JEDDAH — If greatness is born, it is born out of adversity. The hard times that you go through, as long as you are attuned to these maturing lessons, actually build character, make you stronger, and give you the skills needed to cope with any hurdle that life may throw your way. Sometimes a misfortune may actually be a blessing in disguise and may inspire you to take on challenges; inspire you to achieve greatness. It was the death of her brother from cancer that propelled Amal Al-Hamed into a life of unrelenting work to implement programs to support cancer patients in the Kingdom and alleviate their suffering. “My brother's death from cancer in 2008 set my life on a different course; I vowed from that moment onwards to strive to create support groups for cancer patients. I wished I could have done something more to bring my brother solace and contentment during his illness, but now I can help others with cancer,” said Al-Hamed in an exclusive interview with Saudi Gazette. She changed university majors from information technology to psychology and immediately signed up as a volunteer with the Saudi Cancer Society to raise awareness about breast cancer and the importance of early detection. She educated hundreds of women in Saudi society on how to perform the breast self-exam on their own. The Johns Hopkins Medical Center states, “Forty percent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump, so establishing a regular breast self-exam is very important.” Through her volunteer work in raising awareness on breast cancer, Al-Hamed was recognized and commended by Dr. Samia Al-Amoudi, consultant obstetrician, associate professor at King Abdul Aziz University, and head of Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi Center of Excellence in Breast Cancer. Dr. Al-Amoudi was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 and she became the first Saudi woman to write publicly about her experience of the disease, raising awareness across the Arab world. Shaikh Dr. Ali Abo Al-hasan is also a strong supporter and proponent of Al-Hamed's struggle to improve the social services for cancer patients in the Kingdom. Working behind the scenes as a show producer for the Saudi children's channel, Ajyal, Al-Hamed wanted to prepare an educational but entertaining episode that addresses the risks, prevention, and facts related to cancer. Children in our society are in the dark when it comes to cancer; a disease surrounded by fear and confusion. Such fears and foreboding can be very damaging to the psyche of a child if he/she is ever diagnosed with cancer, or any family member, relative, or friend. At first, her idea was met with much opposition because most people working in the media questioned, “Who wants to turn on a children's TV channel and watch a show about something depressing like cancer?” However, Al-Hamed fought for her program until the end, and with the support of her manager at the time, Nada Farran, they were able to pull it through. The episode aired in February of this year and it succeeded in clarifying some of the myths around cancer, raising awareness, recommending healthy eating and lifestyle habits, and inspiring hope in children with cancer. That was not enough for Al-Hamed, she still did not achieve her goal, which was to implement support groups for cancer patients in the Kingdom's hospitals. “There is a grappling phobia in our society toward cancer and this is unhealthy because numerous studies show that fear, a negative attitude, and depression in cancer patients are all linked with higher mortality rates. With advances in science and medicine, cancer is not the end of the world and it is not a death sentence. It is painful both physically and emotionally, but there are treatments; there are options,” said Al-Hamed. “My message to cancer patients is that God has chosen you for a reason to reward you for your patience through your ordeal. Faith, hope and optimism are the best partners on your journey,” said Al-Hamed. The Saudi Cancer Society has worked closely with Al-Hamed and some amazing volunteers; planning and researching the development of support groups for cancer patients. The Saudi Cancer Society recently approved a national project that will be geared toward offering psychological therapy sessions, activities, recreation, and educational seminars for cancer patients and their families. The name of the support group beautifully matches its purpose “My Hope.” Al-Hamed has been put in charge of “My Hope” with Muhannad Al-Gobaa to be responsible for the Riyadh branch. In earlier years, there was no such thing as support groups for cancer patients in the Kingdom, children or adults. The main focus for the treatment of the illness was a physical one, whether it was surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy and very little attention was given to the emotional, psychological, moral, and spiritual sides. “My Hope will be introducing several initiatives, such as forming partnerships with public shopping centers to install a clinic where women can conveniently get checked; free of charge. We will also translate articles in cancer research and literature into the Arabic language to make these reading materials available at local bookstores,” said Al-Gobaa. “Sometimes the psychological suffering cancer patients endure may be more severe than the physical ailments. “There is a sore lack of activities in the Kingdom, especially for children with cancer to allay their physical symptoms and entertain them during their stay in the hospital. “In Brazil, at one child oncology center the bottle of IV fluid which administers the chemotherapy drugs is hidden in a colorful box that has the name of a superhero on it. The child is told that he is receiving a super formula to become strong like his hero. “The treatment rooms are bright, colorful, and filled with toys, puzzles, coloring books, and crayons. “The nurses are dressed in costumes of funny characters or clowns. Here, the oncology treatment rooms are dull and boring, which will have a negative impact on the child's psychological state and healing process,” added Al-Gobaa. “I dream of starting an initiative here in the Kingdom for children similar to the Make-a-Wish initiative in the West,” said Al-Hamed. Make-a-Wish foundation grants wishes to children with life threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy and to improve the quality of life for the young patient. When pathologist Dr. Hassan Huwait was working in Canada, his four-year-old son was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare but aggressive form of cancer. Although that is any parent's worst nightmare, his family coped very well because of the exceptional treatment their son received during treatment. “We were lucky that the cancer was detected in its first stage, but we had to follow the protocol which is a rigorous treatment of four months of chemotherapy followed by surgical excision of the tumor, and another four months of chemotherapy,” said Dr. Huwait. He added: “The oncology clinic is made to look and feel like home and the staff is amazing. They know how difficult the chemotherapy treatment is on the children and they do everything to keep the child as comfortable, happy, and calm as possible. They provide all sorts of entertainment like video games, toys, and routine magic shows. The nurses keep track of each child's date of birth and they throw a surprise birthday party for the child and all nurses on the ward join in. The nurses there make you feel like family.” “My son, Ahmad, had several visits to his hospital room from his favorite Canadian hockey players. The athletes came into his room, took pictures with him, and brought medals and trophies they had won to show him, and signed their autograph just for him. He was so excited that he didn't even think about the cancer that day. The entire ten-month period of his treatment surprisingly went by with less dread and suffering than one would expect,” recalled Dr. Huwait. After the doctors deemed Ahmad healthy and fit to travel, Make-a-Wish foundation fully funded a week's trip for Ahmad and his family to visit Disney Land, including accommodation, airfare, and a cash gift for Ahmad to buy anything he may desire on the trip. The little but resilient cancer survivor's wish of visiting Disney Land came true. These are the types of services and programs that we hope to find in the future of oncology treatment for children in the Kingdom.
