“Heroes for Arthritis” Awards
HRH Princess Haya Awards Arthritis Patients for their Courage and Support
Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minster of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, and Patron of the Emirates Arthritis Foundation (EAF), awarded three exceptional arthritis patients and two other individuals for their courage, selflessness and support in raising awareness of a number of arthritis diseases. The awards ceremony took place in conjunction with EAF’s two year anniversary, at the Dubai Bone and Joint Center, recently.
“These ‘Heroes for Arthritis’ exemplify what is best in each of us; courage, vision and empathy. I encourage patients and individuals to come together to increase awareness and fight this debilitating disease.” said HRH Princess Haya during her speech at the awards ceremony.
The Emirates Arthritis Foundation was established in 2006, in an effort to increase awareness and education about arthritis in the region and improve the quality of life for arthritis sufferers. In addition to running community programs and seminars, EAF also set up a network of support services, including a patient advocacy group, to provide arthritis sufferers with a platform to meet regularly and share experiences with healthcare policymakers.
The ‘Heroes for Arthritis’ consist of five very unique individuals that have either courageously learnt to live and manage their chronically debilitating and painful disease or played a noble fundamental role in helping spread arthritis awareness and education in the UAE.
“I have been suffering from Ankylosing Spondylitis for almost seven years now. It took me a very long time to learn how to deal with the pain,” said awardee, Mr. Mohammed Al Hashimi, arthritis patient and Board Member of the EAF. “It also took a long time to diagnose my condition, and I do not want others to suffer like I did. The key to managing your condition is education. My advice to all arthritis sufferers is: Improving the quality of your life as an arthritis patient is a proactive decision that comes from you as an individual, you need to interact and request support, whether it’s from your doctor, family, or advocacy group, to help you learn more about your disease and the treatment options available for you.”
Contrary to common beliefs that arthritis is only prevalent in an older age group, Mustafa Atef, who is eight years old was also awarded by her Excellency. Mustafa was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis at the age of five. With proper treatment, Mustafa now participates in his favorite activities with his friends, playing football, basketball and swimming. Helping Mustafa receive his treatment is another awardee, Leela Alvares, whose sister succumbed to complications of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in 2005. Leela climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness of RA and to raise funds for Mustafa’s treatment.
The last arthritis patient awarded was Ms. Fatma Lootah, a 43 year old Emirati woman who has been disabled by RA since 1995. Ms. Lootah was actively involved in writing a number of school books in addition to being the head of the Curriculum Design Department in the Ministry of Education. She recently retired, obtained her higher diploma in Information Technology (IT) and started her own business. Ms. Lootah is a volunteer at EAF and has set the example of perseverance for all arthritis sufferers.
Finally, Mr. Aidroos Hassan, Partner and Executive Chairman of Middle East Foundations Group was also awarded for his extensive support. The M.E Foundation Group was EAF’s Platinum Sponsor of the year, donating AED 350,000 to the Foundation’s mission. It is part of Mr. Hassan’s religious belief to help people in need. Mr. Hassan personally believes that the secret of his success is a blessing from Allah.
