Hussain Mahmoud Al Rahma is in many ways just like any other21-year-old. He loves fast cars, watching action films and relaxing at the mall with friends. He has a job he adores as manager of the mail room at Desert Group LLC, a Dubai-based landscaping company. During his spare time Hussain enjoys writing on just about any subject, and has penned an 89-page book, Counting My Blessings, which was published two years ago.
And he's achieved all this despite having been in a wheelchair since the age of four because he suffers from a degenerative health disorder called hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN). Also known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, HMSN affects the nerves that stimulate movement, meaning that he can't walk and has only limited use of his arms. Luckily he can still move his fingers and that's enough reason for him to smile. "I thank God every day for making my life easy," says Hussain, strapped in his electronic wheelchair on which ‘Ferrari' is embossed in bold letters.
"I am passionate about cars and love Ferraris,'' Hussain says. He can't drive because of his condition, and goes to work in a special van that can accommodate his wheelchair.
Hussain was studying at Al Saidiya School in Dubai until 2005, when he had to discontinue his studies in Grade 9 because his eyesight began to get weaker, and he wasn't able to write fast. That said, one of his dreams is to return to school and also to earn a degree.
Someone who prefers taking life one day at a time, Hussain enjoys his job and looks forward to spending time with his friends in the evening. He sets aside a couple of evenings a week to teach Arabic to two expatriate friends. He also keeps in touch with his public relations representative coordinating publicity events related to his book, Counting My Blessings.
Shock diagnosis
Hussain's father, Mahmoud Al Rahma, 57, who works at the Dubai Airport, recalls how he and his wife first realised that their second son had a problem. "We noticed that even at the age of three, Hussain was finding it difficult to stand or walk,'' says Mahmoud, who has three other children - Abdullah, 24, daughter Amna, 12, and Mohammad, seven.
Hussain was taken to several doctors in the UAE as well as overseas, but none of them could pinpoint the problem or offer a solution.
It was a year later, when he was four, that the family found out the truth. A doctor in Dubai who examined the little boy told Mahmoud that his son's problem could be related to a neurological condition, although he couldn't at the time identify what exactly it was.
Mahmoud was shattered but not ready to give up. "I was willing to go to the ends of the earth to find a cure for my son,'' he says.
When an expert suggested seeking the opinion of a doctor in Germany, Mahmoud promptly took Hussain, who was five years old at the time, to see him.
Although he was mentally fit, the diagnosis was that he was suffering from HMSN, which has no known cure. The condition slowly gets worse and some parts of the body may become numb. Sufferers also experience symptoms such as muscle weakness, an awkward gait, curled fingers and toes and numbness or pain. Nobody else in the family suffered from the condition.
The German doctor suggested surgery as a possible way to help correct Hussain's posture.
Strapped for funds, Mahmoud returned to Dubai, but thanks to the generosity of the UAE government which offered to fund the boy's surgery, and his brother who also offered to help, he was able to make a second trip to Germany.
"The doctors did a complex surgery on his spine lasting six hours,'' he recalls, adding it helped a bit in correcting Hussain's posture. In addition, the surgery has helped him use his hands to write and type for a longer period than would have been possible. He also underwent physiotherapy, which he still continues every day to maintain the ability to move his fingers.
Getting by with a little help
Hussain has plenty of friends and well wishers. When he was he hospitalised for two weeks in 2010 in Dubai after his health took a turn for the worse, there was a constant stream of friends visiting his hospital in addition to the numerous tweets and facebook messages he received.
Mahmoud is happy to see Hussain going from strength to strength in his resolve to succeed in his many endeavours. "I thank God for giving my son a mind and character that can challenge the crippling illness,'' he says.
Hussain has also shown a talent for languages and, on top of his good command of English and Arabic, he can speak Tagalog and a smattering of Urdu.
Surprised at every turn by Hussain's keenness to be outgoing, work in an office, write a book in English, be mobile, and insist on getting a specially equipped keyboard for his computer, his father as well as his family are happy and more than keen to support him in every way.
Best to forget
Hussain, who keeps himself busy almost all through the day, says he does not like thinking too much about his condition. "When I remember all that has happened to me, I feel sad. I believe it's best to forget, because every time I remember, I start to cry. When I think of my situation, I try to remember some jokes I've read or a comic scene in a movie and that makes me laugh and forget all my pains.
Counting My Blessings took Hussain three months to write and was published by Sharjah-based Kuttab Publishing. "The reason I wrote the book was to inspire young people who face grave challenges in life never to give up or lose hope in their endeavours,'' he says.
Jamal Al Shehi, the managing director at Kuttab, was impressed when he saw the draft of the book and the style in which Hussain had penned his thoughts and promptly agreed to publish it. It was released at the 2010 Sharjah Book Fair and more than 4,000 copies were sold in the next few months. The book, an autobiographical account of his childhood days and how they were interrupted by the cruel discovery of HMSN, also details his passion for living life to the full – being an achiever and working hard to realise his dreams.
So is there a dream he is yet to realise? Yes, he says. "I would like to meet His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.''
Spreading hope
Since the book's release, Hussain has been invited to speak at schools in Dubai and Sharjah and special-needs centres. Wherever he speaks, one message he keeps repeating is "Don't think anything is impossible. Try.''
Hussain is in the process of writing another book. "I'd like to keep the subject under wraps at the moment,'' he says. It will be ready for publication by the end of the year, he hopes.
Ever smiling, Hussain doesn't dwell on the past but likes to share his views on all aspects of his life on his facebook page (www.facebook.com/husseinalrahma) through which he reaches out to friends and fans.
"I like to tell people ‘don't spend your time thinking only about the sad things that have happened in life. Look forward and be positive. Smile, and be happy about all the good things that are happening in your life and you will be happy'.''
