A Filipina mother in the UAE who has lung cancer can now complete her treatment after an initiative covered her remaining medical expenses.

The remaining funds for Grace were secured through a recent agreement between Mahzooz, a weekly draw in the UAE, and Dubai-based Al Jalila Foundation. After learning about Grace’s situation, Mahzooz made the decision to donate the remaining funds, whose amount was not revealed, in addition to Al Jalila Foundation’s planned fundraiser for Grace’s treatment.

Grace needed immediate medical attention to treat the incapacitating symptoms of cancer. An accountant by profession, Grace has been living the UAE since 2007 and had been leading a healthy, busy life, being engaged in active sports up until May 2021, when she started suffering shortness of breath and severe coughing, which is when her cancer diagnosis was confirmed.

Having the Al Jalila Foundation coordinate and organise Grace’s crowdfunding campaign, as well as Mahzooz’s contribution, has enabled Grace to receive the immunotherapy treatment she needs to cure her cancer.

Farid Samji, CEO of Ewings, managing operator of Mahzooz, said: “When we heard about Grace’s case, we knew we had to do something; she’s a young mother and her medical condition would also affect the life of her daughter. While it is a serious disease, we are happy that we can provide for her treatment and hopefully she will make a full recovery.”

Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama, CEO of Al Jalila Foundation, said: “With the increasing number of cancer cases reported every year around the world, Al Jalila Foundation helps patients unable to afford quality treatment. With the support of our partners and donors like Ewings, every year we can fund life-saving treatment for hundreds of patients in the UAE battling the disease.”

He added: “It is thanks to this community spirit and care that patients like Grace are given a second chance. Studies show that emotional support is integral to the healing journey therefore, in addition to financial medical aid, Al Jalila Foundation also provides emotional support to women with cancer through our Majlis Al Amal community. Grace’s story of hope is testimony that we can all do our part to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients.”

Mahzooz has been Al Jalila Foundation’s CSR partner for several similar cases and together they have sponsored the treatment of patients suffering from serious diseases who were unable to afford treatment.

Note: Grace’s story was published by Gulf News on 26 July 2022.

Al Jalila Foundation celebrated 70 new graduates from the 8th cohort of Ta’alouf Teachers Training program which was delivered in English and Arabic to teachers from all seven Emirates with over 12 nationalities participating in the program.

The one-year teachers training program aims to equip teachers with the knowledge to empower children of determination in their classrooms enabling them to reach their full potential and realise their dreams. This cohort alone has directly impacted 231 students of determination, and indirectly over 11,700 students in the UAE.

The comprehensive training program includes monthly training sessions; participation in professional learning communities; individual mentoring sessions; and participants are required to submit a portfolio prior to graduation.

Dr Abdulkareem Al Olama, CEO of Al Jalila Foundation expressed, “At the heart of Ta’alouf is social inclusion and we are committed to delivering the most effective educational program to improve the lives of children with special needs. We are proud to have had the opportunity to empower teachers on a nation-wide scale and provide them with life-changing skills to ensure a continuum of care between the child’s home and school.”

Al Jalila Foundation, in partnership with Zayed University, has delivered 8 cohorts and trained 548 teachers from 163 government and private schools across the seven emirates, reaffirming its commitment to children of determination and their happiness and wellbeing.

Hajra was born with a life-threatening heart defect and needed urgent open-heart surgery to mend her heart and give her a chance at a brighter future.

Hajra is the only child to her parents who have called the UAE home for 9 years. Unfortunately, they were distressed and overwhelmed as they were unable to support the cost of this life-saving operation for their daughter. However, thanks to Al Jalila Foundation A’awen program, and the community that rallied together to raise the necessary funds on the A’awen Giving website, Hajra was able to undergo the open-heart surgery successfully.

The doctors are very happy with Hajra’s improvements as she was doing very well despite her complex heart surgery. Her heart is in good condition and she is even expected to make a full recovery and be off cardiac medication in a few months.

Her parents cannot express enough gratitude for the support they received, “We want to offer our sincere appreciation to Al Jalila Foundation and all of the donors who helped us to get the critical surgery for our precious daughter. This was her real chance of a healthy future and through A’awen Giving you made it happen so that Hajra can grow up happy and strong by our side.”

Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, is a long-term partner of Al Jalila Foundation and shares a common goal to provide quality treatment to patients in need. The retail giant has launched  several initiatives and campaigns to support Al Jalila Foundation healthcare programs.

Majid Al Futtaim is very active every year during #PINKtober and promotes special offers and activities to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer treatment and research.

This Ramadan the team ran a campaign through the SHARE rewards program by working together with their brands to help children in the UAE access healthcare and bring comfort to those who need it the most.

Over the years Majid Al Futtaim has also participated in a number of Holiday campaigns and brought on brands Lululemon, AllSaints and THAT Concept Store to dedicate a portion of their proceeds raising AED 220,000 for Al Jalila Foundation causes.

In addition to fundraising campaigns Majid Al Futtaim brand, Crate and Barrel, supported the interior fit out of our newly opened Majlis Al Amal cancer drop-in centre.

Our partnerships are integral to realising our mission and we are grateful for donors like Majid Al Futtaim that continue to support the work we do to transform lives in the UAE.

As part of Al Jalila Foundation’s mission to transform lives through medical innovation, our scholarship fund supports brilliant medical students who display great promise to utilise their talent to be an integral part of the future medical community in the UAE.

Alea Khalid Abdelgadir Mohamed is one of these rising stars who received a scholarship to attend the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) six-year program to pursue a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS).

Having enrolled in 2016 Alea is now in her final weeks of the program and is in absolute awe of the opportunity she was given and intends to make the most of what she has learned.

“I am beyond grateful to Al Jalila Foundation for offering me the esteemed scholarship to complete the MBBS program at MBRU. Through the program I had support from incredible mentors, opportunities to participate in research at some of the world’s most prestigious hospitals and, most importantly, I learned how to become an empathetic, compassionate and hardworking physician striving to always put my patients first. I believe that these experiences will equip me with the necessary skills to contribute to the UAE’s healthcare system creating a positive impact in the delivery of effective and safe healthcare.”

We wish Alea every success as she moves forward in her role as a healthcare professional making a difference to patients’ lives.

At Al Jalila Foundation the support we receive from the business community is integral and financial business partners like Gulf Islamic Investments (GII), a leading UAE-based Shari’ah-compliant financial services company, helps energise the work we do to transform lives in the UAE.

Financial institutions have the potential to be the backbone of charitable giving and we are grateful for Gulf Islamic Investments’ support who not only donate Zakat each year but also promote corporate social responsibility in unique ways.

Earlier this year GII launched Eureka GCC 2021 the first edition in Dubai fostering the spirit of entrepreneurship in the region. The 5-month long competition offered aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to design solid business models, gain mentorship from renowned VCs and angel investors and avail excellent networking opportunities and educational workshops.

GII opted to move from the traditional corporate gifting and made donations to support medical research and patient treatment on behalf of 60 jury, mentors and speakers of Eureka GCC 2021 and their names were engraved on Bassmat Rashid Bin Saeed donor recognition wall as a token of appreciation.

Our CEO Dr Abdulkareem Al Olama was delighted to welcome Mohammed Al Hassan and Pankaj Gupta Co-Founders and Co-CEOs to Al Jalila Foundation to engrave ‘Gulf Islamic Investments’ name on the donor wall marking our longstanding partnership and GII’s generous contributions.

A strong healthcare system is the cornerstone of a successful society. To support the UAE’s national healthcare agenda Al Jalila Foundation invests in the future generation of healthcare professionals by providing scholarships to promising medical students.

One very successful student, Seyed Ali Seyed Reza Safizadeh Shabestari, received the coveted scholarship in 2016 and will be graduating in the summer of 2022.

Seyed’s dedication and hard work have been consistent throughout the six-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU).

Through the support of incredible professors and mentors Seyed was able to publish several first-author papers and co-author in reputable journals such as iScience and Human Genomics. He has also participated in several global conferences, including the European Society of Human Genetics 2019 held in Gothenburg, Sweden, where he was nominated as the best poster candidate and did an oral presentation.

Seyed is also the founder and president of MBRU’s Radiology Club which serves to establish a foundation for medical students to become familiarised with the field of imaging,

Seyed is forever grateful for the opportunity he was given, “Thanks to the support from Al Jalila Foundation through this scholarship and MBRU’s mentoring, I am now able to contribute to advancing the research and academic vision in the UAE. I hope to be involved in the future trajectory of radiology, where there is no limit to what can be attained.”

We wish Seyed the very best in this next chapter as he pursues a life-long dream of becoming a doctor to save patients’ lives.

4-year-old Abdulrahman suffered from left ventricular atrophy syndrome which is a disease that causes the narrowing of the aortic valve that separates the left ventricle from the large blood vessel leaving your heart (aorta).

Abdulrahman suffered from heart complications since birth and had already undergone two major surgeries to correct the congenital heart defect. In early 2022, he needed a final surgery that would restore his health and give him the opportunity to live a full and happy life.

Abdulrahman’s father works as a manager at a small pest control business while his mother is a housewife. The family were unable to fund the significant costs of the critical operation and thanks to Al Jalila Foundation A’awen program, and the community that rallied together to raise the necessary funds for his life-changing surgery, Abdulrahman was able to undergo the open-heart surgery. The young boy has made a full recovery; his energy is growing daily and he now enjoys playing with his brothers and looks forward to attending school soon.

His parents are filled with appreciation, “Our son’s condition is continuously improving thanks to Al Jalila Foundation’s support. We cannot thank the team enough for standing with us in the difficult time and showing us incredible compassion when we needed it the most. Abdulrahman is so excited to be able to go to school and we look forward to seeing him grow up strong and healthy with a bright future ahead of him.”