At Arab Canada Newspaper, we work to be a bridge of communication among members of the Arab community, and therefore we support any work that contributes to introducing the members of the Arab community to each other. We also highlight Arab personalities who have positive initiatives that serve our Canadian society. Our guests today are Mr. Danny Khanafara, his wife Mrs. Zeinab, and their daughter Ruqayya, the owners of the initiative to donate to support cancer research at CHEO Children's Hospital in the capital Ottawa. 

From the heart of her suffering, the initiative to support CHEO Ottawa Hospital was launched

First, we welcome you Mr. Danny, your wife, and Ruqayya, and we hope you introduce yourselves to us. 
Danny:
Welcome and thank you for giving us the opportunity to introduce our initiative and our story with our daughter Ruqayya's illness..
 My name is Danny Khanafara, I live in the city of Ottawa, and I have worked at the Ministry of Health for 12 years and I am a director at the Canadian Ark Centre of Excellence, which seeks to help young men and women of the community integrate into society through various social programs.

September is considered the global month for childhood cancer awareness. Tell us about the donation initiative for the specialized cancer research department at CHEO Children's Hospital in September?
Danny:
We went through the experience of our daughter Ruqayya’s illness. She is 16 years old and was in the eleventh grade. She was diagnosed with a malignant brain cancer in 2018, and her battle with the disease lasted two years. From this experience, the idea of the initiative was born, aiming to raise awareness and draw the attention of families in Canada and worldwide that cancer can affect anyone regardless of age. During Ruqayya’s treatment, we noticed a large number of children, some just a few months old, being treated in the hospital for cancerous diseases. Seeing them suffer from the effects of treatment was very painful to us... Cancer types are many, some rare, and their treatment is difficult because it is still under scientific trials..
Here, I give you an example we lived with our daughter Ruqayya. When we discovered her cancer, the doctors told us that the treatment period would require two years between radiation therapy and chemotherapy. We rejected this idea because of the long time, especially since the success rate was not encouraging. After the first year, the cancer returned, and my daughter underwent surgery. From our conversations with the doctors, we learned that treatment has evolved due to scientific research being conducted in the field of cancer, and the treatment period now does not exceed eight months. Thanks to God and the efforts of doctors and researchers in this field, my daughter recovered, and we wish recovery for all patients. Therefore, we saw that supporting medical research is important because its returns benefit all humanity; hence, the donation initiative for the cancer research department at CHEO Children's Hospital.
Did you notice a response from the community members to your initiative?
A3. In fact, there was a great response, and we were surprised by the rapid spread of the video that Ruqayya and I recorded on social media. With the help of the Ark and 7th Dimension Studios, we managed to convey the message which spread in several cities in Canada and outside Canada within just 7 days. Despite the short period, we managed to achieve two things: first, spreading awareness, and second, receiving an amount of $16,000 from donors for CHEO Children's Hospital in Ottawa, which is a great achievement because it shows the level of awareness and response from the community members to support a project that benefits the people of Canada and the whole world.

I watched the video that accompanied the promotion of the donation campaign. Frankly, I was impressed by Ruqayya’s awareness and how she dealt with her illness; her information and confidence amazed me. Tell us about this experience and its impact on you as a family?
Danny:
It was an extremely difficult period, especially when we got the news of her illness for the first time. Our lives turned upside down overnight, especially with three other children. But with God's grace and the support of our family who stood by us with all their efforts, we managed to overcome the ordeal peacefully. This experience is like a storm that changes everything in a person's daily routine..
What we saw during the treatment period in both CHEO and SickKids hospitals made us feel that we were better off than others, as there were infants suffering from the disease who could not express their pain and suffering. Thank God, our daughter Ruqayya was older and had awareness and understanding, which had a great impact on her recovery.

My question is for Ruqayya. Here I want to express my admiration for your courage and awareness towards this disease. What do you say to children afflicted with this disease, and what did you learn from your experience during treatment?
Ruqayya:
Thank you, my message to children with cancer and their families is not to give up on the disease. Half of the treatment depends on the patient's psychological condition. Therefore, you must think positively and be confident that you will succeed in overcoming this disease with hope, faith in God, and willpower. Do not think of anything other than recovery..

Tell me, Ruqayya, from your experience, what helped you recover from the disease and what does a cancer patient need from those around him?
Ruqayya:
 ‏What helped me a lot during this difficult time was the unlimited support from my family and friends. They were with me all the time; I leaned on their shoulders during moments of fatigue..
All patients need to be surrounded by their loved ones, to feel safe and warm. They need someone to talk to and consult so they feel they are not alone in this battle.
I remember following the second surgery, I felt a state of depression, and both my father and mother were with me. I did not want to talk to anyone or eat, but when all the family members came to visit me in Toronto, my condition improved, and I came out of the sadness and depression state. I will never forget this supportive moment from my family..

My question to you, Mrs. Zeinab, what do you say to parents who have children in a similar condition?
Zeinab:
I would like to tell parents with similar cases to continue communicating with doctors and specialists to understand the nature of the disease and how to deal with it. Knowledge here is very important because it helps in making the right decision..
I also want to emphasize the necessity of support from the parents and friends of the patient and his family to help them overcome the ordeal. Visits have a great impact in easing the suffering and boosting morale..
Most importantly, it is accepting the situation and overcoming the initial shock and submitting to the will of God by the parents, so they can endure the treatment phase and not negatively affect their sick son or daughter.

Will you undertake other similar initiatives to the cancer research donation initiative in the future to serve the Canadian community?
‏Ruqayya: 
Yes, we will undertake other initiatives throughout the year, especially in September because it is the awareness month for childhood cancers. Thank God, I have been healed by God and survived this disease, and I must help others who are patients through social media like Instagram, not only in Canada but with patients from all over the world.
instagram: Ruqvya
I want to stress the importance of scientific research in this field because many cancer diseases have not yet had their treatments discovered. Supporting and investing in research is something necessary and very important because it is expensive and because its results will benefit all humanity..

What message do you send to the members of the Arab community through Arab Canada Newspaper? 
Ruqayya:
 There is a saying that my parents always repeat: "The best people are those most beneficial to people." Therefore, we must work to be beneficial to others and always contribute to what is good for everyone.
Thank you for this meeting, and accept my sincere prayers for Ruqayya and all patients, especially children, that God encompasses them with His care and completes their healing..