Huzaifa Ibrahim

Huzaifa Ibrahim

United Arab Emirates

Founder and President – Friends of Parkinson’s UAE (Officially Registered with Community Development Authority – Government of Dubai).
Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors – Nabdh Al Emarat Volunteering Team.
Age: 34

I’ve been so full of superman energy throughout my life. It all started with tremors, stiffness and cramps. After months of intense agony, unruly, unyielding pain, one fine morning I woke up with my joins locked in, my toes clawed in, started shuffling; my wife on one side and my kid on the other, held me and said: Baba, I can be your walking stick! Finally I was told I have Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease.

After being diagnosed, I thought many like me under this radar: undiagnosed, under-treated, underrated, many like me: misdiagnosed, mistreated, many like me who had sleepless nights, depressed and felt wasted, time has come for me to step up and lend a hand to those who are in need and support them and their caregivers to combat life with Parkinson’s Disease.

With the vision of enhancing awareness about Parkinson’s Disease, educating and ensuring People with Parkinson’s Disease and their caregivers are empowered with adequate knowledge and to take care of them in the best possible way, I formed ‘Friends of Parkinson’s UAE’ and registered it officially with Community Development Authority – Government of Dubai.

Following safety precautions of COVID-19, we have visited Parkinson’s patients and hosted some virtual sessions for patients and their caregivers with World Renowned Parkinson’s Specialists in collaboration with Dubai Health Authority and other partners to create awareness, communicate, and offer support to patients and their caregivers who may not be able to access various resources such as multidisciplinary care which will reduce the impact on disease burden and enhance quality of life.

Was awarded first Prize by Sharjah Award for Volunteer Work across the United Arab Emirates. Received Sash for Community Service by Thanks for Giving under the patronage of Sheikh Sultan Bin Naser Bin Sultan Al Qasimi.

When the World was brought to its knees during COVID-19 pandemic, I joined the front liners as a volunteer with one mission, with one responsibility: to dust off and provide help and support to all who needed a helping hand.

For me, Parkinson’s was not the end. It gave me a new beginning, it was a start of new life as a volunteer. A life where joy of giving weighs more than the act; to an extent, it has become addictive.

As volunteers we do not stop. We will always be there for anyone who needs someone for assistance in the community. That’s Humanity, that’s solidarity.