Thalassemia Warrior Indonesia

My name is Fadel and I am 25 years old. I live in Jakarta, Indonesia with my mother and my sister. I graduated from college in 2015 with a degree in Informatics Technology (IT). I have been a Thalassemia Warrior since I was diagnosed with Thalassemia major at 8 months old.Since childhood, I have always dreamed of raising awareness about Thalassemia in my country and throughout the world. In 2016, I joined a Thalassemia community in Indonesia called Thalassemia Movement. This community consists of Thalassemia Warriors, volunteers and people who care about Thalassemia. We always campaign to raise awareness about Thalassemia to encourage genetic testing so that the number of sufferers in Indonesia does not increase. Our motto is "Thalassemia Movement: We Care, We Share! #StopThalassemia." .

I aspire to be an example for my thalassemic friends in Indonesia. I want to show that Thalassemia does not have to prevent us from progress and success. Since 2016, I've served as Digital Campaigner and Social Media Content Creator for Indonesia's Vice-Presidential candidate Sandiaga Uno. He Said whatever you do, do what you love and love what you do. Sandiaga hired me for the job without discriminating against me because of my Thalassemia. According to him, Thalassemia is not a barrier to progress and getting a decent job because people with Thalassemia can compete right alongside everyone else. He says that I have proven that I can fight, survive and even surpass others. Having someone I admire and respect give me this type of encouragement means so much to me. I am inspired to do all I can to encourage others with Thalassemia to also fight for their dreams.

Something about living with Thalassemia that is personally difficult for me is the perception people have when they notice a visible physical difference between me and them. But finally I found a way to improve my confidence about this. I remind myself to just be myself and to not focus on what other people might think or say about me or the way I look. To all Thalassemia Warriors in Indonesia and throughout the world, be yourself, keep on fighting, keep up the spirit and "Enjoy Every Moment." #ThrivingWithThal