CurePSP Tribute Funds

A Tribute to Zeina Allaf  Zeina Allaf will forever be remembered for her warmth, selfless generosity and dedication to her family. She passed away on the evening of Sunday August 27, 2023 at the age of 74 after six years of living with PSP.

Zeina was officially diagnosed with PSP in July 2020 after two years of battling a myriad of perplexing symptoms including anxiety, depression, difficulty moving, difficulty with language, and many falls. She was a true warrior and fought PSP as hard as she could.

Born and raised in a small village in the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon, Zeina moved to Kuwait when she was 20 years old after marrying Ezzedine Allaf, a Lebanese man living and working in Kuwait. They had four children together. Zeina’s children were the joy of her life and she dedicated herself to them, sacrificing herself in the process.

Even though Zeina and her husband had not planned to move to the United States, Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 and Lebanon’s continued instability led the family to move to the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where Zeina and the children stayed while Ezzedine traveled back and forth to Kuwait for work. Alone in a new country with limited English, Zeina needed to be both mother and father while she herself was adjusting. She taught herself English, sought employment to help the family stay afloat, and built a new life for her family. Zeina and Ezzedine’s hard work and sacrifice enabled their four children to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees and become successful professionals.

An energetic, active woman, Zeina was most well known for her outstanding cooking and baking. She was able to recreate a dish at home after tasting it only once! Her home was never without something delicious freshly made. She made sure that anyone who visited ate well and felt at home; one always left her house with a full stomach and a full heart.

Zeina was most excited to become a grandmother - a ‘Teta’ in Lebanese - and was delighted when her children, finally, married and had children of their own. Zeina gave endlessly to others and most especially to her children and grandchildren. Her endless love lives on through them. ‘Teta’ will forever live in their hearts.

Thank you for donating to Cure PSP in her memory. We hope more is learned about this disease so others do not have to suffer as she did. May she rest in peace.