• Ms. Karen Khoury
  • PR and Communications Manager
  • Children’s Cancer Center in Lebanon (CCCL)



1- Tell us more about the history and mission of the Children’s Cancer Center in Lebanon (CCCL).

One day in the USA in the early 20th Century, the late entertainer Danny Thomas, of Lebanese decent, made a pledge to St. Jude (known to be the patron of hopeless cases) and told him: “If you show me my way in life, I will build you a shrine.”
Young Danny grew up to become a famous entertainer with shows on TV and radio, and he never forgot his pledge. So, he decided to found a hospital for children.
With his Arab-speaking friends at the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC) he collected the needed funds to start the hospital.
After few years, the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital opened its doors in 1962 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, with the world’s best doctors and researchers from around the world treating children with cancer and researching for better results.
Year after year, the survival rates of sick children increased and St. Jude was able to help many sick kids at no cost at all to the parents. ALSAC funded the hospital and supported the kids’ treatment.
Seeing the lives of children saved, from all over the USA and the world, Danny Thomas was determined to have a center like St. Jude in his mother country Lebanon.
Years after Danny’s death in 1991, his life-time friend and co-founder Mr. Richard Shadyac, Danny’s children, Marlos Thomas and Tony Thomas, along with CCCL founding board members Dr. Nasser Chammaa, Mr. Nabil Harfouche, the late Mr. Naoum Khatttar, the late Dr. Pierre BouKhater, and Mr. Joseph Asseily founded the CCCL in Beirut.
Since fifteen years, CCCL is a regional reference center pioneering in the treatment of children with cancer.
Thanks to an international affiliation with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the rigorous research of doctors and scientists at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), the average cure rate reaches 80% for our beloved kids!
Because “no child should die in the dawn of life (Danny Thomas) all children at the CCCL are treated free of charge, with no cost at all to their parents.
Therefore, CCCL relies only on donations, with a yearly need of 15 million USD.
We have a non-discriminatory admission policy, with patients as young as few months old, and keep on treating patients until they reach 18 years of age.

Our Mission
To support all children with cancer and their families through securing funds to:
  • have access to the latest treatment disregarding the parent’s ability to pay
  • support excellence in psychosocial services to help fight the disease
  • educate to create better understanding and awareness of the disease

Our Vision
To provide access to free treatment and care to all children with cancer in Lebanon and the region, without any discrimination.

2- Over the years, how did CCCL help create awareness of cancer within the Lebanese society?

Since its inauguration on April 12, 2002, the CCCL has been very active in creating awareness of childhood cancer and the ways to support this noble cause.
This is done through properly structured campaigns, programs and events; implemented within a strategy that leads to the fulfillment of the CCCL’s mission and vision.
CCCL communication channels are always active with information, news and updates. And, with the rise in digital trends, the CCCL is present and active on major social media platforms.

3- To what extent do your rely on media support to increase awareness?

We rely very much on free media support to create and constantly maintain the needed awareness and success of different fundraising campaigns and events.

4- All treatments at CCCL are free of charge. How do you ensure sustainable funding resources?

We ensure sustainable funding through proper planning, monitoring, and efficient implementation of a variety of fundraising programs, projects, events and campaigns. This variety is multi-targeted giving the whole community the chance to support in saving a child’s life.

 

5- How many patients have CCCL helped so far? And, what is the documented cure rate?

Since its inauguration on April 12, 2002, the CCCL has treated, to date, over 1,330 children with cancer; and has offered more than 4,000 medical consultations. The treatment usually lasts for 3 years, costing an average of 55,000 USD a year for each patient.
We are currently treating 300 patients with survivors’ stories all the time.
The average cure rate reaches 80% with some types of Leukemia (cancer of the blood) reaching 92% cure rate.

 

6- February 4th was World Cancer day; how did CCCL commemorate the day?

Every day at the CCCL is a celebration of hope and life with activities for our kids making their journey to recovery easier.

 

 

7- What are the upcoming events at CCCL?

To commemorate the CCCL’s 15 years, we are organizing the first ever Childhood Cancer Conference on Friday April 7th at the AUBMC Issam Fares Hall [covering] all you need to know about this disease, its treatment, latest breakthroughs and the importance of different support programs.
The conference will gather professionals from Lebanon and the globe addressing this important topic.
The complete program and free registration is available on the CCCL website.
We invite students, professors and all interested to attend this one-day conference.

 

 

8- How can university students get involved and support CCCL?

Students can register in our monthly donation program “Give Hope” with very practical monthly donation means.
In addition to that, they can enjoy shopping at our specialty “Joud Boutique” where all proceeds go to the CCCL.
Moreover, they can attend the CCCL events, as well as organizing their own events in support of the CCCL.
Finally, they can be members in our Friends Club, volunteering their time helping realize campaigns and events for the CCCL.
For more info about all our programs and events, [visit] the CCCL website and social media pages e.
All interested are invited to attend the conference on Friday April 7th starting 8:30am.

 

MUBS Science Rally 2017: Rewarding Lebanese Youth for Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking

For the fourth year in a row, MUBS organized a science competition aiming to reward critical thinking and curiosity among Lebanese youth. This annual event brings together high school students from around Lebanon and tests their knowledge through questions posed by leading scientists from Lebanon and the USA.
The event was held under the patronage of the Minister of Education, H.E. Mr. Marwan Hamadeh, and organized by the School of Health Sciences and the Research Office at MUBS. Talented students from 18 prominent Lebanese high schools came together on Friday February 24th 2017 to test their scientific knowledge in the Auditorium of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education at the UNESCO Palace.
The MUBS Science Rallyis an embodiment of Carl Sagan’s statement that “science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge”. It aims to encourage young minds to question phenomena using a scientific approach, and find scientific explanations to observations in their everyday lives.
The competition consisted of 12 rounds, judged by a jury of prominent Lebanese scientists and professors:
 - Dr. Zakia Dimassi, Pediatrician and Research Associate (Faculty of Medicine, AUB)
 - Dr. Zeina Soayfane, Associate Professor (Biological Sciences Department, LU)
 - Dr. Areej Merhi, Lecturer (Chemistry Department, LAU)
 - Dr. Omar Deeb, Assistant Professor (Physics Department, BAU)
 - Ms. Reem Fakih, Executive Director (Dietetics Department, Sahel General Hospital)

The event was attended by an audience headed by Professor Ahmad Jammal, General Director of Higher Education; Dr. Hatem Alamy, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at MUBS, and members of the MUBS Board of Trustees, faculty and staff, in addition to contestants’ friends, families, teachers, and school principals who provided great support for the teams, in an environment of friendly and lively competition.
Questions were also asked via video connection by world-renowned researchers from USA, including St Jude Children’s Hospital, Stanford University, Berkeley University, San Jose State University, showing support and encouragement for this unique effort to advance scientific thinking in our country.

This year’s winners were:
1st Place: Ecoles des Filles de la Charite-Saint Vincent de Paul; winning 5 plane tickets to Egypt
2nd Place: Aley Cultural Secondary School; winning a cash prize of $800
3rd Place: Hariri High School; winning a cash price of $600
4th Place: Maroun Abboud Official Secondary School, Obadieh; winning MUBS Scholarships for Curious Minds (30% financial assistance).
Fair Play & Scientifically Spirited Team: Universal College Aley; winning 4 Discover Scuba Diving sessions from Dive the Med Club and books from Turning Point.

St. David's Day at MUBS

Anyone passing by the MUBS Spears campus in Beirut on 28 February would have noticed the Welsh flag flying proudly as St. David's Day was celebrated by students and staff alike. St. David's Day is celebrated worldwide annually on March 1. MUBS and BAL have close links with Wales, as they offer several programmes in partnership with Cardiff Metropolitan University. To commemorate St. David's Day, students took part in a quiz to test their knowledge of Wales. A group of students and faculty went on a neighborhood walk from the Spears campus passing by historic landmarks to showcase Beirut’s cultural diversity. The walk was filmed and will be aired online in parallel to Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Global Week celebrations to highlight cultural diversity.
The celebrations continued in the afternoon, as students and faculty gathered for tea to savor Welsh cakes prepared in style by MUBS’s resident Chef Ali. After a welcome address from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at MUBS, Dr. Hatem Alamy, outlining the university’s growth on the international stage of education, guests were treated to a rendition of Welsh songs. Among the invitees was His Excellency Hugo Shorter, UK Ambassador of Her Majesty the Queen in Lebanon, who addressed the students highlighting the importance and value of partnerships in education between the UK and Lebanon, congratulating MUBS on its initiative.
Happy St David’s Day... or as they say in Wales... Hapus dydd dewi sant.

MUBS and the Rotary Club of Aley launch “Educators Professional Program”

In accordance with its ongoing efforts to provide quality education to teachers by offering them the necessary training and tools, MUBS, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Aley, launched the “Educators Professional Program”.
The project consists of five professional development workshops for the preschool and elementary teachers of the Obadieh Official Secondary School. The objective of these workshops is to improve teaching and learning.
During the launching ceremony of the project, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at MUBS, Dr. Hatem Alamy, said that constructive teaching is grounded in the notion that learning occurs when learners are actively engaged in the process of knowledge construction rather than passively receiving information. He added that effective teaching should foster critical thinking, a key skill that students need to acquire in order to become life-long motivated and independent learners. The event was concluded by a cocktail ceremony, thus providing the audience with the opportunity to meet up and celebrate the promises that the workshop holds for the teachers and students of Obadieh Official Secondary School.

MUBS Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Hatem Alamy’s Participation in The Arab-Euro Leaderhsip Network

Within a series of meetings, MUBS Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Hatem Alami met with a number of Omany universities and associations including representatives from King Qaboos University, Middle East College and Gulf College, where several memorandum of understandings and cooperation have been signed in various fields.
Dr. Alami, being a member in the Board of the Network Management, attended the meetings of the Arab-Euro Leadership Network. The meeting was held at the Gulf College with the participation of numerous Presidents and Omani universities’ representatives, and the attendance of Prof. Issa Al Beloushi, Chairman of the Board of Gulf College, in addition to the Secretary General of the Association of Arab Universities, Professor Sultan Abu Orabi, President of Cardiff Metropolitan University, Dr. Kara Carmichael Aitchison, and Pro-Vice Chancellor (International) of the University of Cardiff Metropolitan, Professor Muhammad Lutfi,. President of Leadership Foundation for Higher Education (LFHE) Ms. Alison Jones , the Director of the Network Dr. David Locke, and a number of Presidents of Arab and European universities.
During the meeting, the Strategic plan of the Network was comprehensively discussed, in addition to presentations of paper by the participants portraying steps taken to implementing previous meetings. Particular topics were women empowerment and breaking women glass ceiling in Academia management.
The Council has approved the request of Gulf College to host the Network in compliance to the goals drawn by the Council, thus allotting three days to the activities that included Leadership workshops issuing participant certificates with the attendance of the United Kingdom Ambassador in Amman who addressed the audiences with a speech.
Dr. Alami invited the participants along with the British Ambassador to visit MUBS campus in Lebanon, revealing the university’s ambitions and activities under progress especially the ones in collaboration with Cardiff Metropolitan University.

MUBS Board of Trustees Visits HE Minister of Education and Higher Education Marwan Hamade

HE Minister Marwan Hamade received a delegation from MUBS headed by Dr. Hatem Alami with the presence of Mrs. Yvonne Abdel-Baki , Mrs. Sahira Alami, Mr. Fadi Alami, Dr. Bassem Kaissi, Dr. Ali Cheaib, Mrs. Hikmat Daou and Dr. Issam Jawhary. The discussion covered Quality requirements for Higher Education institutions, MUBS programs, its faculties and activities and speeding up approvals for new MUBS specializations. Minister Hamade highlighted the importance of the university, its endeavors and the success it has reaped since its inception.

MUBS students at the “National Initiative: Fifth Open Dialogue Session for Students”

A group of MUBS students participated in the “National Initiative: Fifth Open Dialogue Session for Students” that was organized by Civic Influence Hub (CIH).
The discussion, organized in coordination with MUBS and a group of universities, gave students the chance to interact with each other and discuss topics under three different themes: Major problems facing Lebanon, priorities for reform in Lebanon, and mechanisms of change.

Food Safety Internal Auditor Training at UCTD Jal El Dib

A Food Safety Internal Audit two-day training was held at the University Center for Training and Development (UCTD) in Jal El Dib on the 11th and the 13th of February, 2017. The training was conducted by Dr. Hussein Hassan.
The first session focused on topics in food safety and implementation into daily lives. During the second session, participants had the chance to visit the Aruba factory where they applied what they learned and toured the production department supervised by Aruba’s food safety manager.
In conclusion to this training, certificates of attendance were distributed to the 24 participants who came from different Lebanese universities.

MUBS in Egypt

Over four days, the MUBS recruitment team participated in “Egypt Edu-Link 3”. The event, organized by AlAhram Association, was attended by a number of universities, educational institutes, banks, and education consultants from Egypt and the region.
The MUBS team promoted its latest programs and the unique services that the university provides to Egyptian students looking to study in Lebanon. The exhibition also included daily seminars presented by experts in Higher Education and career services.
Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minster of Higher Education in Egypt, in addition to renowned public figures visited the MUBS booth.

Basketball

Congratulations to the MUBS Basketball team for its Second victory in the Lebanese Universities Basketball Stars' League against LIU with a score of 79 to 69 points. Keep it up, Team!

Football

Another achievement to our MUBS soccer team in the Stars League Champion 2016 by winning the match by 5 points to 2 for LGU (Lebanese German University) at Ghazir court. Keep it up!

Student Interviews: What do you think is the greatest Technological Invention in the past 10 years?

Abeer

The Selfie Stick is beloved by many because it captures sentimental moments and personal adventures.

Nour

Android Apps play an important role in communication which has always been a key to success.

Hussein

The Smart Watch helps us in checking emails easily and facilitates our life.

Sarah

Thanks to the GPS! No one will get lost again!

Adham

Virtual reality is one of the greatest [inventions] since it is used to let medical students gain a realistic experience when examining patients.

Oussama

Car GPS tracking is one of the most important innovations in our generation!

Elissa

3D bio printing! It makes me think how things are getting more realistic within the virtual life we live in!

Yasmin

We can’t live anymore without Social media apps! It’s getting the people together from around the world.

Dani

Tesla is a new leading company for technological innovations; space-x is the greatest invention in time with its developed way to discover the space in less cost and bigger results for mankind to settle in another planets.

Ibrahim

The Abiocor artificial heart is being transplanted to humans to replace human hearts.

Racha

The greatest technological invention is the GPS that facilitates traffic for us, and helps us find directions to a location we are seeking to go to.

Saleem

The invention of iPhone in 2007 by Apple is the greatest technological invention in the past 10 years, since it introduced a new level of smart phones.

Nazih

Social Media is the best thing happened in the past 10 years!

Ahmad

I’m addicted to movies, and the most remarkable innovation is the 3D movies technology!

Elias

For me, Playstation is the most innovation happened!

Nassima

Smart phones. We can’t live without it now a days!


Happy International Women’s Day from MUBS!

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