ECN’s Los Angeles Second Annual Ramadan Fundraiser: Overwhelming Pride over 57357’s Achievements

ECN’s current focus is on finding resources for 57357’s expansion.

Egypt Cancer Network 57357 & AFNCI (ECN)’s Los Angeles Chapter held its 2^nd annual Ramadan Fundraiser on July 20, 2013 at the Island Hotel in Newport Beach. Attended by many Egyptians and Arabs, the event left many guests more aware about

ECN’s global initiative in support of cancer patients in Egypt, the MENA region, and the United States. Undoubtedly, the star of the evening was Hospital 57357, the main ECN beneficiary. The renowned up to date pediatric oncology center which is providing free quality care and cure for thousands of children in Egypt left the audience feeling very proud.

The evening kicked off with a speech by Dr Hisham Seify, president of the US based 501 C3 non-profit ECN, introducing its mission, development, and future course of action. Dr. Seify added that ECN will focus on Egypt and especially the Children’s Cancer hospital 57357, finding resources in support of its future expansion. He welcomed and acknowledged ECN’s supporters and volunteers including ECN’s board members who donate their time and expertise to promote and advance ECN’s actions and operations.

Keynote speaker was Dr. Mark Kieran, Director of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at Dana-Farber Institute, Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital Boston and a fellow ECN board member  who spoke of the collaboration between Dana Farber institute and Hospital 57357, explaining how he has been working  closely with 57357’s team of pediatric oncologists  for almost 8 years .

Dr Kieran praised the Children’s Cancer Hospital of Egypt 57357’s adoption of the latest Health Informatics system.  Thanks to this advanced digital tool, the Hospital is able to ensure easy, accurate, and prompt patient and hospital data recording, collection, access and tracking. The adoption of the latest informatics technology enables the Hospital to measure and evaluate accurately its performance, and most importantly to engage in important research that will ultimately improve hospital services and patient outcomes.

Being the largest pediatric oncology center in the world, the Hospital’s findings constitute valuable information for researchers around the globe. As such, in collaboration with other major pediatric oncology centers, such as Dana Farber, St. Jude,John Hopkins, the Hospital is conducting research studies and publishing its findings for the ultimate purpose of improving children with cancer outcomes not only in Egypt but around the world.

Displaying a long list of renowned pediatric oncology names on ECN’s Medical Advisory board, Dr. Kieran emphasized that they constituted the kind of brain power that supports 57357. Members of the medical advisory board donate their time to go to Egypt and teach at the 57357 institution.

Dr Kieran stressed the fact that a child in Egypt receives the exact same treatment as a child with cancer in the U.S thanks to 57357.  He confirmed that presently at 57357, survival rates, for each and every type of cancer are getting closer to the same rates as in the US. In answer to the audience inquiry about hospital 57357’s quality and standard in comparison with U.S. Hospitals, Dr. Kieran responds:” if you take Hospital 57357 and physically move it from Egypt to the U.S., it wouldpass the test being on-par with US hospital standards “. Dr Kierans’ statement left a solemn and proud audience over the accomplishments of an institution from their homeland.

Dr Kieran adds enthusiastically that a joint Pediatric Oncology fellowship program between Harvard affiliate, Dana-Farber Children’s Hospital Cancer Center (DFCHCC) and Children’s Cancer Hospital  Egypt 57357 (CCHE 57357) was recently launched .Through this program participants are getting the exact same training that pediatric oncologist receive in the US to be certified.

Dr Said Helmy, a prominent architect in California and supporter of ECN informed the audience  about Hospital 57357’s future expansion plans, in terms of feasibility from an architectural stand point.

Excellency, Ambassador El Husseiny Abdel Wahab, Consul General of Egypt in LA, spoke about his admiration for  the 57357 Institution, pledging to be the first in the room to put down his donation.

At the event closure, guests lingered still, wanting to learn more about Hospital 57357 and its humanitarian role of providing freequality care and cure for all its patients without discrimination.

Hospital 57357 is looked upon as the ST. Jude of the Middle East. It was built and sustained primarily by donations. In operation since2007, and has been providing free care to all children with cancer without discrimination to race, creed, or ability to pay. CCHE 57357 is currently recording an average 70% over-all survival (OS) rate. 57357’s team of healthcare professionals are committed to rally their efforts to challenge the frontiers of cure (presently OS rates in the developed world are 80-85%) for the children with cancer in Egypt. Their road map is defined: continuously improving the quality of care and pediatric oncology treatment protocols regarding their suitability to the environmental, biological and racial conditions in the region while expanding the Hospital’s overstretched capacity to reach to a greater number of children with cancer. Presently, they are able to serve only 1 in 5 children in need of care. CCHE’s future expansion plan includes a 300 bed in-patient tower to be joined to the actual premises as well as an advanced research center, a health sciences trainingAcademy, and the introduction of a new treatment technology , the proton therapy. All of these would constitute a Health Sciences Complex.

What CCHE 57357 has done to date has been to revolutionize cancer care in Egypt.  ECN is there to facilitate CCHE’s mission and help realize its vision.