When Mayyaa Assaad met a girl with cancer, the encounter changed her life — and the lives of other children with cancer in Syria. Mayyaa was motivated to find a way to offer more compassionate care. She learned about the work of St. Jude and visited hospitals in other countries near Syria. Mayyaa eventually co-founded the first nonprofit organization dedicated to pediatric cancer in Syria. It’s called BASMA, which means “smile” in Arabic.

BASMA began by supporting families in treatment and raising awareness about pediatric cancer in Syria. The foundation had plans to open a specialized care center for cancer treatment. Then, the Syrian civil war began.

Through years of armed conflict, BASMA staff members kept helping their patients, even as fundraising became more difficult. Rima Salem, the executive manager of BASMA, says they have an obligation to their patients. “We have to continue because we cannot stop treatment. I’m sure that we are making a difference. We are raising the survival rate,” she says.

This podcast was recorded before Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime fell on December 8, 2024, following 14 years of civil war and conflict.

Credits
Host: Suheir Rasul
Recorded by: Jason Latshaw
Producer: Geoffrey Redick
Editors: Grace Korzekwa Evans and Evelyn Skoda

This podcast is a production of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.