ABU DHABI // Technology triggered by eye movements is helping re-establish an Emirati man’s family bonds after he was cut off from the world because of locked-in syndrome.
Trapped after a bleed on the brain four years ago, former Dubai engineer Badr Salim Abdalla Al Ali has a neurological disorder which paralyses voluntary muscles except for the eyes. It has isolated him from his family.
A rehabilitation programme at Amana Healthcare in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, is teaching him to express himself through eye movement. He is one of 18 long-term patients at the facility receiving physiotherapy treatment, all of whom are Emirati.
It began with looking up for “yes” and down for “no”. But that has now been enhanced by the use of eye-gaze technology that responds to blinks and follows commands on a tablet computer.
To continue his social interaction, Mr Al Ali, 35, from Al Rashidiya, has been working with Dubai calligraphy artist Salah Shaheen to create two pieces of art for his daughters, Almaha, 9, and Alya, 10.
Artist and patient have developed a strong bond, communicating through blinking to pass on ideas on how the artwork should look.
Shaheen said: “It depends on your mood but this kind of art can take a long time. First, you think about your subject and what shape the art will be. Sometimes, if you are impressed or inspired by someone, like Badr, it is easier to create.
“I had done nothing like this before. From his eyes, I could read his story – he gave me ideas of what he wanted and the colours to use.”
In the artwork, Mr Al Ali’s daughter’s names are written in calligraphy, with Almaha’s eyes painted on a background of colour.
“Badr wanted to use the colour of the Sun and the sky,” said Shaheen. “He has given me another way to think about life and how lucky I am. We all have a story, even people who cannot move.”
Other Amana patients involved in rehabilitation are learning languages, poetry and even fashion design.
When the artwork was presented to Mr Al Ali, he spelled out three words of appreciation to Shaheen for his work. “You are incredible,” he said.
Mr Al Ali’s mother, Maria, said: “We have learnt to develop communication with his eyes. Now, when he wants to hear his daughters’ voices, we can ask him. It has helped him to be a father again.”
Margeaux Blignaut, an occupational therapist at the clinic, said communication and social interaction were an important part of a patient’s care.
“With Badr, is has been hard for him to communicate his needs,” she said. “There had not been a way until the eye-gaze technology came along.”
Inbuilt cameras in a computer follow a patient’s eyes and respond to blinks. The technology is constantly developing to allow users to become more independent, by blinking to activate devices or lights.
When Mr Al Ali arrived at Amana, therapists tested communication with his eyes and found he could recall his car number plate and old phone numbers.
Ms Blignaut said: “Since we have been able to communicate with Badr, his personality has shone through. He has a good sense of humour, is a very open man and jokes a lot. He will sometimes make mistakes on purpose to test us, or make us laugh.
“Communication has helped him deal with his frustration, I think.”
nwebster@thenational.ae
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Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
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Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
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Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
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The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Final results:
Open men
Australia 94 (4) beat New Zealand 48 (0)
Plate men
England 85 (3) beat India 81 (1)
Open women
Australia 121 (4) beat South Africa 52 (0)
Under 22 men
Australia 68 (2) beat New Zealand 66 (2)
Under 22 women
Australia 92 (3) beat New Zealand 54 (1)
The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
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How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope