Mohammed Alraidi and his wife have long been the greatest supporters of their son who was born with Down syndrome. Always on the lookout for ways to improve their son’s reality and life experiences, they came across Ta’alouf, Al Jalila Foundation’s flagship program that equips parents with the best possible tools to nurture children of determination.

Enrolling in Ta’alouf Parents Training, they eagerly absorbed the knowledge delivered in the course and began implementing it in the family’s daily life. Upon completing the program, Mohammed Alraidi received the certificate with great joy and appreciation for the invaluable knowledge.

“We are so grateful to Al Jalila Foundation and Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination for delivering this special educational program taught by passionate instructors to empower children of determination. We have learned so much and leave prepared with better skills to interact with, educate and empower our son. Our son shines in his own way and we hope to inspire other parents with special children to nurture these strengths.”

The Alraidi family moves forward as a positive example encouraging their son’s integration into all areas of society, championing him to participate in hobbies that spark his interest and guiding him to be confident, independent and empowered.

It was the beginning of summer 2019 when 6-year-old Vinit Vasandani was devastatingly diagnosed with acute blood cancer (leukemia). The specialists at Dubai Hospital began treatment immediately. However, the family’s medical insurance had reached its annual limit by August. More funds were needed to complete Vinit’s medical plan and his father, Anil, was steadfast in his commitment to provide the best possible treatment for his son.

Undeterred by circumstance, Anil reached out to various channels for support and when the case arrived at Al Jalila Foundation’s door he found the much needed assistance to facilitate the continued treatment.

“As a parent your greatest wish is that your children are healthy and happy. We were heartbroken to learn of our son’s illness, but knowing that Vinit is supported with the greatest care is the ultimate gift for our family.”

Today, Vinit’s treatment continues with positive progress bringing him a step closer every day to a full recovery.

In addition to offering treatment to young patients, Al Jalila Foundation focuses on medical research as it is only through research that illnesses like leukemia are able to be treated successfully today.

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.

Aya Akhras’ lifelong dream was to help people and while excelling at biology in high school she set her sights on becoming a doctor. Thanks to her exceptional academic record, in 2016, Aya gained admission to the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Healthcare Sciences (MBRU) College of Medicine to pursue a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) with a scholarship from Al Jalila Foundation.

“The Al Jalila Foundation scholarship and studying at MBRU give me a great sense of accomplishment and I feel honored to be recognised for my efforts while doing what I love.”

Over the past 3 years, Aya has proven herself a worthy candidate for the sought after scholarship and participated in an internship at Queens University in Belfast, a summer research program at Mayo Clinic and an observership at Cleveland Clinic. Aya is also very involved in student life at MBRU and in addition to her rigorous academic schedule Aya is an aspiring baker who sees baking as a way of spreading happiness and connecting people.

Expected to graduate in 2022, Aya believes that the physician of the future is a multi-faceted individual capable of displaying their talents in many ways. “I see myself practicing as a physician, researcher and hopefully obtaining a position in academia, as I am passionate about medical education and educating the physicians of the digital age.”

Khalid Al Ali is a young Emirati man with an enchanting smile and a strong will. The 26-year-old athlete – an international swimmer and a member of the UAE National Swim Team – has a long list of hobbies that include horseback riding, sailing and kayaking.

He has also participated in international sports championships in several countries including representing the UAE in kayaking in the Special Olympics World Games held in Abu Dhabi in 2019.

Born with Down syndrome, Khalid has become an inspiring young man, thanks to his perseverance and his family’s support. His Father enrolled in Al Jalila Foundation’s ‘Ta’alouf’ program, which trained him to communicate better with Khalid and understand his feelings and behaviour, helping the family to further empower him towards fulfilling his potential and meeting his aspirations.

Ta’alouf has empowered hundreds of parents and teachers with each one of them working daily to bring inclusiveness into our community, homes, classrooms and playgrounds so every child has the opportunity to thrive and experience all that life has to offer.

Watch Khalid’s Story of Hope here.