All posts by Abdullah Zafar

Stories of Hope, Uncategorized

Emirati doctor inspires students

As a promising Emirati student, Dr Mohamed Jamal dreamt of becoming a dentist and leading ground-breaking research to improve lives.

His journey began at Ajman University where he gained a Doctorate of Dental Surgery in 2005; he then continued to Boston University Institute for Dental Research and Education in Dubai where he obtained a CAGS and MSD in Endodontics in 2011 and received recognition for his outstanding work to isolate dental pulp stem cells for the first time in UAE.

A prestigious scholarship from Al Jalila Foundation allowed Dr Mohamed to obtain his PhD in 2017 from Boston University (BU) in USA. During the scholarship his work gained ‘Best Research Award’ from BU and the American Association of Endodontics (AAE). He also received the ‘Young Emirati Researchers Prize’ from the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

“Al Jalila Foundation scholarship opened the door for me to explore science beyond what I imagined. It was a lifetime opportunity and I am thankful for it.”

An Assistant Professor of Endodontics at MBRU and member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Journal of Endodontics, Dr Mohamed Jamal hopes to contribute to the vision of moving towards a knowledge-based economy and developing top notch research themes in the Emirates.

Stories of Hope, Uncategorized

Early detection saves lives

It had been less than a year since Dubai resident, Sirine Fadoul, had done her annual wellness check which included a breast ultrasound when she detected a very small lump.

As a young, healthy and fit woman with no history of the disease in her family, nothing suggested cancer but she took action and went to get checked quickly. To her shock, the doctor confirmed that she had stage one breast cancer. Although the cancerous tumor was discovered early Sirine still underwent two surgeries including a complete mastectomy, dozens of scans, tests and biopsies and the much-dreaded chemotherapy.

Now 1-year cancer-free, Sirine is unstoppable in her advocacy of the importance of early detection to not only save lives but to make the challenge ‘easier’.

Throughout #PINKtober Brest Friends member, Sirine has been instrumental in supporting Al Jalila Foundation by tirelessly conducting talks at schools, government entities and corporates highlighting the importance of awareness, helping others and investing in local medical research.

Sirine has a great network of friends and knows firsthand that “A strong support system in the way of friends and family and groups such as Brest Friends are invaluable to recovery.”

Watch Sirine’s Story of Hope here.

Newsletters

Research Matters

November 2019

Once again, this October, we found ourselves witnessing the incredible philanthropic spirit that spreads across the nation uniting us in the fight against breast cancer. We are delighted that our 5th #PINKtober Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign drew incredible support from hundreds of partners, thousands of supporters and the greater UAE community coming together in solidarity for a cause that affects millions of women around the world. Together with our #PINKtober Champions of Hope, Al Jalila Foundation celebrates another record-breaking month with over 170 pink-themed events.

Stories of Hope

Zain is given a chance at life

Still in his mother’s womb doctors detected a serious problem with Zain’s growing heart. Zain’s parents anticipated his welcome with a mixture of joy and anxiety unsure of what lay ahead as there was no choice but to wait until his arrival to discover how severe the situation was.

Unfortunately, upon his birth it was confirmed that Zain had a congenital heart defect, Tetralogy of Fallot, and his survival was dependent on critical open-heart surgery.

“With advice from the doctors we sought help from Al Jalila Foundation and were thrilled to receive speedy response approving our request for Zain’s treatment. We were overwhelmed with relief and grateful for the end to our sleepless nights.”

At 10-months, Zain underwent the vital surgery conducted by specialist cardiologists at Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital. Today Zain, almost 2-years-old, is regularly monitored by the medical team and is a happy, healthy toddler with a full life ahead of him.

Cardiovascular disease is the world’s number one cause of death and Zain’s inspiring story is one of hundreds who have overcome heart disease with the support of Al Jalila Foundation.

Press Release

Al Jalila Foundation celebrates completion of the 20th cohort of Ta’alouf Parents Training with 834 graduates since program launch in 2013

Al Jalila Foundation, a member of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, dedicated to transforming lives through medical innovation, celebrated the graduation of the 20th cohort of Ta’alouf Parents Training program marking 834 graduates since the launch of the program in 2013 reaffirming its commitment to children of determination.

The graduation coincides with the 6th anniversary of Ta’alouf which has been offered in 4 Emirates with over 39 nationalities participating in the program. Since 2013, with the support of partners and donors, Al Jalila Foundation has invested AED 6 million to provide parents with the knowledge and power to broaden the horizons of children of determination enabling them to reach their full potential and realise their dreams.

Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama, Chief Executive Officer of Al Jalila Foundation, said: “The completion of the 20th cohort in Ras Al Khaimah signifies a key milestone in our commitment to an inclusive society where parents, educators, strategic partners and the wider community work together to empower children of determination. At the heart of Ta’alouf is social inclusion and we will continue to champion it in our classrooms, our playgrounds and our communities so that every child, no matter their ability, has the opportunity to shine. It is heartwarming to hear testimonies how ‘life-changing’ the program has been and that it continues to assist parents in bringing out the best in their special children.”

Ta’alouf began with an inaugural class of 55 parents devoted to better understanding their children and now boasts hundreds of graduates. This cohort is the 5th in partnership with Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination which has expanded Al Jalila Foundation’s reach to more families throughout the Emirates.

His Excellency Abdullah Al-Humaidan, Secretary-General of Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination, said: “Under the directives and leadership of His Highness Sheikh Khalid Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination, the Ta’alouf program in partnership with Al Jalila Foundation has expanded to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Northern Emirates with 252 parents and families benefiting. We would like to thank Al Jalila Foundation for giving us the opportunity to implement this inspiring program and transforming lives of parents of children of determination.”

Al Jalila Foundation works with partners to offer the Ta’alouf program which benefits a huge cross-section of the community, including families living with Autism, Down Syndrome and other developmental delays. The 20th cohort in Ras Al Khaimah is sponsored by RAKBANK.

Commenting on the Ta’alouf program, Peter England, CEO of RAKBANK said: “In line with RAKBANK’s values of social inclusion, the Bank is proud to support Ta’alouf, which aims to equip parents of children of determination with life-changing skills to nurture their children. It is a privilege to partner with Al Jalila Foundation to deliver the 20th parents training cohort in Ras Al Khaimah, enhancing knowledge and cultivating skills to achieve their children’s full potential and realize their dreams and aspirations. At RAKBANK, we believe that our long-term success as a national bank lies in growing people’s trust in us by increasing our social responsibility towards our community.”

Following the success of the parents training program and positive impact on families, in 2014 Ta’alouf expanded to include teachers as a central influence in children’s formative years. The Ta’alouf Teachers Training program, in partnership with Zayed University, has graduated 343 teachers from 71 schools in the UAE. Al Jalila Foundation continues to champion children of determination with the 6th Teachers Training cohort commencing on 5 November 2019.