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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Awar Hozan is a 5-year-old Kurdish boy from northeastern Syria's (Rojava) Derik town in Hasaka province and has been fighting kidney cancer for three years. He’s had only two wishes - seeing Cristiano Ronaldo and going to school.
The first has come true, but the second may never. Yet, Awar holds hope.
The disease has spread throughout his whole body and he has lost the ability to speak for the last three weeks. His disease has reached an incurable stage.
So the doctors told his parents to make the most of his life while he is still alive. All he wanted was to see Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo and to go to school.
After the final whistle of the Portugal-Slovenia match in Euro 2024, Awar managed to get autographs from Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal's head coach Roberto Martinez, and referee Daniele Orsato.
Hozan Yousif, Awar’s father, recounted the interaction.
"Cristiano came. Cristiano showed up…,” Yousif recalled. “I told [Awar], ‘He is here.’ [Ronaldo] patted him, but [Awar] said, ‘Now, give me a high five.’ He did.
“[Cristiano Ronaldo] was tired. Even my son said, ‘Dad, he looks very tired.’ I told him not to worry, he had been playing.
“He knew my son was Kurdish. He knew we were Kurdish from Syria. He knew that ... The medical team had told him. The organization had informed him. And the director of the Frankfort club had told [Ronaldo] that [Awar] was a Kurd."
Awar's family left Syria at the height of the civil war in 2013, finding safety in the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok.
Just two days before Awar turned 2, he got a high fever and his throat was swollen. At first, physicians were unable to diagnose his exact health condition. Two weeks later, medical examinations determined he had kidney cancer.
Awar’s mother, Suad Ali, detailed the lengths she has taken to find suitable medical care for her son.
"Once a month, for eight straight months, I would go to Derik [in Syria] from Kurdistan [the Kurdistan Region of Iraq] where I’d get on a bus for a 25-hour-long drive to Damascus for my son's chemotherapy,” she said. “For 15 months, I did this for my son hoping my son would recover and no longer need medications.”
Specialized medical care often is extremely expensive in the Middle East, if it is even available. The decade-plus long conflict in Syria has exacerbated the country’s once remarkable healthcare system.
“One night, he got a very high fever and after tests, it turned out that his disease had reached Stage 4,” Ali said. “His father was forced to immediately move to Germany upon comments from many doctors that his treatments were only available in Germany.”
So in 2022, Awar's father decided to embark on the dangerous journey to reach Europe to help his son.
After plenty of effort, he managed to bring his family to Europe in October 2023.
But it was too late for Awar. The doctors told them to prepare for the worst and Awar was discharged from the hospital.
Awar now battles for his life as his parents helplessly care for him. Still he hopes somehow, someway he can finish his dream of going to school.
"Awar wants to go to school. But his health conditions aren’t helpful,” said Awar’s father, who has traveled to the end of the world for his son. “Alhamdulillah [Thanks be to God]."
The first has come true, but the second may never. Yet, Awar holds hope.
The disease has spread throughout his whole body and he has lost the ability to speak for the last three weeks. His disease has reached an incurable stage.
So the doctors told his parents to make the most of his life while he is still alive. All he wanted was to see Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo and to go to school.
After the final whistle of the Portugal-Slovenia match in Euro 2024, Awar managed to get autographs from Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal's head coach Roberto Martinez, and referee Daniele Orsato.
Hozan Yousif, Awar’s father, recounted the interaction.
"Cristiano came. Cristiano showed up…,” Yousif recalled. “I told [Awar], ‘He is here.’ [Ronaldo] patted him, but [Awar] said, ‘Now, give me a high five.’ He did.
“[Cristiano Ronaldo] was tired. Even my son said, ‘Dad, he looks very tired.’ I told him not to worry, he had been playing.
“He knew my son was Kurdish. He knew we were Kurdish from Syria. He knew that ... The medical team had told him. The organization had informed him. And the director of the Frankfort club had told [Ronaldo] that [Awar] was a Kurd."
Awar's family left Syria at the height of the civil war in 2013, finding safety in the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok.
Just two days before Awar turned 2, he got a high fever and his throat was swollen. At first, physicians were unable to diagnose his exact health condition. Two weeks later, medical examinations determined he had kidney cancer.
Awar’s mother, Suad Ali, detailed the lengths she has taken to find suitable medical care for her son.
"Once a month, for eight straight months, I would go to Derik [in Syria] from Kurdistan [the Kurdistan Region of Iraq] where I’d get on a bus for a 25-hour-long drive to Damascus for my son's chemotherapy,” she said. “For 15 months, I did this for my son hoping my son would recover and no longer need medications.”
Specialized medical care often is extremely expensive in the Middle East, if it is even available. The decade-plus long conflict in Syria has exacerbated the country’s once remarkable healthcare system.
“One night, he got a very high fever and after tests, it turned out that his disease had reached Stage 4,” Ali said. “His father was forced to immediately move to Germany upon comments from many doctors that his treatments were only available in Germany.”
So in 2022, Awar's father decided to embark on the dangerous journey to reach Europe to help his son.
After plenty of effort, he managed to bring his family to Europe in October 2023.
But it was too late for Awar. The doctors told them to prepare for the worst and Awar was discharged from the hospital.
Awar now battles for his life as his parents helplessly care for him. Still he hopes somehow, someway he can finish his dream of going to school.
"Awar wants to go to school. But his health conditions aren’t helpful,” said Awar’s father, who has traveled to the end of the world for his son. “Alhamdulillah [Thanks be to God]."
Dilnya Rahman contributed to this article
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