Here's your chance to fulfil wishes of kids with cancer in UAE

The campaign will also circulate SMS to collect donations to help kids realize their wishes.

A 30-day awareness campaign will enable children with cancer to realize their wishes by raising donations via SMS. Launched by the Make-A-Wish Foundation on Sunday, the drive - titled 'Cancer Steals Childhood and A Wish Returns It' - has been widely hailed by parents of kids suffering from the scourge. They feel it will "provide the children and their families with confidence, hope and strength".

"I like the initiative. Helping kids with cancer to fulfill their wishes is commendable," said 35-year-old Emirati mother Aisha Mubarak. "It will bring happiness and hope to these children and their families."

Another parent, Mohammed Najad, a Syrian father, said: "Children with cancer and other chronic illnesses sometimes feel less important and can isolate themselves or get alienated.

"Parents of children suffering from cancer also go through difficult times because of the overpowering fear of losing their child to the disease."

He added: "But with such initiatives to make their dreams come true, the children can think positive and happy. Their families also gain the power to continue taking care of their ill children."

Hani Al Zubaidi, CEO of Make-A-Wish Foundation, pointed out: "We want to celebrate Childhood Cancer Awareness month this September by realizing the wishes of children with cancer, and offer them and their families the hope and strength they need."

He added that throughout the month of September, awareness messages will be shared on social media highlighting the physical and psychological fallout that children diagnosed with the illness face, including fear, isolation and low self-esteem. The campaign will also circulate SMS to collect donations to help kids realize their wishes.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation UAE said that during the recent holy month of Ramadan, dreams of 30 chronic or terminally-ill children - from UAE, Yemen, and Jordan - were fulfilled, thanks to the generosity of Good Samaritans and philanthropists.