8 to scale Kilimanjaro to raise funds for cancer- stricken girl

People can also donate online to send Shahad to Germany for surgery

In January this year, Shahad, a nine- year- old Syrian girl living in Dubai, started suffering severe headaches. Her parents took her to a hospital and the Computerised Tomog- raphy scan showed mour in her brain.

Since January, Shahad has undergone multiple surgeries, one where the tumour was partially removed and others later to alleviate the pressure of the tumour on her brain. After the first surgery, Shahd had chemo and radio therapy that helped her with the cancer but weakened her immune system, so doctors stopped the treatment in July. She was being treated at Tawam Hospital in Abu Dhabi.

a

big

tu-

Shahad’s parents contacted many centres around the world, and managed to identify a doctor in Germany who specialises in cases similar to Shahad’s.

But financial limitations have led to delaying Shahad’s trip to undergo surgery in Germany and slowed her recovery.

Eight volunteers working through Dubai- based Climb for Cancer have volunteered to raise awareness as well as funds needed for Shahad’s treatment by climbing Mount Kiliman- jaro on November 28. Founded in 2009, Climb For Cancer is a non- profit initiative that encourages hikers and adventure enthusiasts to climb mountain peaks around the world in an effort to raise awareness for children suffering from cancer.

Organising logistics

Mustafa Mroueh, who is leading the challenge to Kilimanjaro, said, “I have been planning to climb Kilimanjaro for a couple of years now, but always delaying it to accommodate pressing daily matters. This year I decided to make it a priority, so I approached my friend Nizar Fakhoury, founder of Climb for Cancer, and expressed my interest in leading a challenge to Kilimanjaro.”

He said that after extensive research and discussions with like- minded individuals including Fakhoury, he started organising the logistics along with the fund- raising campaign.

“We reached out to

Friends of Cancer Patients, a registered UAE charity organisation, and informed them of our willingness to support UAE- based cancer patients, so they linked us to Shahad… who requires an immediate operation in Germany,” Mroueh said. He said they held multiple charity events and all the proceeds went directly towards Shahad’s treatment.

Those who want to help can go to the fund- raising page on http:// www. zoomaal. com/ projects/ climbforshahad/ 1288.