KIRSTIN BERNABE (DUBAI)
The family of Jordanian girl Katya Abu Al-Saud was “racing against time” to save her — until hope came their way through His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Katya has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic condition affecting only up to one in 10,000 children. It causes muscle weakness and can limit crawling, walking, sitting up and head control.
"Her condition is more serious than anyone could imagine, because every second makes a difference," her mother said in an interview upon landing in Dubai earlier this week.
While there’s currently no cure for SMA, gene therapy has shown promising results in improving patients' mobility.
Desperate for help,the family reached out to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid. "Thankfully, he answered our call," Katya's mother said in Arabic. "It was such a wonderful surprise. It felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from our chests."
His Highness has sponsored Katya's treatment and, soon after it was announced, the girl and her mother travelled to Dubai. She is now receiving care at Al Jalila Children's Hospital, which offers one of the world’s largest gene treatment programme for SMA.
Katya has completed all initial medical examinations and, depending on results, the next steps will be taken.
"We are putting our trust in Him, and God willing, everything will go well. We hope that we will all celebrate together when Katya makes a full recovery," her mother said.