• Home
• /
• UAE
• /
• Healthcare

Critically ill kids don roles of superheroes in UAE

Dubai - The Dubai-based initiative Superhope was launched by Tarik Batal and Basma Masri in 2014.

When 12-year-old cancer patient Latifa said that the butterfly was her superhero, her doctors helped her become one.
A special 'supersuit' was sketched and tailored for Latifa and five other critically ill young patients, transforming them into their superhero alter egos.
The Dubai-based initiative Superhope was launched by Tarik Batal and Basma Masri in 2014 to spread awareness of the importance of positive mental attitude in helping children fight complex conditions and strengthen their road to recovery. The initiative has since been taken to hospitals across the globe, including the UK and the US.
All six children, including one Emirati child, became AJ-Force, DarkGadget, SaMagic, ButterFly, Flowergirl, and ReFroze, united by hope and fuelled by their passion to help others. They are being treated at the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London.
They have teamed up to form the mighty GOSHxSuperhope league, marking a new era for the world of superheroes. With AJ-Force's tremendous energy, ButterFly's ability to soar into the sky, DarkGadget's indestructible shield technology, Flowergirl's awesome flower power, SaMagic's amazing wizardry, and ReFroze's cool ice magic, they form the most incredible force for good the planet has ever known.
Conveying the campaign's message of looking beyond a child's illness and bringing their inner superhero to life, a short movie exclusively shown on Friday told the inspirational story of the children who are receiving treatment for haemotology and oncology conditions.
"What an incredible experience it was to have worked with the children at GOSH, and witness their journey towards transforming into the superheroes that they really are. They were fearless, creative, strong, and full of positive life," Batal and Masri said.
"The joy on their faces as we revealed their supersuits was one that not only sent a blast of happiness to us but to everyone who contributed to the GOSHxSuperhope campaign."
Superhope was first launched at Tawam Hospital in Al Ain in 2014.
"Our aim is to continue to run Superhope campaigns in more hospitals in the Middle East and abroad. This is all dependent on the availability of participating children and the hospital's calendar," said the founders.
Imaginations sketched 
The Superhope journey at GOSH started in May 2018 with one central question: "If you were a superhero, how would you imagine yourself?" 
Best-selling London comic book artist, Amrit Birdi, visited GOSH to capture these answers and sketch out the children's imagination onto a page. These sketches, unbeknown to the children, were transformed into real-life suits by children's costume studio Atelier Spatz. As soon as the costumers were ready, Superhope and GOSH surprised the children with their bespoke costumes, as well as a professional photo and video shoot led by photographer Phil Haynes; production studio Clean Slate Productions; digital compositor Roy Peker; post-production studio Featherwax; and makeup artist Ifrah.
At the launch of the documentary film and trailer, invited guests and family members saw the patients as superheroes for the first time. With GOSH treating 1,500 children from the Middle East every year for rare conditions, the campaign was tailored towards empowering children from the UAE and Kuwait during their time at the hospital.
Latifa's (also known as ButterFly) grandmother said: "The Superhope initiative has had a very positive effect on Latifa and our whole family. Latifa needs something to encourage her and this initiative made her, and our family, so happy. She became a butterfly queen, very beautiful!"
"It was great to see the real difference this campaign has made in improving the positive mental attitude of the children during the period of their treatment. Being in the hospital is often a traumatic experience for any child and their family, so to spread some real joy and magic on the wards during their recovery has been truly incredible," explains Dr Giuseppe Barone, a consultant paediatric oncologist at GOSH.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com