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 for 6 months.
As time passed, the doctors had recommended a prosthetic eye to be placed in the socket to assist with Youssef’s confidence as he grew older. Unfortunately, the cosmetic procedure was very expensive for Youssef’s parents to accommodate. They reached out for support and with the help of Al Jalila Foundation the case was presented to long standing partner Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) who lead a company-wide fundraising campaign to raise the much needed funds to give Youssef, now three years old, a high-quality prosthetic eye.
Youssef’s mother was worried that he would have problems fitting in because of his condition: “As a mother, I was afraid that he may be bullied by children and we even avoided going out. Thanks to receiving the prosthetic eye, Youssef’s natural facial features have returned, and we are extremely grateful for all the support we received from Al Jalila Foundation.”
Today Youssef is a happy, confident young boy who enjoys playing with other children.