Nine-year-old Mahra Al Blooshi's dream came true as she welcomed visitors to her matcha tea stand at Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Centre’s Yas Clinic this week.
Hoping to open her own business was something that kept her going during long weeks of hospital isolation after her bone marrow transplant.
On Thursday, Mahra finally stood behind her counter – hair just beginning to grow back after chemotherapy – celebrating life and sharing the drink she craved most during treatment with her family.
“Why matcha? Because it was the one thing she wanted after her transplant,” her mother, Budour Al Blooshi, told The National.
Years of unexplained illness
Mahra’s journey began years earlier with persistent fevers and infections.
ITK deficiency, a rare autosomal recessive primary immunodeficiency that causes repeated infections and frequent need for hospital treatment, was diagnosed when she was five.
“This is our first case of bone-marrow transplanting ITK deficiency in the UAE,” said Mansi Sachdev, consultant paediatric hematology oncologist at Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Centre’s Yas Clinic.
“There are many immunodeficiencies in the world, and we have done a lot of bone marrow transplants for different kinds, but for this particular ITK deficiency, it’s extremely rare.”
Genetic screening
Genetic testing traced the mutation to both parents, who are first cousins.
“Back in the time when I was married, there was no specific marital test,” Ms Al Blooshi said. “But nowadays they have new rules of doing the marital test with genetic screening to avoid this kind of disease.”
Premarital genetic screening is now mandatory across the UAE, a safeguard to help couples understand inherited health risks before starting a family.
Further testing for Mahra confirmed the need for a bone-marrow transplant. It also revealed that her older brother Abdulla, 14, carries the mutation, while her 12-year-old sister Mariam is a perfect donor match for both.
“The brother also has the same genetic problem,” Dr Sachdev said. “So, the sister will donate for her brother, too. She donated for Mahra already, and now, once Mahra has recovered, the plan is to treat the brother and use Mariam again as a donor.”
Successful transplant
Mahra’s transplant took place eight months ago. “It was done successfully,” Dr Sachdev said. “She was out of the hospital within six weeks from the time she came for the transplant, and she recovered from it.”
A blood test confirmed that all her cells are now from the donor, which means the transplant has been successful. Today, Mahra is thriving and back at school.
A mother’s faith and gratitude
Ms Al Blooshi described the experience as one of intense learning and unshakable faith.
“For me as a mother, it is very important to address that this phase is really taking a lot of patience,” she said. “You have to be aware of what you are going through, and you also have to communicate with your family, with your kids and themselves – the patient – and you have to seek all the information that you need from your doctors.”
Mahra remembers the long stay. “I felt that I was tired and didn’t want to do anything,” she said. “But today I feel healthy and more active.” Her first day back at school was a celebration. “My friends were excited,” she said.
Mariam, the donor, spoke of her role.
“I donated my bone marrow to Mahra,” she said. “I feel so proud to be a donor. I call January 16 a miracle day because when you see how God is giving you miracles, that was a miracle day for me.”
Expanding treatment in Abu Dhabi
Dr Sachdev said Mahra’s case marks a milestone for the centre and the country.
Yas Clinic has carried out about 200 bone marrow transplants in total, around 50 of them for children.
“We do transplants for thalassemia, sickle cell anaemia, immunodeficiencies, leukaemia, lymphomas. We have also done a few CAR-T cell treatments for patients who have leukaemia and lymphomas. There’s a lot on the horizon and I think this is just going to grow,” she said.
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa, Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammad Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
Dubai World Cup Carnival card
6.30pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
8.15pm: Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
8.50pm: Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
9.25pm: Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections
6.30pm: Final Song
7.05pm: Pocket Dynamo
7.40pm: Dubai Icon
8.15pm: Dubai Legacy
8.50pm: Drafted
9.25pm: Lucius Tiberius
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Brief scoreline:
Crystal Palace 2
Milivojevic 76' (pen), Van Aanholt 88'
Huddersfield Town 0
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
FA Cup semi-finals
Saturday: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur, 8.15pm (UAE)
Sunday: Chelsea v Southampton, 6pm (UAE)
Matches on Bein Sports
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor
Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission 10-speed automatic
Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
