Meet Kairo, a brave little fighter who, at just 7 weeks old, was diagnosed with ventricular septal defect, also known as a hole in the heart. His strong spirit never wavered, and he faced each day with a smile, despite his pain and suffering. As Kairo grew older, his condition began to ...
Fatima was only 8 months old when her parents took her to have her hearing checked as she did not seem to be responding to sounds or even loud noises. After several tests, the doctors confirmed that she suffered from severe hearing loss. Fatima’s parents were devastated to realise tha...
Through a culture of corporate social responsibility amongst employees Dubai Duty Free has impacted many people both globally and locally. Dubai Duty Free Foundation aims to raise funds for charitable causes with a particular interest in programs that benefit children. Al Jalila Foundat...
Marriott has been a long-standing partner of Al Jalila Foundation who continuously innovates and amplifies their efforts through various campaigns to support our healthcare programs. Every year Marriott motivates their employees to raise funds to support children in need of treatment in...
Since birth, 4-year-old Saja suffered from limb abnormalities which meant that she could not stand or walk without assistance. Unfortunately, due to her medical condition, Saja was a very quiet and shy little girl and grew more self-conscious as she became more aware that she was unable to...
If you live in the UAE you will certainly know the name dnata and would likely have used their services. What you may not have known is that when you engaged the services or bought products from dnata you were supporting Al Jalila Foundation healthcare programs. Since 2019 dnata, the le...
Through the Ta'alouf Teachers Training program, Al Jalila Foundation is committed to supporting inclusion in the classroom so that every child of determination can reach their full potential. Since 2014 the Ta'alouf Teachers Training program, in partnership with Zayed University, has been ...
The game of golf has a long history of being a leader in philanthropic contributions and giving to charity is an integral part of the sport. The sport can even be recognised as the leader in charitable giving around the world setting the benchmark for incorporating sports and philanthropy....
At Al Jalila Foundation we know that research has the power to advance medical breakthroughs that could save millions of lives and change the fabric of science as we know it. We also know that this goal will not be achieved alone and believe in the power and strength of our partnerships. M...
Pier Shilliday found small lumps under her arm and on her bikini line during her husband’s 40th birthday celebrations and was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma on 30 October 2021. On 16 November 2021 Pier started her treatment which included chemotherapy and radiation. Pier says ...
Imagine for a minute that you could not hear the birds singing, the leaves fluttering in the wind, and the laughter of children playing in the park. Imagine a world without sound. Now, imagine a parent who has just been told that their child cannot hear. Despair turns to hope when they lea...
Globally, diabetes is estimated to affect 420 million adults. Studies show that the prevalence of diabetes in the UAE is estimated to affect a quarter of the local population. Hematological (blood) disorders that occur in diabetes patients are found to put them at a higher risk for deve...
Due to severe complications which caused atrophy in the brain cells at the time of her birth, Ghala, now 15-years-old had developed an intellectual disability which affects her speech. Initially Ghala’s mother, Suhad, had concerns if Ghala could live a normal life and have access to a...
4-year-old Aadvika’s parents became concerned when they saw her behaviour change. Their once bubbly and energetic girl no longer enjoyed socialising or playing with other children, she was tired all the time and did not have any energy. Upon further medical examinations her parents we...
According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally with about 1 in 6 deaths due to cancer. The main reason why it is so lethal is that cancer cells spread from their primary growth site to different body organs, a process known as metastasis. T...
At Al Jalila Foundation our partnerships are integral to our mission to transform lives. Benefit Cosmetics is one of these valued partners who have held a number of fundraising campaigns to support our healthcare programs. Globally Benefit, through the Bold is Beautiful program, is dedi...
As the flagship program, the Ta’alouf Training program has a special place in the heart of Al Jalila Foundation. Ta’alouf focuses on empowering teachers and parents of children of determination to nurture their abilities so they can achieve their full potential. Teachers across the ...
Jessa was only 33 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The news came as a shock for the young administrative assistant who began to feel hopeless and like this would be the end of the road. To make matters more difficult, Jessa’s insurance ran out quickly after beginning the tre...
A four-year-old Pakistani boy who could not walk due to cancer has got a new lease of life after Dubai’s Al Jalila Foundation helped his parents with a fund to meet his advanced treatment expenses. It was in December 2019 that Esa, then aged one, had suddenly stopped walking...
InstaShop is recognised as one of the leading online marketplaces for supermarkets, pharmacies, pet shops and other businesses in the Middle East. Since establishment in 2015 InstaShop has gathered a large and loyal customer base who rely on their services daily. As a company headquarte...
14-year-old Muhammad with autism has a loving and supportive family who do everything they can to provide him a meaningful happy life and completely support him to attend mainstream school. However, his mother Najia couldn’t help but feel that her son was capable of so much more. She was...
When 2-month-old baby boy Muhammad had great difficulty breathing and eating his parents grew worried and were even scared to lose him. After careful medical observation it was confirmed that he suffered from congenital heart disease and needed urgent open-heart surgery to repair the cardi...
Al Jalila Foundation is committed to be a leader in medical research and in our mission to discover innovative solutions to address the medical challenges of the future we engage with the greatest minds in the UAE. Professor Salah Gariballa, from UAE University, is one scientific leader wh...
Nobody wants to hear "you have cancer", nobody. An avid cyclist, Guido De Wilde, approached his cancer journey like a challenging bike ride – an endurance race – and when he recovered it was important to him to give back. Guido knows first-hand the impact of a cancer diagnosis and...
When Dubai resident Shayani Madushika felt a slight itch and pain in her left breast last July, she quickly feared the worst. Initially brushing it off as nothing untoward, the mother-of-two decided to consult a doctor, mainly for reassurance, as the pain persisted and a lump had formed. ...
Saad Syed has become the first doctor in his family and in his words “a dream come true” which he credits to his Al Jalila Foundation scholarship. Alea Mohammed says that she could not “have reached this milestone without the support of Al Jalila Foundation”. Aya Akhras pursued her...
Baby girl Santhoshi was born with a congenital heart problem ‘patent ductus arteriosus’, which is a hole in her heart. By the time she was two months old she was having great difficulty breathing and unable to gain weight, and the doctors confirmed that she needed urgent open-heart sur...
In the UAE, there are nearly 756,000 people diagnosed with diabetes and reports suggest that about 300,000 are undiagnosed. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major complication of diabetes and can lead to vision loss if untreated. Innovative and comprehensive approaches are urgently needed to...
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 Foundati...
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...
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 ...
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 in...
Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and the sixth most prevalent cancer in the GCC countries. A survey by the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi reported liver cancer as the tenth most common cancer in the UAE and one of the top five leading causes of death in mal...
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...
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. Fin...
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...
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...
Aisha Soud Mohammed, a 30-year-old mother from Kenya, who has been living in Dubai with her husband since 2018, was leading a normal life until she felt a few uneasy symptoms in December 2020. “I started noticing blood in my stool. I was worried and told my husband about it. We went to t...
COVID-19 has disrupted the world, produced chaos and posed a significant threat to global health. Since the first outbreak, several treatments have been developed to prevent the spread of this virus with many vaccines approved and extensively administered. However, the fact that SARS-CoV-2...
Al Jalila Foundation was delighted to be the charity partner of the first Battle Cancer CrossFit Challenge in Dubai which brought together athletes of all abilities in the fight against cancer. Battle Cancer Dubai is a one-day fitness challenge for teams of four which incorporates teamw...
In the UAE, breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women and constitutes around 40% of all female cancers. In addition to the rising incidence, another cause for concern is the advanced stage at presentation with the majority of women in the UAE diagnosed under the age of 40 wit...
According to the World Health Organization an estimated one in 160 children worldwide has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To support families of children with autism in the UAE, Al Jalila Foundation’s Ta’alouf Parents Training program equips parents with the best possible tools t...
In May 2018, 2½ year old Muhammad was diagnosed with acute blood cancer (leukemia). Muhammad’s parents were devastated to learn of their toddler’s diagnosis and although there was hope that the disease was treatable, the family’s medical insurance was insufficient to cover the cost....
Through its global ‘Born to Be’ youth engagement programme, Deutsche Bank’s Middle East Foundation is continuously working to change the lives and prospects of the next generation in the region. Because every young person deserves the chance to become who they were born to be. As ...
According to the World Health Organization, at least 422 million people worldwide have diabetes, and 1.5 million deaths are directly attributed to diabetes each year. For over a decade, Landmark Group has been leading the fight against diabetes in the region and in 2019 was honoured wit...
Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide and incidence is increasing dramatically in the Gulf region. As treatment options are limited Al Jalila Foundation awarded a research grant to Dr Kirsten Sadler Edepli from New York University Abu Dhabi who is looking at targeting...
In August 2020 Abdulrahman Alzarooni received the exclusive international postgraduate scholarship from Al Jalila Foundation to study for a Master of Medical Genetics and Genomics (MSc Med Sci) at the University of Glasgow, UK. Through the scholarship, coupled with Abdulrahman’s hard ...
In January 2021 Dikden had been suffering from severe back pain and was losing weight rapidly. After several medical assessments it was confirmed that Dikden had metastatic lung cancer. The news was devastating and as the sole breadwinner for his family who works for a small company in Dub...
Smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer and tobacco smokers are at 20 to 40 times higher risk of developing lung cancer in comparison to non-smokers. With a research grant from Al Jalila Foundation, Dr Rania Zaarour from Gulf Medical University Ajman, is studying the effec...
The Ta’alouf Teachers Training Program was launched by Al Jalila Foundation in 2014 to equip teachers and principals with the necessary knowledge and skills to better understand and empower students of determination. The program, now in its 8th cohort, runs each academic year fully sp...
In January 2020 Lise, a UAE resident of 28 years, was diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine annual mammogram. Having always lived a healthy lifestyle the news came as a shock and Lise felt that the ground had been pulled from under her. She immediately started chemotherapy but...
With the world now reaching over 300 million confirmed cases since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic the urgency to find a cure is ever present. Al Jalila Foundation is dedicated to supporting the global fight against COVID-19 and has invested in several vital research studie...
9-year-old Marwan, from Sudan and living in Dubai, had been suffering from high pulmonary pressure and fibrosis in the lungs and needed urgent surgery. Unfortunately, his parents were struggling to fund the life- saving treatment. The team at I Love Supersport Dubai, a UAE-based e...
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified obesity as one of the top five mortality risks globally and is targeted for priority action as it is responsible for 5% of deaths associated with non-communicable diseases. In high-income countries more than 50% of adults are overweight...
4-year-old Talia’s parents noticed that she was always tired, lacked energy for simple tasks and did not want to play anymore. She had even lost her happy spark and had become withdrawn. After several doctor visits, it was discovered that she suffered from a perforated atrial septal d...
In 2019, husband and father Ali Kakaire began feeling unwell and daily life was becoming more and more of a struggle. In 2020, after many doctor appointments and tests Ali was diagnosed with ‘refractory Hodgkin lymphoma of nodular sclerosis subtype’. This meant that Ali needed to under...
Approximately one in five women develop gestational diabetes mellitus during pregnancy, which has serious complications for both baby and mother, but fortunately reverses after delivery. Women with this condition are at seven-fold higher risk of developing adult diabetes within 7-10 yea...
The Ta’alouf program has had a transformative effect on many families in the UAE who have become empowered to guide and support their children of determination to flourish and live to their full potential. Mohammad Abdulla Alshehhi is a 16-year-old boy with autism whose mother, Alya, ...
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) is a leading financial institution in the UAE driving innovation and service excellence in the industry that also spearheads impactful locally relevant CSR initiatives. Every October for the past 12 years ADCB has dedicated the Pink Month initiative to supp...
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women affecting 1 in 8 women and studies show the average age of diagnosis in the UAE is 10 years younger than elsewhere in the world. In efforts to fight breast cancer, Al Jalila Foundation invested in an important study with Dr Farah Benye...
Dr Houriya Kazim, the UAE’s first female surgeon, has spent more than 20 years campaigning to raise awareness of the importance of early detection in saving lives. Dr Houriya was inspired to become a breast surgeon as a young doctor in her hometown of Dubai after seeing many patients ...
When baby Khaled was born his parents were overjoyed for the wonderful blessing in their life. Unfortunately, shortly after his birth it was discovered that he had a congenital heart defect that was life-threatening. However, thanks to advances in medicine hope was not lost for baby Khaled...
Al Jalila Foundation is invested in nurturing the next generation of medical talent in the UAE through providing scholarships to promising young medical students. One shining student was 2016 high school graduate Thannon Aysar Thannon who excelled in his studies and was looking to get i...
Tobacco use is one of the leading causes of non-infectious disease deaths worldwide. Globally, and in the Middle East, cigarette smoking and alternative forms of tobacco smoking such as shisha and dokha has attracted serious public health concern. Professor Sausan Al Kawas from Universi...
Since establishment, EWINGS managing operator of Mahzooz has been a champion for Al Jalila Foundation and our patient treatment program. In 2020 EWINGS made a donation, on behalf of Mahzooz, to support patients in need and added their name on Bassmat Rashid Bin Saeed donor wall in recognit...
According to the World Heart Federation over 17 million people die from cardiovascular disease annually making it the leading causes of death globally. It is also the primary cause of death in the UAE contributing to 30% of fatalities. To tackle this problem, Al Jalila Foundation funds ...
Salama was born with a congenital heart defect that could be potentially life-threatening as she grew older. The doctors continuously monitored to assess her condition and decide on the best course of treatment. By the age of three and a half years old it was recommended that she needed to...
Al Jalila Foundation’s Ta’alouf Teachers Training Program, in partnership with Zayed University, equips teachers from public and private schools with skills to broaden inclusivity in their classrooms and empower children of determination. The program was born out of the principle that ...
Emirates NBD, a long-term partner of Al Jalila Foundation, is driven by their passion to give back to the community and have engaged in several employee-lead campaigns to support our healthcare programs over the years. In 2021, the leading UAE banking group wanted to share the true spir...
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and by funding breast cancer research, Al Jalila Foundation is enabling UAE-based scientist Dr Mawieh Hamad from University of Sharjah to ‘evaluate the anti-carcinogenic potential of biologically-driven intracellular iron depletion’ a...
12-year-old Kerolos Mina Albert was born with Autism into a loving family who have always looked for ways to help him live a full life. Unfortunately, children with Autism often have difficulty expressing themselves which in turn makes it very challenging for parents to support them. Ke...
In November 2018 one-year-old Youssef was diagnosed with a right retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer that had grown to a become a mass lesion in the right eye globe. The following month he underwent enucleation to remove the eye and the surgery was followed by chemotherapy treatment ...
Kiehl’s, a leading cosmetics brand under L’Oréal, has been supporting Al Jalila Foundation every Ramadan since 2016 through their exclusive limited-edition collections featuring artwork from regionally celebrated artists and designers. Launched in the Middle East less than a decade...
Like many other adjustments that have been made in the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Al Jalila Foundation’s Ta’alouf Teachers Training program to empower students of determination has been conducted virtually since March 2020. The school Principal, Mariyam Nizar Ahamed, and fe...
As a young mother, Mariam moved to the UAE with her husband and children to begin a new life. Three decades later and now retired, the couple love watching their grandchildren grow up close to them in the Emirates. The COVID-19 pandemic had been difficult for many and particularly the e...
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cancer and the second highest cause of cancer deaths in the UAE. To tackle the issue, Al Jalila Foundation awarded a research grant to Dr Maha Saber-Ayad, a medical Pharmacologist from the College of Medicine at University of Sharjah, to...
According to the World Health Organization epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases affecting people of all ages globally. It is estimated that up to 70% of people living with epilepsy could live seizure-free if properly diagnosed and treated. Al Jalila Foundation resear...
From a young age Mariam Elsaban had felt a strong desire to become a doctor because she wanted to help people and save lives. Her passion and dedication were only heightened throughout her school years and she took every opportunity to improve her knowledge and grades to give her the best ...
8-year-old Ali was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a toddler however the condition has not stopped him from being a superhero for other children of determination and an Ambassador of Hope for Al Jalila Foundation. Ali’s mother heard about Heroes of Hope and the work they do to empowe...
9-year-old Noor Afzaal was born into a silent world as she suffered from profound hearing loss, but thanks to receiving a cochlear implant at the age of 6, with the help of Al Jalila Foundation, her communication developed remarkably and today she can hear and talk like other children her ...
Golf is a key driver of charitable giving around the world with large philanthropic contributions, including those from professional tournaments, that make giving to charity a huge part of the sport. Many of the golf clubs in the UAE and globally recognised tournaments have dedicated proce...
According to the World Health Organization an estimated one in 160 children worldwide has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Based on these statistics, there is a need to better understand the unique genetic causes of Autism as well as the pattern of treatment sought by parents of child...
Al Jalila Foundation is committed to supporting deserving Emirati medical professionals, who pursue education with respected international institutions with the aim to transfer global best practices to the UAE. Nour Alloghani had graduated from Royal College of Surgeons Ireland and Al ...
10-year-old Hamza was born with a congenital abnormality that affected his limbs. The condition also interfered with his motor skills and hampered his independence as he grew. Throughout Hamza’s life, the only treatment accessible to him to improve his condition was plastic ankle foot or...
With an increasing global population and greater life expectancy, the diagnosis of neurological disorders, like Parkinson's disease is on the rise. Al Jalila Foundation awarded a research grant to renowned scientist Dr M Emdadul Haque from UAE University to study ‘Parkin in cancer and...
Since inception, Al Jalila Foundation has encouraged thousands of motivated individuals and teams to raise funds by taking part in sports challenges. These endurance runs, triathlons, marathons and more have been instrumental to raising awareness and providing hope to patients suffering fr...
Through the Ta’alouf Parents Training Program, Al Jalila Foundation works to empower parents to bring out the greatest potential in their children of determination. Although 2020 was a challenging year and parents training was held virtually, parents like Rola were only too eager to j...
In our mission to transform lives, Al Jalila Foundation connects with community partners to support our work and fulfill our collective goals. In 2020, we are proud to have partnered with Heroes of Hope, a not-for-profit group founded by Hollie Murphy to develop and support the sporting, s...
According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally with about 1 in 6 deaths due to cancer. Each year, approximately 300,000 children alone are diagnosed with cancer. However, there is hope, as with access to quality treatment, more than 80% of ...
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 testam...
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...
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 ...
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 ki...
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 ...
As a bright young student, Saad Syed was drawn to medicine and was overjoyed to learn he had been awarded a scholarship from Al Jalila Foundation to continue his studies at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU). By attaining this scholarship, Saad can fol...
Nahid Al-Naqbi, a celebrated journalist for Al Bayan Newspaper and a recipient of the 2018 Al Jalila Foundation Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism, is recovering from breast cancer thanks to receiving quality medical care and support. Nahid’s journey has not been ...
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a growing health concern around the world and is estimated that it impacts 1 in every 58 children globally. Research indicates that the disease manifests very early in development which requires early diagnosis and intervention. Dr Mohammed Uddin from M...
At 4-years-old Bismah, a highly talented child, began to develop serious health problems and deteriorated to the point that she could no longer walk or play like other children. After admission to the hospital she was diagnosed with a very rare autoimmune connective tissue disease, juvenil...
Despite the high prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the UAE, approximately 1 in 5 of the population suffers from the disease, epidemiological data about diabetes incidence and subgroups in the UAE in general, and particularly the Northern Emirates (Sharjah/Ajman), is very limited. Al Jali...
Among many of the challenges faced this year, education and distance learning has been one of the hardest. Hundreds of thousands of students in the UAE embarked on online learning for the first time, many of whom were children of determination who require a little extra care and support. T...
