Dubai: “All I had to look forward to in life was the periodic visits to hospital and the blood transfusions,” says Mohammad Al Marzouqi, 32, who is a patient of thalassaemia major. “My self-esteem was low.”
His twin, Ali Ali Marzouqi, echoes similar sentiments. “Earlier, I thought there was nothing more to life than my sickness.”
Today, the Emirati twins are both employed in a multinational bank as customer service officers and say their lives have changed for the better, proving that patients of this genetic condition can actively contribute to society if given an opportunity.
In 2012, Mohammad took the initiative of applying for a job in a bank. He landed the job (in Citibank) and “being allocated responsibilities made me proud and I was successfully able to execute [my responsibilities]. It made a big difference to my confidence and helped me look at life in a more positive way”, says Mohammad.
He worked hard, managing his work schedule with trips to the hospital, and was given a salary raise after one year in appreciation of his diligence and sincerity. The job has made such a difference to his life that he recently decided to get married and is looking forward to starting a family.
“I no longer feel sick, depressed or dejected,” says Mohammed. “Each day, I look forward to coming in to work at 9am and enjoy my time here until 6pm. I think every special needs person should be given a chance to contribute to society.”
Seeing his twin brother’s successful adaptation to a working life, in February 2014, Ali too applied for a job in the bank’s NRI division [as customer service officer]. He too got the job and works at the bank’s Wafi branch. But Ali continued to have bouts of poor health and had to take long leaves of absence, including a couple of months’ stay in a hospital in Germany.
But through these periods, Ali was fully supported by the bank’s humanitarian attitude. “When I was admitted to a hospital in Al Ain, the head of the local branch came to see me. [The bank] not only allowed me to go for treatment to Germany for a long period but was also wiling to send my twin brother, Mohammad, to pay me a visit. The bank’s encouragement and support has changed my life. They have even provided me a parking space that is close to the bank’s entrance as I walk with the help of a cane,” says Ali.
The result has been that Ali says he is able to successfully manage his condition and enjoy a quality life. “I look forward to each day of work and interacting with my colleagues,” he says. “I think all special needs people need help and support from the corporate world and the community,” says Ali, who is married and has become the father of a healthy baby girl after genetic counselling.
