In Memoriam: Mina Izadyar, M.D.

The Iranian Pediatric Hematology and Oncology community has suffered a great loss as Mina Izadyar, M.D., passed away at the age of 63.  She was a devoted, scientific-minded and distinguished pediatric hematologist-oncologist.  She had a broad spectrum of activities which included teaching patient care and research.  Her outstanding and lifelong achievement to highlight was in collaboration with other colleagues in planning and setting-up programs to curb the incidence of major beta-thalassemia as a major social health problem in Iran.  These programs, which have been approved and supported by health authorities, include premarital screening for beta-thalassemiatrait, which is enforced by law and applied country-wide as well as prenatal diagnosis and abortion of homozygous fetus.  Furthermore, she initiated, established and directed the Iranian Thalassemia Society which supervised and enforced the application of standard treatment protocols for patients suffering from major beta-thalassemia throughout the country.  By engaging personal energy and perseverance she was able to establish adjacent to each Blood Transfusion center in Iran a specialized clinic to provide medical care, supervision and blood transfusion.  Through her relentless effort in significantly reducing cases of live-born infants with acute thalassemia (now 300 vs. 2500 per year before), elder thalassemia patients now enjoy a better life quality, much higher life expectancy and more active social partnership as a result.  She was also a co-founder of Iranian Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Society and member of its executive board.  Dr. Izadyar was an engaged and experienced oncologist missed sorely by her colleagues.  Due to her devotion to and kind manner with each patient, she was uniformly beloved and highly regarded by patients and their parents who are still mourning her death.

May her soul rest in peace.

Mardawig Alebouyeh, M.D.

Pediatric Hematologist – Oncologist