Mona Almaala

My name is Mona Almaala, I am a mother of three amazing boys: Omar, Jude, and Amir. Two of my kids Omar (11 years) and Amir (7 years) have hemophilia A severe. I am originally from Syria, I got married and moved to the United States in 2010. My husband and I decided to have children. Simultaneously I worked hard to return to practicing dentistry in the United States since I was a practitioner dentist back in Syria, and I had a great passion for health care as a career.

Through an accident involving one of my children, we discovered that two of our children suffered from severe hemophilia (no family history). My eldest required multiple therapy procedures to recover from his traumatic brain injury. Needless to say, my full attention turned to the well-being of my children. I dedicated my time intensively to taking care of them and guiding them as they were growing. My youngest child suffers from two medical conditions; besides hemophilia, he was diagnosed with a rare brain malformation causing significant developmental delays. Feeling the pain firsthand, I volunteered to assist parents of children with special needs through Parents-to-Parents foundation, which is a non-profit organization that reaches out to parents of children newly diagnosed with genetic disorders to offer them the support they need to navigate through the tough times they are going through especially at the beginning of their journey. Additionally, I am a volunteer member of the Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH) Hemophilia Treatment Center’s Family Advisory Committee (FAC), 2021-current, in which we discuss ways for patients and their family members to achieve the highest standard of quality health care and improve the services they receive. In 2020, I started my master’s degree in public health, dental emphasis, at the College of Graduate Health Studies, A. T. Still University. This was an exceptional opportunity for me to pursue my passion for helping others and my dedication to the treatment and prevention of diseases. In the program, I renewed my commitment to contribute to health care with the knowledge and experience that I acquired through years of practicing dentistry. I graduated in December 2022.

For the past 10 years, I have received a very enriching education about my children’s conditions, and I have grasped additional values of health care, from a professional and a personal perspective. I have consolidated my understanding of how we impact each other’s lives beyond physical care. At this point in my life, it is a great honor to be a part of the HFA, which would allow me to help, support, and give back to the bleeding disorders community.