This month’s Featured Mum, Meriem Lamtareq, is originally from Morrocco and has lived in Dubai for four years. Meriem shares a look at her life on the YouTube channel Miza Vlog, along with her husband Khaled. Attracting around 290K subscribers, the vlog is both a fun and heart-warming diary, as well as a serious platform where the couple address topics affecting society, including women’s rights and bullying. Nine months ago, Meriem gave birth to their daughter Reem, and we find out how the young family is touching people’s hearts.

When did you start making YouTube videos?

I’ve always had a lot of ideas, and I enjoy helping people and sharing advice. The YouTube channel began two years ago as a passion project and my husband helped to make it happen by supporting me to achieve my dreams, doing something I truly love.

Is it fun working with your husband?

Absolutely. We are creating memories and sharing something unique through the videos that we make together. We laugh, we fight, we tease each other, and it is a special opportunity to connect with our audience, and as a couple.

What do you love about being an influencer? What are the challenges?

It is wonderful to touch peoples’ hearts and feel their love when you don’t know them personally. Our audience trusts us and that is an honour.  Sometimes you face negativity from people who are harsh with their comments, which can be difficult to deal with. Also, these days, there are a lot of social media influencers, so it is hard work to create really good content that viewers can relate to and stand out from the crowd.

Tell us about Reem.

Reem changed my life. With her by my side, it’s impossible to feel lost in the world because she always gives me strength. Motherhood is amazing and taking care of something so precious is a huge responsibility. It is a beautiful feeling, and also very tiring at times. For me, the best bits so far are when she wants to cuddle and these are the moments we cherish.

How has life changed since having children?

Of course, things are different, but everyone has to balance their responsibilities. For now, my number one priority is taking care of my daughter and then focusing on all the other things like social media and work.

How did you first hear about banking stem cells?

We first heard about it from the staff at Saudi German Hospital.

Why did you bank Reem’s stem cells?

We believe that stem cell banking has a lot of benefits for our family’s health. Research shows that cord blood can be used to treat a number of disorders, such as some cancers and blood diseases.

Would you recommend stem cell storage to other people?

Yes definitely. I made a YouTube video about the importance of stem cells and some of the developments we can expect to see in the future.