A visual art exhibition titled ‘A Bit of Window’ is open at Tehran’s Milad Tower and on display are 71 works of art created by 56 Iranian artists with the aim of supporting children suffering from Primary Immunodeficiency (PI) diseases.
“Nearly 71 artworks in painting, calligraphy, sculpture, photography, and graphic have been exhibited,” said Zahra Ahmadlou, a volunteer in PI work, at a recent press conference. Pointing to artists who support patients with PI, she named Hossein Alizadeh, Mohammad Motamedi, Esrafil Shirchi, Soheil Mahmoudi, Ashkan Khatibi, Mohammad Rahmanian, Arash Kamvar, and Mohammad-Reza Mirfenderski, among others, Borna-News Agency reported.
Primary immunodeficiency diseases are a group of more than 220 rare, chronic disorders in which part of the body’s immune system is missing or functions improperly. While not contagious, these diseases are caused by hereditary or genetic defects, and although some disorders are present at birth or in early childhood, the disorders can affect anyone, regardless of age or gender. Some affect a single part of the immune system; others may affect one or more components of the system.
Head of PI diseases research center Asghar Aghamohammadi, said: “Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment is the key to prevent PI, which can lead to tissue damage and disability or even the death of patients if neglected.”
The main aim of Patrons of Children With Immunodeficiency is: to create awareness about the disease and to prevent its enhancement, to urge health officials to support efforts in PI and to provide treatment costs of patients, to promote the welfare of affected people through new efforts, and to establish a professional center for research and treatment of PI.
Association
The Patrons of Children With Immunodeficiency was formed in 2012 after the death of two children suffering from PI, and two dolls were made in their memory and sold in support of other affected children. Part of the treatment costs of children with PI was provided through the support of artists, philanthropists and social and cultural personalities in the last eleven months,” Ahmadlou pointed out.
Esrafil Shirchi, a well-known Iranian calligrapher, is a PI disease supporter who has donated a huge sum of money to the association from the auction of one of his priceless works of art. Calling the art world a world of kindness, he said: “Although I’m not a medical expert, I regard this support as my duty, since artists can encourage people to take part in such voluntary activities.”
Sousan Pedram is a painter who suffers from cancer and got familiar with PI volunteers and the association once she came home after chemotherapy and received their message. “Getting familiar with the association made my life more beautiful, and my membership as a supporter changed my point of view about PI as well as my own disease,” she said.
