Support 100 children with thalassemia in Lebanon

 Dear supporters of Karma's thalassemia project in Lebanon,

I hope this all finds you well and you are having a good summer.

This is to give you an update on Karma's work with children with thalassemia in Lebanon. The last months were not easy, Karma does currently not have any institutional funds and is dependant on private donations and fundraising events to be able to sustain a minimal support for our cohort of patients.

We tried our best mainly by giving free consultations to patients, referring them to specialised doctors and covering the blood infusions for the most vulnerable among them. We also collaborated with ANERA to provide deferoxamine (iron chelation therapy) for the patients, This is the minimum possible support that Karma seeks to provide for its patients.

We are also enforcing our fundraising strategy and efforts to hopefully be able to provide more comprehensive services in the near future.

In these difficult times, we are extremely grateful for your support and dedication to our cause.

Thanks from the bottom of our heart from the Karma team and our patients and their family!

Links:

• Karma's fundraising event on International Thalassemia Day

Within the last three months, Karma's thalassemia patients and its team were still recovering from the devastating impact of the war that had escalated in the country during October and November 2024. Although a ceasefire deal was reached at the beginning of December, the situation is still fragile, especially in the Bekaa region, where not only the hospital is located but also where most of our children reside.

The main impact of the war was the difficulty to secure blood units for the patients as well as the difficulty of many children to actually reach the hospital. Many families were displaced. After the war, we tried to restore our services in a more consistent way, but we face difficulties until today.

On a more positive note, Karma organised an end-of-project event with one of its donors, the Canadian embassy in Lebanon, gathering the Karma team, many of its patients and their families as well as representatives of the Canadian embassy and the Canadian government. The highlight of this event was a theatre play that four of our children had prepared on their life with thalassemia.

In addition, the Rotaract de Beyrouth Millenium organised a fundraising event for Karma, attended by around 50 people who all gathered to break the fast and support Karma.

Currently, Karma is fundraising for a new project cycle, trying to overcome challenges in the current funding landscape globally and in Lebanon. We will keep you updated about our efforts in the next report.

In the meantime, we want to thank you for your support to Karma and its patients. If you cannot donate, share our cause, raise awareness and speak about thalassemia in Lebanon.

Thank you,

the Karma team