Our ambassadors
Jetty Mathurin
‘I’m helping HELIUS for all Surinamese people in Amsterdam’
‘Good health is not a given. Around me, I see many people struggling every day with the distressing consequences of their illnesses. This is why knowledge on health is so badly needed. Little is known about the health of the Surinamese in Amsterdam. Why are we more likely to suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes? And how high is our risk of getting infectious diseases? The HELIUS study is a unique opportunity to gain more knowledge about the health of Surinamese people in Amsterdam. With this knowledge, our children and grandchildren will have the chance for better health care. This is why I’m helping HELIUS, for all Surinamese people in Amsterdam. Won’t you help, too?’
Veronica van de Kamp
‘I’m helping HELIUS for all Ghanaians in Amsterdam’
‘I’m helping HELIUS because I realize that good health is one of the most important things in life. And I am very well aware of the fact that better health care can only be achieved with knowledge. Using the knowledge gained through the HELIUS study, the AMC and GGD Amsterdam will be able to make adjustments to medical health care and develop prevention programmes to meet the specific needs of Ghanaians in Amsterdam. Please help HELIUS pave the way to better health care for our children and grandchildren.’
Funda Müjde
‘I’m helping HELIUS because a person who’s sick has only one wish...’
‘A healthy person has a thousand wishes, but a person who’s sick has only one... this is something I’ve had to face every day for the past five years, since being in a serious car accident in Istanbul. I survived the accident, but since then I’ve been living my life from a wheelchair. What I wished for most was to be able to walk again, but now I mainly want to be healthy and not gain too much weight! More than ever before, I realize how incredibly precious it is to be and to stay healthy. Also in a wheelchair, I can go through life in good health or in poor health. While we certainly don’t have complete control over our health, I want to do what I can to help where possible. It’s a fact that things like diabetes and asthma are relatively common among Turkish people, just like psychological problems. At the AMC and GGD Amsterdam, they know about the many health differences that exist between people of various ethnic origins. In most cases, it’s not clear what causes these differences, and HELIUS is conducting research into this. Greater knowledge about this will help pave the way to equal health opportunities for you, me, our children, and our future grandchildren. This is why I’m helping HELIUS.’