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 and activities across the Emirates.
The hope that #PINKtober spreads is undeniable and we are grateful for our partners, Brest Friends, who continue to work with us to drive the message that early detection saves lives and that investment in research will bring us closer to a cure.
The Pink Ribbon, a global symbol of hope, carries the strong message that research is the key of hope to unlock a future without disease. It is because of investments in medical research that today we have access to the best treatments to recover from what used to be deadly diseases.
At Al Jalila Foundation we focus on medical research that tackles the nation’s most prevalent illnesses and in addition to cancer, this includes diabetes. With World Diabetes Day approaching we look forward to joining our longstanding partner Landmark Group, the region’s leader in diabetes awareness, for the annual Beat Diabetes Walk on 15 November 2019.
This year the event coincides with the Dubai Fitness Challenge promoting an active lifestyle as the anchor to health and happiness. #TeamAlJalila is proud to be part of this city-wide movement and we invite you to walk with us and pledge your #Dubai30x30 to diabetes research.
Every day we are reminded of our partners’ generosity and support which fuel our work and enable us to continue to invest in research to give hope to patients. Please share our story with friends, colleagues and business associates and help us widen our circle of hope.
Thank you for being part of our journey because together, we are stronger, and together, we can do so much more to transform lives.
Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama
Chief Executive Officer
Member of the Board of Directors
Transforming Lives
Walking into a new beginning.
Callum was born with an abnormality of his left leg that requires an ortho-prosthesis to enable him to walk and move around independently which must be consistently refitted as he grows.
Callum’s parents have always endeavoured to do everything they can to make sure their son is completely mobile enjoying an active life like other young children.
By the age of 6, Callum had already been fitted with multiple prostheses, however, the expense began to weigh heavily on the family. Not knowing how they were going to be able to provide their son’s next artificial limb, Callum’s parents reached out to Al Jalila Foundation and to their delight, their son was able to receive the much-needed support for his growing body.
"We are forever grateful to Al Jalila Foundation for giving Callum the greatest gift and most importantly for assuring my family that we are not alone in this journey with our son. Thank you very much for making a difference to our lives!”
It is with gratitude to the support from our generous donors that Callum is able to enjoy his days running around the playground with his friends at school.
Click here to see more children whose lives have been transformed.
Shaping the Future
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.
Inspiring Innovation
Exploring the mysteries of disease.
Dr Bashair Mussa from University of Sharjah (College of Medicine) is a cutting-edge researcher leading a study, with the support of Al Jalila Foundation seed grant, investigating the role of FOS and BECLIN1-inducing autophagy in pathogenesis of hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure (HAAF) in diabetes.
HAAF is a serious complication of diabetes which is associated with unawareness of hypoglycemia (low levels of blood glucose) in patients with diabetes. The main cause of this condition is the absence of physiological homeostatic counter-regulatory mechanisms that are controlled by the hypothalamus (a critical region within the brain).
FOS is a sensitive marker of neuronal activity in the hypothalamus which possesses significant responses to hypoglycemia. Expression of autophagic adaptor proteins such as BECLIN 1, is associated with cognitive dysfunction in diabetes. It has been suggested that FOS mediates the regulatory effect of BECLIN1 on autophagic processes in the brain.
This project aims to identify the role of FOS and BECLIN 1 in the pathogenesis of HAAF and to profile the involvement of autophagic markers in HAAF.
Identification of novel biomarkers for early detection of HAAF will help patients with diabetes to prevent hypoglycemic episodes, to improve their quality of life and to preserve their cognitive functions.
Ambassadors of Hope
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 chemo.
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.”
Leading the charge to combat one of the most prevalent diseases in the UAE, every November, coinciding with World Diabetes Day Landmark Group holds a month-long fundraising drive at all 550 outlets across the UAE to support Al Jalila Foundation diabetes research including the Beat Diabetes Walk.
2019 marks the 11th edition of the record-breaking Beat Diabetes Walk which started in Dubai and spread to five GCC countries attracting over 20,000 people in Dubai alone from all walks of society to spread awareness on diabetes. You can register here to walk in one of the city’s greatest events as part of the Dubai Fitness Challenge.
Earlier this year, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, honoured Landmark Group with the first Sports Imprint Awardrecognising their contribution to volunteerism and humanitarianism that has touched the lives of many.
Al Jalila Foundation is very proud to be the charity partner of Landmark Group’s annual Beat Diabetes campaign since 2014. The partnership has enriched the Foundation’s research portfolio which includes 15 diabetes research studies with a total investment of AED 4 million.
Community Flashes
Al Jalila Foundation, a global philanthropic organisation, is dedicated to transforming lives through medical research, education and treatment. Click here to support our healthcare programs and we promise to make your donation count
