UAE: 6-year-old's family moves to Dubai in desperate bid to save his life

Driven by a race against time, an Indian family has relocated to the UAE, leaving behind their home and possessions, in a bid to save their only son. Yunus Kidwai has been suffering from the debilitating effects of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).

Yunus, who will turn six on September 6, faces a rapidly closing window to receive a crucial but costly gene therapy treatment that could alter the course of his life. Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital has estimated the treatment cost at a staggering Dh10.37 million.

“The treatment will commence only once the full amount is transferred to the hospital’s bank account or paid to us by way of a cleared cheque,” states a note in the cost estimate provided by the hospital.

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Yunus's father, Fazal Kidwai said he has resigned from his job in the pharmaceutical industry in Lucknow to focus on his son's treatment. "Any father would do the same. Yunus is our only child," he says. "We are a middle-class family, and raising such a huge amount is far beyond our means. But we cannot give up; we have to keep trying."

Reaching his 25th birthday would be a stroke of luck for Yunus, considering many with DMD don't make it that far.

Fazal explained they moved to the UAE last fortnight after obtaining residency, a necessary step to access local charitable aid. "The last time we were here, charities informed us that UAE residency was a prerequisite for assistance,” he said. Between hospital visits, Fazal and his wife, Kulsum, reach out to various charities every few days for assistance.

“We are keeping our fingers crossed and praying for a miracle,” said Kulsum.

Dr Haitham Elbashir, a clinical professor of pediatrics at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), has been monitoring the child’s condition.

In his assessment report, he described Yunus as a “lovely child” who is “getting weaker with time,” Dr Elbashir warned: "If Yunus is not able to get the new DMD gene therapy treatment on time, he will unfortunately develop many of the complications associated with the disease. Hence, I strongly recommend that Yunus get the DMD gene therapy as soon as possible before he turns six in September."

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