama, CEO, Al Jalila Foundation, said: “Through our A’awen program we are helping parents give their children the opportunity to undergo the latest medical procedures at world-class medical institutions, offering them renewed hope for their child’s future. It has been a privilege to be part of Pritvik’s inspirational story and we wish him a speedy recovery.”

Pritvik, who was named a UAE Ambassador of Organ Donation, said: “I have been lucky to have my father as my donor. However, there are many who need transplants to survive. I pledge to raise awareness on the crucial need for organ donation in saving lives of patients like me, who would otherwise not make it without a transplant.”

Watch Pritvik describe his experience in his own words here.

11-year-old Emirati Shamsa AlMheiri recently lost her beloved grandfather to cancer and wanted to find a way to pay tribute to him. She decided a fitting tribute would be to raise awareness and funds for cancer research to improve the lives of patients suffering with the disease that cuts so many lives short.

In her quest, Shamsa came up with the brilliant idea to swim the equivalent of the English Channel 34kms over 10 days in her pool at home to raise funds for Al Jalila Foundation. She setup a fundraising campaign on YallaGive and rallied her friends and family to get behind her cause to support cancer research. After swimming over 2000 laps, approximately 200 laps a day, young Shamsa raised almost AED 18,000 smashing her initial target.

Shamsa spoke about her passion to complete this challenge, “Unfortunately, we all know someone who has been affected by this terrible illness. This cause is very close to my heart and I dedicate it to my Granddad Mekki Mahmoud Abdulla who changed my world and now I hope to change the world too. I know that one small act of kindness can create a ripple that can spread hope across the whole world.”

It is because of people like young philanthropist Shamsa, who want to do their part to make a difference, that we are able transform lives. In appreciation for Shamsa’s fundraising efforts, Al Jalila Foundation was delighted to add her name to Bassmat Rashid Bin Saeed donor recognition wall.