Jordan Times
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
King Patronizes Charity Dinner
at St. Jude Hospital
Washington, June 15 (Petra) -- His Majesty King Abdullah patronized on Monday
evening a charity dinner at St. Jude Hospital in Washington. Proceeds of the
activity, amounted $712 thousand, will go to cancer patients at St. Jude
hospital and the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC).
The charity dinner was organized by St. Jude hospital and the KHCC which is one of the hospitals that has partnership relations with St. Jude hospital.
On this occasion, King Abdullah II delivered a speech in which he said that it's necessary to present help for St. Jude to reach more children, especially that no poor children has ever been turned away by the hospital and that all are equals within the doors of St. Jude which believes that every child deserves the best care and that every child receives it.
The King voiced hope that the help of the hospital will extend the work of healing to countless children and families in the world through the Hospital's global outreach program.
"I'm very proud that a key part of that outreach in the partnership between St. Jude's and the King Hussein Cancer Center" the King Said. The center is led by Dr. Sameer Khleif, who was loaned to Jordan by the National Institute of Health.
King added that Dr. Khleif was able to persuade
other Jordanian- American experts to join him. "There great skills, along with
state- of -the-art facilities, have made the King Hussein Center a center of
excellence in research and clinical care" the King said.
"We are now enlarging the circle of hope by bringing Iraqi and Palestinian
children to Jordan to receive the care they desperately need" the King Affirmed.
Describing the late King Hussein battle with cancer, King Abdullah said that we
were blessed, most of all, by my father's spirit and humanity. To the very end
he was confident and positive".
On her part, President of the Trustees Committee of King Hussein Cancer Center, HRH Princess Ghaida' Talal, noted to the strong Jordanian- American ties, pointing to the agreement signed between KHCC with one of the greatest cancer institutes in the world which is The US National Cancer Institute.
It is noted that the St. Jude Hospital was founded by the Arab-American entertainer Danny Thomas in 1962.