WOWD: Organization Towards A Better Future
The event Walk On Wilson was organized by WOWD
KARACHI: The event Walk On Wilson held at the Arts Council by WOWD (Welfare Organization of Wilson Disease) in association with the Wilson Disease Association America on the 30th of October, 2018. The event was organized to introduce the newly established organization and to bring forth awareness about the disease.
The organizer and the president of WOWD Mrs. Irfana Jabeen Khan had invited an honorable guest Prof Dr. Aftab Ala, from the University of Surrey, in the UK, he stated that Wilson Disease is a hereditary disorder that leads to high copper in brain and liver, the seminar held also shed light on its symptoms, the cause and its’ effect on the individual’s body and mind. The event was attended by students, doctors, families, and patients who were affected by the disease. A small question and answer session was also held at the start and end of the seminar which answered most of the misguided assumptions and myths that are established about the disease.
Prof Dr. Aftab Ala stated that he has researched on the disease for the last 15 years and is honored to be a part of a new beginning that will help others. He says that the disease is treatable if given the right diagnosis and the right medication. Therapy is one of the most successful treatment after medication that has proved to be fruitful for the patients abroad. He emphasized the fact that if the disease is detected in the child, the whole family must also be tested for the disease, for they might be carriers or patients of the disease. The disease occurs in both genes equally and both the parents are carriers of high copper.
There is a 1- 25,000 chance of an individual being a carrier of this disease. The younger the child the more likely they have chances of liver failure, the older the more chance of the disease being more neurological, the onset of the age is from 4-40 but it can be from 3 up to 70 as well, which is a rare case. Symptoms of the disease include swollen skin, bloated stomach, bloody vomits and pain, tremors, body rash and seizures Wilson patients in the initial stage also experience difficulty in walking and digesting food, problem in hand and eye coordination, excessive salivation, sudden change in behavior while some may exhibit aggressive behavior, anger, and anxiety
The President of the Organization WOWD in her speech said that She herself did not know about the disease until the disease emerged in her own family, which motivated her to start an Organization that spreads awareness on this disease and provides help to the patients and their families.
There is a lot of misdiagnosis by the doctors themselves for it is a rare and uncommon disease, most patients belong from the lower class and are most of the time not able to provide their family members with the medicines and tests, as they are too expensive. Pakistan does not have doctors trained in this specific medical field, the aim of the organization is to provide the families with the facilitation to help them fight with this disease and for the patient to be able to get the best of the treatment available.
To keep the Seminar more interesting the Organization held a painting contest which showcased the beautiful paintings of the students. The theme was to paint your passion with copper, top 3 paintings were selected and the rest were showcased for the audience to enjoy and buy if they want to. Many young volunteers were there who helped organize the event and keep the event in check.
After the Event, Dr. Altaf Ala examined the patients separately and talked to the patient’s families about further treatment. Refreshments were also served, though the event was not set up on a high level the hard work and the commitment showed by the doctor and the people at WOWD was remarkable. We hope to see more seminars that bring more forth awareness on the disease and that this seminar itself builds up the pillar for the future progress of Wilson Disease itself.