His Majesty King Abdullah II
Remarks by His Majesty
King Abdullah II at the Hope Gala
of St. Jude's Hospital and the King Hussein Cancer Center
June 14, 2004
Andrew Mellon Auditorium
Washington, D.C.
Thank you all for your warm welcome,
and thank you Senator Bill Frisk, for that kind introduction.
It is a great pleasure to be here. I hope that those of you who were expecting
my talented wife, are not too disappointed. I'm happy to acknowledge that she's
the star of the family! Rania very much wanted to join you this evening. I bring
you her best wishes and support.
It is an honor for me to be asked to say a few words on behalf of St. Jude's and
the King Hussein Cancer Center. I'm usually asked to speak about finding
solutions to serious global problems. Tonight, I get to talk about a solution
that has already been found - the great work of St. Jude's Hospital, which I
know so well through its partnership with the King Hussein Cancer Center in
Jordan.
As most of you know, St. Jude was founded by a remarkable Arab-American, the
entertainer Danny Thomas. What he began, and donors and medical professionals
built, is now a world-class medical institution. It is respected around the
globe for its research focus, its medical breakthroughs, and its superb clinical
care.
And no poor child has ever been turned away. Within St. Jude's doors, all are
equal. St. Jude's believes that every child deserves the best care. And every
child receives it.
But St. Jude's does not do its work alone. Our help is needed, to reach even
more children, and to make even more medical advances. To research rare but
critical disorders overlooked by others. And to extend the work of healing to
countless other children and families, through the Hospital's global outreach
program.
I'm very proud that a key part of that outreach is the partnership between St.
Jude's and the King Hussein Cancer Center. Ours is the only cancer facility in
the Middle East that treats both adults and children. It is currently led by a
Jordanian-American, Dr. Samir Khleif, who was loaned to us by the National
Institutes of Health to spearhead the drive for excellence. And since talent
attracts more talent, Dr. Khleif was able to persuade other Jordanian-American
experts to join him. Their great skills, along with state-of-the-art facilities,
have made the King Hussein Center a center of excellence in research and
clinical care.
For seven years, St. Jude's has supported the Center's pediatric oncology. St.
Jude's has generously shared research and treatment protocols with our medical
professionals. This partnership has meant healing and hope for countless
children and their families.
And we are now enlarging the circle of hope by bringing Iraqi and Palestinian
children to Jordan to receive the care they desperately need.
The children, of course, are the primary focus. But we cannot forget their
families, whose hearts and hopes are also on the line.
As many of you know, the King Hussein Cancer Center is named for His Late
Majesty King Hussein. I have not often spoken about my father's long battle with
cancer. We were fortunate to have outstanding medical care, both in Jordan and
here. And we were blessed, most of all, by my father's spirit and humanity. To
the very end he was confident and positive. I believe he worried more about his
family than himself.
This experience is one reason I wanted to be here tonight. I know that many of
you have sat by the beds of loved ones, or been there for doctors' conferences,
or waited for that phone call, that next medical report, or prayed that research
would make a breakthrough in time.
I can only tell you that I know, Rania and I know, the deep emotions of those
moments. And I can tell you, that knowing we are all part of a human community
of concern, is a very important source of strength.
My father taught his children that when a gift is given, a gift must be passed
along. We who have experienced that community of concern now have a chance to
reach out to others.
Your support for St. Jude's is a vote on behalf of humanity and hope - hope that
all our children, wherever they're from, will have the right to happy, healthy,
constructive, dignified lives.
Danny Thomas once said that success isn't what you gain in life or accomplish
for yourself, it's what you do for others. Thank you for doing all you can ...
for St. Jude's Hospital, for the King Hussein Cancer Center, and for the world's
children.