By:Dr.Adal M.Hussain,Phd (AKA) Dr.Abbey,Editor @ Large for World Liberty TV

Cooley’s Anemia Foundation has a mission to increase life expectancy and enhance the quality of life for those impacted by thalassemia, a genetic blood disorder.

This year’s annual gala will be honoring Robert Ficarra, Humanitarian of the Year, and Maria Hadjidemetriou, Patient Recognition Award recipient.

Debi Mazar, host, is an acclaimed actress who made her feature film debut in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas. Her extensive onscreen work includes films with legendary directors Woody Allen, Michael Mann, Oliver Stone and Joel Schumacher. She is also known for her cooking show Extra Virgin, and is currently on the hit show Younger.

Robert Ficarra is currently and has been an active board member of The Cooley’s Anemia Foundation for 44 years, serving as President of the Foundation from 1978 to 1990.

He is a founding member of the Thalassemia International Foundation (TIF). Bob later served as president to TIF for eight years, which now has representatives from 69 countries. Bob’s father, Frank Ficarra, founded the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation in 1954, demonstrating what patients and family members can accomplish when they work together.

Maria Hadjidemetriou is being honored with the Patient Recognition Award for her tireless work in promoting greater awareness and support for Cooley’s Anemia around the world.

She frequently speaks at medical conferences, pharmaceutical firms, and will be speaking at the World Health Organization (WHO).  She wrote and produced a short documentary film about thalassemia and has been published in the American Journal of Hematology.

Maria has been on the Board of Directors of the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation since 1998, and currently serves as Secretary of the Board.  Since her diagnosis at age 2 ½, Maria has received over 1,700 pints of blood.

Cooley’s Anemia Foundation funds medical research to advance treatment and curative approaches, supports patients and their families, advocates on their behalf, and educates medical professionals and the general public.

The mission of the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation is to increase life expectancy and enhance the quality of life for those impacted by thalassemia, a class of genetic blood disorders, most of which require regular blood transfusions and aggressive management of chronic iron overload, the predominant cause of early death. We do so by funding medical research to advance treatment and curative approaches, by supporting and advising patients and their families and advocating on their behalf and by educating medical professionals and the general public.

Every day, we strive for longer and healthier lives for all patients with thalassemia until a universal cure is found.

Close to 200 people were in attendance at the Gala , Program started of with remarks by Frank Fusaro Gala Chairman, and then Peter Chieco President and executive committee chairman made remarks and introduced Debi mazar, Actress in many  movies , who was the host of the evening.

She made remarks and how touched she was after speaking to many people throughout the night at the gala, She introduced the 1^st honoree Maria Hadjidemetriou, who has the disease , see was honored with the Patient Recognition Award , She delivered a  very heartfelt speech which you can view in our( video below).

Fundraising took place and then dinner was served  after dinner , Chris and Glenn Ficarra , Sons of the Honoree Robert Ficarra, winner of the Humanitarian Award, introduced their father , who in return spoke how his father started the organization many years ago, and shared many wonderful stories how medical research has helped throughout the years and how they have expanded worldwide helping many many more people.

Children born with beta-thalassemia major (a.k.a. Cooley’s anemia) require lifelong blood transfusions as often as every two weeks. In addition, they must undergo a daily drug treatment to remove excess iron from the transfusions. Living with thalassemia requires a strong will and a determination to meet and conquer a multitude of challenges.

Bob Ficarra is currently and has been an active board member of The Cooley’s Anemia Foundation serving as President of the Foundation from 1978 to 1990.  During Bob’s presidency, the Foundation and five other national thalassemia societies from five other countries, met in Milan, Italy to establish the Thalassemia International Foundation (TIF). Bob later served as president of TIF for eight years. TIF now has representatives from 69 countries.

“It is an honor to receive the Humanitarian Award from an organization that is close to my heart.  To carry on my father’s legacy and continue to grow his vision is deeply meaningful.  For more than 60 years, families have depended on the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation to help them meet the daily challenges of living with thalassemia.  We are entering a new era of hope with new treatments, gene therapies, and more,” says Ficarra.

Maria Hadjidemetriou is being honored with the Patient Recognition Award for her tireless work in promoting greater awareness and support for Cooley’s Anemia. She has spoken at medical conferences and to pharmaceutical firms around the world. She has produced and written a short documentary Thalassemia: Life Without Boundaries and her article, “Thalassemia: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow,”

Peter Chieco, Volunteer National President of the Foundation said, “There are no worthier honorees than Bob Ficarra and Maria Hadjidemetriou, each of whom have been tireless in advocating on behalf of those with thalassemia, both in the United States and around the world.”

About Cooley’s Anemia Foundation:  Since 1954, the mission of Cooley’s Anemia Foundation is to increase life expectancy and enhance the quality of life for those impacted by thalassemia. We do so by funding medical research to advance treatment and curative approaches, by supporting and advising patients and their families and advocating on their behalf, and by educating medical professionals and the general public.

See more about COOLEY’S ANEMIA FOUNDATION GALA-2019, in our World Liberty TV Humanitarian Channels by clicking here.