Hamdan Al Merree, 16, has congenital heart disease. He visits the clinic at Rashid Hospital every six months for follow-up testing.
Hamdan Al Merree, 16, has congenital heart disease. He visits the clinic at Rashid Hospital every six months for follow-up testing.

Teenager with heart disease is better but knows his limits



DUBAI // Hamdan Al Merree underwent invasive heart surgery when he was just eight days old.

It was the first of four procedures the 16-year-old has had since receiving a diagnosis of congenital heart disease.

"There was a problem with oxygen flowing from the heart to the lungs," he said. "The doctors saw that I had difficulty breathing and immediately did it [an echocardiogram]."

Hamdan was sent to a London hospital for the first surgery, undergoing a procedure used to direct blood flow from the heart to the lungs using artificial tubing.

He underwent the same surgery again at 11 months, and at the ages of 2 and 12, Hamdan received an operation that diverts blood from the heart to the lung's arteries without going through the pulmonary ventricle.

"Before the last surgery, I would always get tired easily and have problems breathing whenever I exercised," he said. "I wouldn't be able to engage in sports as much as I liked too."

A fan of football, swimming and skiing, this proved a challenge to the Emirati adolescent who wanted only to lead a normal and active life.

Hamdan was sent to London for each one of the operations because the surgery "was not available" in this country.

"This was many years ago, and medicine here was not as advanced as it is now," he said.

Four years after his last operation, Hamdan, a schoolboy in Grade 11, says his condition has improved.

He is now on a blood thinner and visits the adult congenital heart disease clinic at Rashid Hospital every six months for follow-up examinations.

"I'm much better now, but I have to make sure I don't overexert myself," he said. "I would advise all those in my situation not to push themselves too hard and to always continue looking after their condition."

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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

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  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
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Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

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