BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 1. On June 30, a
memorial event titled “One of Them: Emil,” dedicated to the memory
of 13-year-old Emil, who passed away from thalassemia, was held at
the Sheki State Drama Theatre.
The event was organized with the support of the Sheki City
Executive Authority, on the initiative of Ayshen Abdullayeva, head
of the “From the Heart to Blood” project, and under the general
leadership of Elvin Nusratoghlu.
Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Leyla Aliyeva,
attended the event.
The main purpose of the memorial evening was to pay tribute to
children suffering from thalassemia and to honor the memory of
those who lost their lives to the disease, as well as to draw
public attention to the problem of thalassemia.
During the event, various artistic compositions reflecting
Emil’s life journey, emotions, dreams, and the feelings experienced
by his family were presented. The stage performances of
“Butterfly,” “Fireplace,” “Adagio,” “I Will Search for You,”
“Luna,” and the closing piece “Sob a Sol” (“Under the Sun”) were
received by the audience with deep emotion. The presented
performances reflected the value of life, hope, love, and
living.
Special video clips about Emil’s life and preserving his memory,
as well as videos from events held under the “One of Them: Emil”
project, were shown.
At the end of the event, Ayshen Abdullayeva, head of the “From
the Heart to Blood” project and initiator of the “One of Them:
Emil” project, spoke about the attention given to thalassemia
patients in the country and expressed gratitude to the leadership
for their support. It was noted that people living with thalassemia
struggle every day. The most valuable help that strengthens their
hope for life is the attention, care, and dedication of voluntary
blood donors, together with state support. She emphasized that such
projects not only serve a commemorative purpose but also aim to
provide moral support to thalassemia patients and their families
and to strengthen solidarity and social responsibility in
society.
The “One of Them: Emil” project was the final stage of a series
of events dedicated to thalassemia. The project began on June 18
with the conference titled “Thalassemia – A Message to Society,”
during which detailed information was provided about the disease,
its complications, prevention, and the measures being
implemented.
As the next stage, a blood donation campaign titled “Thalassemia
– Blood Unity” was organized on June 19–20. A total of 465 people
participated in the campaign. After medical examinations, 163
people donated blood. The collected blood reserves were directed
toward supporting the treatment of people suffering from
thalassemia and other blood diseases.
All events carried out within the project aimed to draw
society’s attention to the problem of thalassemia, promote
voluntary blood donation, and support those affected by the
disease.
