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FAST presents at the MENA Congress for Rare Diseases Angelman Symposium

“Flying from the country of cedars, Lebanon, to UAE, Abu Dhabi this year, was for me a different journey. A trip that ended with tens of brothers and sisters to my angel Miya. I left my family at home to meet homes and families from all over the world emphasizing devotion, determination, resilience, courage and hope. United by amazing intention for better future for our angels, we attended high calibre scientific conferences and stories that shaked our hearts. The FAST presentation opened for me opportunities that will be passionately invested in order to keep the shine of our angels' smiles.” - Rabih Turkieh, parent of Miya, who lives with AS

FAST was honored to participate in the Angelman Symposium of the MENA (Middle East North Africa) Congress for Rare Diseases last week. Amelia Beatty (FAST HQ board secretary living in Amman, Jordan) presented the Angelman Syndrome Therapeutic Landscape & FAST's Roadmap to a Cure 2.0, while Sally Asfour (FAST Australia board treasurer who grew up in the Middle East) shared her experience of having a child who lives with AS.

Congratulations to Dr Ayman El-Hattab and his team, including Dr Fida Dyab (Angelman mom), for organizing this important conference for the region. As Dr Ayman said in his opening remarks of the congress, "people with rare diseases in the MENA region face significant challenges including limited knowledge about their diseases, a long diagnostic journey, inadequate clinical management and support, and poor access to clinical trials and novel therapies. This conference is a unique platform that brings all stakeholders involved in rare diseases to one place to obtain the most updated knowledge, exchange experience, advance research, establish networks, and explore collaborative opportunities aiming ultimately to provide better care for individuals with rare diseases."