Omar takes on fast and run for COVID patients

Omar Hassan said he felt that this was a time when all people of the world should come together as one to help each other, and after researching how to fundraise, he set himself a series of personal goals to help and organised a Go Fund Me Page.

The proceeds from the fundraiser, which has already surpassed its initial target, will be donated to help COVID patients at a hospital in the city of Faiyum, which is one of the worst hit regions in Egypt.

Omar said that upon hearing how Egypt’s outbreak has hit months after the UK’s and that there was now a steep rise in the number of cases, he decided to concentrate on fundraising to help in Faiyum, given this was his family’s home city and is where his uncle Yasser Hassan is working as doctor on the frontline saving lives. Dr Hassan and the other medical staff there are currently dealing with unprecedented pressures.

Omar is currently in the middle of a five days of fasting 19 hours per day and has been running a minimum of 3.8km a day to achieve his goals.

He said: “I still have two more days of fasting. It’s difficult but the support has been amazing.”

Explaining how it came about, Omar said he had been following the news these past few months, the charity work that was going on and the terrible toll COVID-19 was taking on communities right across the world. “All the lost loved ones who have died from this virus is just terrible,” he said.

“This is a time when we should come together to help each other. Yes, we may not be living on the same side of the world but at the end of the day we are all human beings no matter our background, race or religion. We as humans are all in it together.”

Omar’s father Sameh said the family were extremely proud of Omar, and had encouraged him to research it, set it up and publicise the campaign for himself. “He is self motivated and we are so proud of him, and his family back home as well are all being so supportive and we have donations from back home supporting him.”

As well as setting up the Go Fund Me page, Omar contacted his school and is full of praise for Foyle College, with many of his Year 9 classmates and staff, as well as friends and the wider community in the north west pledging donations and helping spread the word. “The support has just been amazing,” Omar said.

Omar, whose family live in the Waterside area of the city, is fasting from dawn to dusk (19 hours) over these, the longest five days of the year, from June 18 to 22. In addition, he is undertaking a total of 19km of running or walking during this time.

“Please help me to raise fund for this worthy cause. That little donation could be the difference between life and death,” he has appealed no his Go Fund Me page.

To donate check out Omar’s fundraising page at: www.gf.me/u/x9f4aq