In 2006, during a wedding filled with festivities and joy, 7-year-old Marwa Mohammed Sadiq tripped and cried out in pain.
No one paid much attention, as children often slip and fall. But Marwa continued to cry and complain of pain for long after. Her mother took her to different doctors, who remained confused over her ailment, dismissing it after seeing no visible bruises of any kind, as simply “a child acting out”.
“But I believed my child, I believed and sensed there was something wrong. I kept taking her to the doctors until one of them finally did a blood test and found out what was wrong,” says Umm Marwa. “The doctor told me, your daughter has cancer in her blood, she has leukaemia.”
Umm Marwa, an Emirati from Sharjah, says she felt the blood drain from her head and she couldn’t stop her heart from beating hard against her chest. “I watched a movie once where the child died from leukaemia. I couldn’t believe my baby was dying.”
Umm Marwa is married to a Pakistani national who makes Dh2,000 a month. Her biggest and most immediate challenge was being able to pay for the medical treatment her child needed, as well as assistance in getting to the hospital itself.
Meanwhile, Muneera Abdulkareem Al Diban, a Syrian who is now 34, discovered while helping a medical student friend who was doing full physicals on friends as practice, that she had spots and lumps in both breasts.
“We conducted tests and I found out I had breast cancer in both breasts, and it was not at a very early stage, so I needed immediate treatment if I was to survive,” says Al Diban, who was working in administration until her illness made it difficult for her to work and she had to quit.
“I couldn’t go back to Syria, as treatment for chronic illnesses such as cancer was not good to begin with, and got worse after the conflict there,” she says. “I was alone, and I didn’t have much money or family to help me.”
That is when the Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP), a UAE-based registered charity, stepped in to help. Since it was set up in 1999, FOCP has continuously delivered moral, financial and clinical support to cancer patients and their families, and through a zakat campaign run each year, the funds donated go to helping people such as Marwa and Al Diban, both medically and personally.
“As the leading cancer charity in the UAE, we run several fundraising initiatives, but our zakat campaign is undoubtedly among the most important, as it unites our charitable activities with the community’s Islamic principles,” says Dr Sawsan Al Madhi, the secretary general of FOCP.
Zakat, or almsgiving, is one of the pillars of Islam, where Muslims must do a certain amount of charity based on their accumulated wealth annually. Charity is a particularly important part of Ramadan, whereby those fasting will feel more empathy with the poor and give even more generously.
Charities across the country and across the Muslim world often rely on funds donated during Ramadan for their survival and to be able to give out for the rest of the year.
“Essentially, anyone can donate, from large corporations to caring individuals. According to the fatwa issued by the Permanent Fatwa Committee in Sharjah, the funds raised can then be used to treat Muslim patients whose lives have been touched by cancer, but who are unable to afford treatment costs themselves,” says Al Madhi.
As little as Dh5 or Dh10 can be pledged through a simple SMS saying ZAKAT, sent to 4219 or 4425. Or people can donate directly into the FOCP zakat bank account that can be found on the website www.focp.ae/en/donate.
In 2013, the charity was able to help no fewer than 169 cancer patients with the funds that it generated, says Al Madhi. The collected funds can be distributed across all major cancer types, including breast cancer, leukaemia, colorectal cancer, thyroid cancer, lung cancer, lymphoma, oropharyngeal cancer, prostate/bladder cancer and brain cancer.
Some of the expenses that the zakat initiative covers include medication (mainly chemotherapy and radiation); medical costs from early detection to surgery; procedures carried out abroad, such as bone marrow transplants; and prosthetic limbs and other medical equipment.
“Each case is individually reviewed and approved, in accordance with our regulations and zakat rules,” says Al Madhi. “Since we began, we have provided moral, financial and clinical support to over 1,000 families across the UAE.”
Ramadan is special as it enables Muslims – and many non-Muslims, too – to show their support through dedicated campaigns that carry extra significance, above and beyond regular activities. The target for the campaign this year is Dh5 million.
“As a charity operating in an Islamic society, we’re privileged to be part of such a world,” says Al Madhi. “For me, it’s a time to reflect. Although cancer can often be a challenging and difficult time, the hope and generosity that Ramadan inspires adds a deeper dimension.”
The charity helps change lives, and Marwa and Al Diban have survived as a consequence of this intervention.
Now, in 2014, Marwa still has leukaemia. Because stem-cell transplant attempts from family members didn’t result in any matches, she will need to have an expensive operation abroad with a price tag of over €15,000 (Dh75,000). She is waiting on the right stem-cell match.
“I gave my sister my blood, I was hoping it would cure her forever,” says 12-year-old Safa.
“But it is OK. Marwa is always smiling. You wouldn’t know she is sick.”
However, Marwa has an important message to the families of those afflicted by an illness similar to hers: “Believe your child. My mother believed me when I said I was in pain.
“I am used to the hospital trips now. I just hope one day I do the stem-cell transplant abroad and so I don’t burden my family with my illness,” says the girl whose dream is to spend her days in malls with friends.
“I also want an iPhone,” laughs Marwa. “I want to know why everyone is always looking down at their iPhones. What is in it that is so interesting?”
Marwa’s mother and family just want the best for Marwa on both a medical and emotional level, and this is where FOCP plays an important part.
“Thanks to the charity, I have someone I can call and ask where to take my daughter and what to do next,” says Umm Marwa. “They help in every way.”
One of the ongoing issues is transport. “We bus it, take a taxi or ask help from people to take us to Tawam Hospital in Al Ain from Sharjah, as my husband can’t always take us as he is working,” she says. “Small things like these are taken for granted by those who have the means.”
As for Al Diban, who struggled to keep a visa once she quit her job and even for enough money to “buy a glass of fresh orange juice”, she found her “second family” when she contacted the FOCP team after seeing them on TV.
“I was no longer alone. They help me so much by simply being there. I don’t know what I would have done without their help, and especially their kindness. As an expat away from home and with a scattered family in Turkey and Jordan, I had no one until I met them,” says Al Diban, who is now on a hormonal treatment after having 12 operations.
“My dream is to be healthy. I stopped dreaming about anything else,” she says, adding: “Donations towards helping cancer patients may not be typical, but they truly save our lives; it saved mine and continues to do so.”
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