Today we commemorate a significant event in the lives of Egyptians. This is the memorial of what is known as the 10^th of Ramadan war which is the same as the 6^th of October War. In 1973, precisely on the 6^th   of October of that year which corresponded to the 10^th of Ramadan, Egyptian Soldiers achieved victory for Egypt on the battle front. Without this victory on that day, Egypt would not have been able restore its might and determination which led to many more victories over the enemy during that great war.

At 57357, we look up to our brave Egyptian soldiers and follow their example; as this special day is an inspiration to each one of us to be committed to plan right, work more, and achieve more in order to accelerate the completion of our ambitious capacity expansion projects. These projects, which constitute our present most important challenge, will result in abundant goodness for Egypt and its children.

We wish that this special memory and our great army men would be also a source of motivation to all institutions working for the development and progress of the New Egypt

Thank you 57357, you restored Hope in life to me and her mother

This message was sent to us by Nagham’s father on our Face Book page. He wanted to share his optimism and joy for the imminent recovery of his daughter with all our readers and friends. As he is constantly away of Banha because he works in Sinai, we met with Nagham’s mom who shared with us the story of Nagham with cancer:

Nagham was six months when her mom noticed a solid growth in her daughter’s belly. They ran to the doctor who advised them to go to Hospital 57357 as tests revealed a tumor on the liver.

First day at 57357: “The world was dark around me and I thought my daughter was condemned , nevertheless we were doing everything in our power to save her. As soon as I met with her physician, I felt a great relief. All through the diagnostic phase, he tried to comfort us. Unfortunately the tumor, located on the left lobe of the liver, was cancerous.

The treatment journey

Nagham’s physician prescribed three doses of chemotherapy before the surgery to confine the tumor. Thank God, she responded well to the treatment and they were ready to operate to remove the tumor. This was the second liver surgery ever carried out at 57357 on a child in that very young age. Nagham was administered three more doses of chemotherapy and her treatment lasted for one year. “At that point we were extremely hopeful”, said Nagham’s mother. “We were keen to religiously follow her physician’s orders and recommendations; praying to God that he would continue the wonderful healing work that He had started,” added the mother

Six months after the surgery, we received the wonderful news that the resected area of Nagham’s left lobe was fully regenerated.

The Happiest day for Nagham’s Parents: this was one year after her admittance in 57357,  when they received the news that the little one had completed her treatment and that she was starting the follow-up phase. “ our heartfelt gratitude to all those who contributed to the cure of my Naghm, said the mother. Today, we it has been one year and a half since the start of the follow-up phase. We come to the Hospital for a regular check-up every three months.” Thanks be to God, hope in life is restored to us since Nagham’s recovery.

Thanks to your support, Nagham and so many of our patients with cancer in 57357 saw their dream of cure becoming a reality. Thanks to your support, an increasing number of our patients were able to beat this fierce disease; our average over-all survival rate having lately increased to reach 74.7% and to come closer to the 80% achieved in the developed world.

 Keep sailing with us as we continue the journey towards the shores of Cure for each and every child with cancer in Egypt. Check out our different donation programs, be it to sponsor a child’s treatment or to participate in on-going Sadaka. Your contribution will enable us to provide the best quality care and will bring our children closer to the shores of safety and wellness

Latest Technology Intra-operative MRI to raise brain tumor over-all survival rates from 60% to 75-80%

Thanks to the generous donation of our partner, Commercial International Bank, 57357 is in the process of acquiring and installing the latest brain surgery technology: Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (IO-MRI). Of all the various imaging techniques, MRI has become the method of choice for guidance during neurosurgical procedures but this specific technology(IO-MRI)  offers the surgeon  more accurate intraoperative lesion localization and, intraoperative assessment of tumor resection, Moreover it enables the highest potential for total tumor removal and intraoperative prevention  of procedure-related complications. In simple words, with this equipment the surgeon is able to maintain constant and confident navigational accuracy, protecting the functions of vital brain areas, maximizing patient outcome and avoiding complications. As for the patient, this equipment reduces the possibilities for revision surgeries and length of Hospital stay.

The new equipment, besides being easily integrated into our existing  neuro-navigational systems, will improve our ability of removing the totality of the tumor in brain cancer from 65% to 85-90% and will increase overall survival from 60% to 75-80%. Being the first equipment of its kind to be introduced in the Middle East region, the IO-MRI will enable 57357 to have a leading edge in brain tumor treatment in the Middle East with an operating theater equal to the most advanced neurosurgical operating theatre in USA and Europe.

“I am not afraid….God is beside me and I am being treated at 57357”

Our hero Carmen is a 14 year old girl with a sweet gentle smiling face. She loves Sports, Ballet, and plays the piano. Nonetheless, she is a determined courageous fighter who is not afraid of battling cancer, full of hope that the day is near when  she will win the fight and overcome the disease. (God Willing)

Read Carmen’s full story

Egypt Cancer Network: A channel Between the U.S. and Egypt to support Egyptian cancer patients

The holy month of Ramadan is already on our doorsteps marking the passage of yet another fruitful year.  In many ways, it is a suitable time for us to reflect on our past year’s activities which-to say the least-have brought us together from each corner of the U.S. for the sake of our beloved Egypt and its children.

We cannot but recognize how blessed we have been with the support and generosity of Egyptian Immigrants from all walks of life and of all ages: a world Renowned Egyptian-American Economist, Mr. Mohamed El Erian; an Egyptian American radiologist, Dr. Sherif Yacoub, and 8 year old Lobna who asks her friends to donate to 57357 instead of buying gifts for her birthday. They and thousands of others share their love for Egypt and their earnest desire to be of help to their native country. Words of gratitude are also in order for ECN’s Board members, chapter leaders and volunteers, for their perception, passion, kindness and promptness in taking action. Thanks to their joined efforts, a number of fundraising events have been successfully initiated in Washington, L.A., New York, and Orlando and a list of accomplishments is added to ECN’s record in support of cancer patients in Egypt.

In this respect, we were all deeply saddened by Ms. Fatma Abboud’s passing in May. Ms. Abboud , served on ECN’s advisory council and was also a chapter leader for one of our largest communities, the Tri-State area, (NY, NJ and CT).  She played a major role in attracting some of our largest donors to date. For several years, she passionately worked hard to support the mission of the Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt.  

It is thanks to such valuable support and your endless dedication that we have been able to realize a vast number of projects and developments throughout the past year and we look forward to accomplish more projects together hand in hand.

Without the firm belief of ECN’s visionary supporters in the value and inevitability of 57357’s future expansion, the choice of RTKL, the renowned global architectural firm carrying out 57357’s future expansion design, would not have been possible. Today, the concept design of 57357’s Health Sciences Campus is completed and with the help of our faithful and farsighted donors, the start of construction of two buildings on the Campus is expected to begin in Sept./Oct. 2015. The new campus includes an inpatient facility more than double in size of the actual one, a new outpatient facility to cater to an average of 1200 patients daily, a proton therapy equipment and building, a smart administrative  building, and a Health Sciences Training Academy. 57357’s new capacity expansion project is restoring hope in cure for an additional 50% of annual pediatric cancer cases in Egypt. The start of the new campus construction project is expected to boost job opportunities and economic activity. 20000 workers of all levels in the field of construction and engineering will be working on site. 10000 healthcare professionals are expected to be working in the new in-patient and out-patient facilities, proton therapy and research units. Also, the Health Sciences training Academy is expected to train 4000 graduates on a yearly basis.   

ECN was also instrumental in covering travel costs for  Hospital 57357 staff to attend medical conferences and Cerner’s health  IT annual meeting in the U.S, as well as funding the cost of media equipment  and travel expenses for two Foundation staff for a training course in Advertising in Dubai.

But the highlight of ECN’s achievements during the past year was the launch of the Dana Farber Boston Children’s (DFBC)/CCHE 57357 pediatric oncology fellowship last November. This is a highly customized joint fellowship training program with the goal of improving the level of care, survival rates, and outcomes for Egypt and the MENA region’s pediatric cancer patients through the increase of expertise and number of pediatric oncologists in this part of the world that suffers from severe shortages in this specialization.  With the founding of this first international fellowship program for pediatric oncology, physicians can now receive the same kind of complex training and education in this specialization as their counterpart in the U.S.  They, in turn, would be teaching and training the next generation of professionals. ECN was instrumental in enabling three out of the first four admitted students to be enrolled on a scholarship basis.

Thanks to ECN’s Supporters:  57357’s new Blended E-Learning Program for the training of all staff categories at the Hospital, Foundation and AFNCI was launched on schedule. This will result in improved delivery of healthcare services, new possibilities for career enhancement, and the birth of a new generation of healthcare professionals positively impacting the industry as a whole.

 ECN’s donors in the U.S. who carry the love of Egypt in their hearts, are aware that 57357 is not merely a charitable state of the art healthcare institution but an icon of change in various fields beyond the pediatric oncology specialization ; a platform from which the entire nation can leap towards the next century. They all realize the impact of supporting 57357’s future expansion components-its advanced Research center, Health Sciences Training Academy, and introduction of the Proton therapy in radiology.   These components would not only improve care and outcomes for children with cancer but also for adult patients who would  be  benefiting from the most up to date technology in diagnosis and latest processes in healthcare delivery; all of which are necessary changes that would equip us to face the healthcare challenges of the 21^st century .  To all of you, those who are already supporting ECN,  those who still wonder how you can help and those who believe in the inevitability of a global fight against cancer, this is the time to embark with us on  57357’  extraordinary journey  towards the realization of a cancer-free childhood

Children supporting Children

 El Damier Al Hay’s orphans visit 57357’s children:

 In this imperfect world, we all have our share of suffering, we are Orphans and you are Cancer patients…God bless us all and have mercy on us…

“I was very keen to bring my girls to visit 57357 ‘’ said Mr. Yousry in reference to the group of orphan girls who accompanied him .At  the association,  they have been raised since their early childhood to love each other and  everybody else and that’s why they expressed the wish to visit 57357’s children”, he explained. “The presence of such a place in Egypt is pushing us forward, Egypt has gone through a crisis but now we are trying to put our act together and places like 57357 are instilling hope in Egyptians, reuniting them and inviting them to look forward to a brighter future.  Love is the main theme around which 57357’s healthcare professionals revolve, and that’s the reason for it’s success .This is a world standard accomplishment of which we are all very proud.” With these words,  Mr., Ismael Yousry  urged all segments of the Egyptian Society to revive an  earlier initiative  by school  students when each student donated  one pound out of his pocket money to 57357 which resulted in gathering L.E.24,000000  in one day.

Bushra , one of the girls among the visiting group in first primary level said ‘ ‘’I came to visit the children of 57357 to make them happy and  I am also  very happy to see them and feel very proud with the high level of care they all receive here without discrimination .

“I wish to come back again very soon, I will tell my family and friends about what I’ve seen here and everyone else I now and will ask them all to visit 57357, said Iman, another girl in the group.

57357 receives an updated (PACS) medical imaging technology

Hospital 57357 was blessed to receive the generous amount of Emirati dirham 5 millions from Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi to update its (PACS) picture archiving and communication system. PACS is a medical imaging technology which provides economical storage of and convenient access to radiology images from multiple modalities. Radiology images through the new system are one click away, enabling timely, efficient, and remote access of physicians to the images; which is particularly useful in emergencies and in telemedicine.

The new system will also enable the Hospital to store and archive its radiology images in a digital secure manner; saving costs of storage, and printing.  Through this system and its full integration within the Hospital’s Informatics system, 57357 become fully digital, filmless and paperless. It is noteworthy that   a PACS consists of four major components: the various types of imaging equipment such as X-ray plain film (PF), computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a safe network for the transmission of patient information, workstations for interpreting and reviewing images, and archives for the retrieval and storage of images and reports.

Sheikha Jawaher is the founder and Royal patron of the Friends of Cancer Patients Society (FOCP).

“A new culture prevails in this healthcare institution, one of mercy and compassion, of noble initiatives, and of will and determination.

In Egypt, there exist now a safe haven for our children with cancer who will no more be defeated by this terrible disease. I wish to see Egypt becoming like 57357

Despite their very young age and modest background, Tahla Village Children demonstrate great sensitivity towards the needs of Society’s less privileged 

Omar, Ali , and  Othman Mohamed Shokry Habeeb, are three young brothers from Tahla Village in El Kalioubia province. Omar, four years old, is the youngest, and Othman, the oldest, is only nine. The three boys heard their uncle talk about Hospital 57357 to his children Maryam and Seif , inciting them to collect money to donate to 57357’s children with cancer. Fueled by a spirit of competition and compassion for the sick children, the three brothers decide to beat their cousins and have their own competition among members of their side of the family. They had also heard about Ahmed El Shabrawy one of their neighborhood’s youth, who is a brain tumor patient receiving treatment at Hospital 57357.    Knowing that a distant family member, Mr. Hany el Deeb actually works at 57357, they informed him about their initiative of collecting money in their moneyboxes and intention to donate it to 57357. Mr. el Deeb, was very surprised and happy with the initiative and decided to further encourage them. “I will pay ten pounds to the one who collects the largest sum!” said Mr. el Deeb.

A month  later, they opened their moneyboxes and counted the money .Omar had collected the largest amount which was 70pounds all in coins .Mr. El Deeb gave the winner ten pounds as promised. But once again the boys surprised him by adding 20 pounds to the total amount they collected to round it up to L.E. 200 and asked him to deliver the donation to 57357.

One Hospital 57357 board member, learning about the three brothers’ initiative, shared with us the following: “To me these are worth 200 million coming from any other donor. Just imagine the meanings behind this donation: the initiative, the belief in our cause, the principles inspired at this age, the creativity of the contest, the implementation of the process to achieve the goal, the courage to give such a donation knowing that millions come from other sources, the scale of about 70 or 80 kids contributing on their own initiative, Truly; an icon of change.”

I was curious to talk to the three boys, the heroes of our story; I managed to get their father’s mobile number. “I donated to save the children of 57357 and I am still collecting money and will donate again and I will never stop donating” said Omar, the oldest. Ali who is only six said: “I was encouraged to donate like my cousins”.