“Cancer is Not a Killer Disease” UAE Cancer Survivors Share Stories of Triumph

Several hundreds of cancer survivors of all ages took part in a heartwarming ceremony of honoring them under the patronage of the Emirates Oncology Society in cooperation with the Gulf Cancer Society that was held at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library. The event organized on Friday was aimed to cone out on June, the Cancer Survivors’ Month, and inspire hope within the patients with cancer and their families, showing that cancer is not a lethal disease.

Among the listeners, there was Alexandra Voyatjes: the girl is an 8-year-old leukemia survivor who also became a young champion. They were diagnosed at the age of three and therefore received almost three years of treatment and in the present case, there have been no relapses of cancer for almost two years. She also wants other children who are fighting cancer to get familiar with her story and she goes on to explain that ‘the two biggest weapons are smiling and being happy’. “It was rigorous journey indeed, but I came out of it and I am so thankful,” she continued.

Yasmin Hussain’s video involves a Briton who has lived in the UAE for the past 13 years and she was an inspirational story of a woman who overcame stage 3 breast cancer. After being diagnosed in October 2020 she had six months of chemotherapy and radiation of five weeks. This is a good example as, when speaking about the effect of her recovery, Hussain emphasises positive attitudes and the support from friends and family. “What was special was that every morning when I woke up, I would look into a mirror and say to myself that I am not sick,” the mother recounted saying to the cancer. Hussain has not had cancer for the past two years and the condition continues to improve.

Omar Hossam, a Syrian born 17 years of age and a resident of Sharjah, was also honored during the event. Omar was diagnosed of Leukaemia in early 2013 and it took him almost eight years to win the battle after receiving the same in early 2022. “I didn’t doubt that I would be able to overcome it, thanks to the power of the Almighty,” Omar added. His family and friends were on his side hence were useful in as far as motivating him to go on despite the odds.

ESPN being highly benefited by the increased growth and development of various cancer treatment facilities in the UAE, the professor Humaid Al Shamsi, the president of the Emirates Oncology Society, underlined that the mentioned facilities are rated at the top 10 in the entire worldwide. Still, the expert pointed to the optimistics as the survival rates took an upward turn: “Today, it is possible to cure 70 percent of cancer patients. ”To support his argument, Al Shamsi pointed to the present day superior medical facility type and technological specialization and skills present in the country.

Photo: KT