Latest news with #Clans
Saba Yemen
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Gaza Tribes: Zikim Massacre Reveals Shame of Arab & International Silence
Gaza - Saba: The National Gathering of Palestinian Tribes, Clans, and Families in Gaza affirmed that the precious blood shed today by those waiting for aid, martyrs of the struggle for a living, "revealed the ugly, criminal face of this occupier and the shame of international and Arab silence regarding its crimes." In a statement, the National Gathering called on citizens not to travel to the Zikim area to preserve their lives and safety. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Straits Times
05-07-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
As her muscles weaken, Sabrina leans on her best friend for strength, support
Ms Siti Nur Sabrina Anis (left) leans on her best friend Mr Luke Ligo, for both physical and emotional support. SINGAPORE - In 2021 , Ms Siti Nur Sabrina Anis, 26, had to swop one set of wheels with another – her Yamaha motorcycle for a motorised wheelchair. 'I used to enjoy riding my motorcycle. It was a great way to de-stress,' said the secretary of charitable organisation Motor Neurone Disease Association Singapore (MNDaSG). She was in her prime then at 22 when she was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rare, terminal neurodegenerative disorder that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord which control voluntary movements and muscle control. The disease causes these nerve cells to atrophy over time and a patient may lose the ability to speak, eat, move and breathe. There is no cure for ALS currently. It started when Ms Sabrina had problems lifting the front part of each foot. This is known as foot drop and is often due to the compression of a nerve. 'It was at the end of 2021 when I sprained my ankle and I thought my gait was off because of that. However, all the doctors, all the physicians I consulted simply recommended rehabilitation or physiotherapy. They did not really think much about it,' she said. Soon, it was more than her gait that was affected. The avid sports enthusiast who enjoyed trekking and rock climbing, suddenly could not jump or get up from squats and this unexpected onset of muscle weakness confused her. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore CPF members can make housing, retirement and health insurance plans with new digital platform Singapore From temples to towers: Old memories collide with new money in Geylang Singapore Clans of Geylang: The fight for survival and revival Asia Magnitude 5.4 quake shakes south-western Japan islands as temblors continue Singapore Tan Cheng Bock and Hazel Poa step down from PSP leadership Life 'I applied to over 300 jobs': What people wish they knew before they got laid off Asia Dream wheels, Malaysian deals: Singaporean car lovers find affordable indulgence across the border Asia How a Singaporean heatproofs himself to cope with 40 deg C summer in Chongqing Ms Sabrina, who was graduating from the National University of Singapore with a bachelor's honours degree in Philosophy that year, did not really want to start working 'without figuring out what was wrong'. 'I persisted until I found a polyclinic doctor who referred me to the hospital. It took quite a while – a whole semester which was around nine months – to finally get answers ,' she said. 'It was hard to believe that anyone would take nine months to recover from a sprain. I could tell something wasn't right with my body ... because I was not able to tiptoe or jump , which felt really strange for just a sprained ankle,' she said. Ms Siti Nur Sabrina Anis (centre), 26, who has SOD1-related ALS, a terminal condition, with her best friend Luke Ligo (far left), 26, and doctors (from centre) neurologist Dr Kay Ng and geneticist Dr Chin Hui-Lin, both from the National University Hospital. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI According to Dr Chin Hui-Lin, a geneticist with the Department of Paediatrics of Khoo Teck Puat - National University Children's Medical Institute at the National University Hospital, many patients with rare diseases go through what doctors called a diagnostic odyssey. 'It is easier for a physician to diagnose when the symptoms are all florid than when it is gradually progressing. These symptoms can be a bit more insidious early on and look like other conditions, making it difficult for that one physician to tease out that it could be more serious,' she said. After a battery of tests, which included magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nerve conduction studies, electromyograms and blood tests, the preliminary findings indicated that Ms Sabrina exhibited signs of neurodegeneration. Nerve conduction studies assess the speed and strength of electrical activity in the nerves while electromyograms measure the electrical activity of muscles and nerves. In December 2021, she was diagnosed with ALS. Dr Kay Ng, a neurologist from the Department of Medicine at the National University of Hospital (NUH), told The Straits Times: ' ALS weakness is progressive and intractable, the prognosis is three to five years on average. Usually people who die from the condition die from respiratory failure.' Typically, ALS is diagnosed more frequently among those who are aged between 40 and 60 years. 'When Sabrina first presented her symptoms, she was 22 – an age which is considered outside the typical age range. This was why the team decided to delve into the possibility of genetic issues ,' Dr Chin said. Subsequent tests revealed that Ms Sabrina carries a genetic variant in the SOD1 gene, or superoxide dismutase 1 gene. This gene is crucial in protecting cells from the stress caused by an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body. It also plays a role in other cellular processes like responding to changes in glucose levels. The prevalence for ALS is about four to seven per 100,000 people globally, but the genetic variant is even rarer, Dr Ng explained. 'In ALS, you can either be sporadic, which means you have no family history, or it can be familial, where a family history is present . You can find SOD1 mutations in both types, about 2 per cent in the sporadic, and about 20 per cent in the inherited,' she said. Dr Ng said Ms Sabrina's case is unique 'because we had to combine the usual standard treatment for Lou Gehrig's disease with the treatment of the knowledge that she has this entity called SOD1-induced ALS'. 'Her treatment involves a whole team of people such as respiratory doctors who monitor her breathing because it is a factor that could contribute to her demise; allied health therapists to help her with physiotherapy; and the palliative team because it is actually a terminal disease. I can imagine how scary that was for Sabrina,' she said. Ms Sabrina said she did ask 'why me ? '. 'The loneliest (period) was when I was in the hospital... My best friend Luke (Ligo) was m y biggest support. He was then in Perth on an exchange programme then and I thought I had to go through everything on my own until he started calling me every night,' she said. 'I did not really want to tell my parents about my worries because I did not want to freak them out. I did not really want to (put) stress (on) my friends either, so I kept the news to myself.' Before she could sink in her emotions, the doctors found what they believed was a light at the end of the tunnel. Biogen, a pharmaceutical company from the United States had come up with a new gene therapy drug called Tofersen targeting the SOD1 gene. Dr Ng and Dr Chin wrote to the drug company 'to ask for special permission to be part of their early access programme to bring the drug to Singapore'. In July 2023, Ms Sabrina got her first dose of Tofersen. 'Sabrina is actually the first person here to receive it. The drug specifically targets the SOD1 m RNA by reducing the accumulation of the abnormal SOD1 protein which causes the nerves to die. It is actually administered to the spinal fluid,' Dr Ng said. Ms Sabrina goes to the hospital for monthly injections into her spine. 'While some people with SOD1-induced ALS still continue to experience disease progression despite the administration of Tofersen, we have been quite fortunate that the condition has stabilised in Sabrina's case. We use a scoring system to evaluate her disability levels and were tracking it before we gave the Tofersen. Since then, it has dropped at quite a significant rate,' Dr Ng said. As for Ms Sabrina, she is taking one day at a time, living her life to the fullest. From volunteering at MNDaSG in 2023, Ms Sabrina now works full time with the charity, doing what she loves – creating awareness of the condition and counselling those living with it.
Saba Yemen
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Palestinian Tribes Alliance: "Israeli mechanism aims to target Palestinians under humanitarian Cover"
Gaza – Saba: The National Alliance of Palestinian Tribes, Clans, and Families in Gaza expressed deep concern over the scenes of chaos and collapse accompanying the launch of the so-called Israeli aid distribution mechanism in the Gaza Strip, which became evident from its very first day of implementation. In a statement, the coalition said: "The facts on the ground, including the abduction of a Palestinian citizen while attempting to obtain humanitarian aid, prove that this mechanism is nothing but a tool to deceive and lure civilians. It is a blatant attempt to militarize aid and exploit it for military purposes, serving the criminal agendas of the occupation." The Alliance emphasized that the true objective of this mechanism is to target Palestinians and entrap them under the false cover of humanitarian work. It noted that the scenes of chaos and collapse during aid distribution serve as undeniable evidence of the occupation's failure to impose an alternative to the international humanitarian system, which has possessed the expertise, infrastructure, and qualified personnel for over 77 years. The statement added that the inability of the mechanism's operators, in coordination with the occupation, to control the distribution process demonstrates their incompetence to replace accredited UN agencies. The Alliance called on the international community to restore the standing of the international humanitarian system and ensure the safe and regular flow of aid to the besieged population in Gaza. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
Saba Yemen
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Palestinian tribal gathering blesses resistance operations in Gaza
Gaza - Saba: The Palestinian Tribal Gathering, Clans, and Families have blessed the resistance operations in Gaza, which have dealt a heavy blow to the Zionist enemy army that has advanced into the Strip since its collapse of the ceasefire agreement on March 18. In a statement issued on Monday, the Palestinian Tribal Gathering praised the heroic actions of the resistance in Gaza in confronting the brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip over the past 18 months, which has claimed the lives of more than 166,000 people, including martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women. The statement considered these heroic actions to represent a glimmer of hope on the path to freedom and the imminent Palestinian state. The Palestinian Tribal Gathering emphasized that the heroic actions of the resistance prove that this weapon is a free and clean weapon that confronts and hurts the occupier, despite its modesty, and that it must remain ready against the usurping occupier. The statement concluded by saying that the weapons of resistance confront the most powerful weapons used by the enemy against defenseless Palestinian civilians. "You are indeed men, O sons of the tribes, clans, and families of Gaza." Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas," released footage of an ambush dubbed "Breaking the Sword," which targeted a Zionist military force east of Beit Hanoun, north of the Gaza Strip, last Saturday. The footage showed a number of al-Qassam fighters emerging from the mouth of a tunnel, monitoring the movement of Israeli enemy vehicles on al-Awda Street near the separation fence east of Beit Hanoun, before attacking a Storm military jeep from point zero, overturning it, and killing its occupants. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
