An Abu Dhabi mathematics professor diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer says he has been given new hope after receiving a stem cell transplant.
Neville Martin, 60, was told he had multiple myeloma, a condition characterised by a spread of abnormal plasma cells, last July.
Mr Martin, who has lived in the Emirates for 30 years, had been dogged by constant back pain before seeking medical support at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
Bone pain is the most common symptom of the disease, with other signs including kidney problems, fatigue, nausea, and unexplained weight loss.
It is very easy to slip into negativity and I have no room for that. I am actually quite hopeful
Neville Martin
There remains no cure for multiple myeloma, but advances made in health care mean cutting-edge treatments can prolong the lives of patients by many years.
Rather than feeling defeated by the disease, Mr Martin is optimistic about what the future holds and feels lucky to receive top-class care in the capital.
“It is very easy to slip into negativity and I have no room for that. I am actually quite hopeful,” said Mr Martin, an avid golfer from Newcastle in the UK.
“Luckily, the science has moved so quickly that someone like me can look ahead and have many options – the science is quite interesting. It is actually incurable, but new options are developing all the time and I am in the best place in the world for that.
“I first came to the UAE with a plan to stay for two years and now it has been 30 years and I have no intention of going anywhere else.
“I am so lucky to be living in Abu Dhabi. I am 15 minutes away from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and getting the best treatment. I am feeling 10 times better than I did in 2022, when I was struggling in so many ways.”
He had an autologous transplant at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in January, becoming the first person to undergo such a transplant procedure at the hospital.
It involves a patient's healthy stem cells being collected from blood or bone marrow, stored, and then used to replace abnormal stem cells which are killed through chemotherapy, radiation treatments or other methods such as a course of steroids.
Stem cell transplants can help to control the spread of the cancer and ease the pain suffered by patients.
Although there is no guarantee the cancer will not return, doctors are confident the transplant will at the very least greatly extend Mr Martin's life.
“Over the past years there have been many new drugs in the market so we can get better results and control the disease,” said Dr Wesam Ahmed, chairman of the haematology, medical oncology and bone marrow transplant unit in the Oncology Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
Mr Martin was treated without chemotherapy, but with what doctors call “smarter drugs”.
The transplant helps ensure that the cancer does not immediately return.
“There is always a chance that the cancer returns – we can’t rule that out, but the chances are low,” said Dr Ahmed.
“The transplant pushes everything further away. So, for example, if the disease might come back in a year, the transplant will push that to another six years.”
Mr Martin was grateful to be Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's first stem cell transplant patient, with at least six more people in line for life-changing treatment.
Cleveland Clinic further bolstered its cancer treatment services through the launch of the Fatima bint Mubarak Centre in March.
The 19,000 square-metre centre has 32 examination rooms for multidisciplinary cancer consultation, 24 private infusion rooms for administering medications intravenously, two procedure rooms and an area devoted exclusively to women's oncology services.
It is modelled on Cleveland Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Centre in the US.
Abu Dhabi's new cancer centre - in pictures
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The bio
His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell
His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard
Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece
Favourite movie - The Last Emperor
Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great
Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
SCORES IN BRIEF
Lahore Qalandars 186 for 4 in 19.4 overs
(Sohail 100,Phil Salt 37 not out, Bilal Irshad 30, Josh Poysden 2-26)
bt Yorkshire Vikings 184 for 5 in 20 overs
(Jonathan Tattersall 36, Harry Brook 37, Gary Ballance 33, Adam Lyth 32, Shaheen Afridi 2-36).
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
