UAE saves Iraqi child with world’s costliest injection
Community campaign raises Dh10.6m to secure life-saving rare disease treatment
Dubai: For years, the mother of 10-year-old Iraqi child Youssef Haider lived with the fear that her son’s body was weakening faster than help could reach him.
That fear finally gave way to hope after Youssef received what is widely regarded as the world’s most expensive therapeutic injection, marking a new chapter in his battle against Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare genetic disorder that progressively weakens the muscles and heart.
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The treatment became possible after a humanitarian campaign in the United Arab Emirates successfully raised Dh10.6 million in cooperation with Dar Al Ber Society, following a public appeal launched by Al Khaleej Newspaper in March under the headline: “Save Youssef… A race against time before his muscles and heart fail him.”
According to Al Khaleej, Youssef’s father, Haider Al Waeli, said his son received the injection after undergoing extensive medical examinations, laboratory testing and treatment procedures.
He said the UAE provided the full treatment amount through a community-led fundraising campaign organised in collaboration with Dar Al Ber Society.
Youssef’s mother, overcome with emotion, said the UAE had not only saved her child’s life but had also rescued an entire family that had spent years living between fragile hope and constant fear.
She said the suffering began when Youssef was four years old, after he started showing signs of weakness, frequent falls and difficulty moving, before doctors eventually diagnosed him with muscular dystrophy.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is considered one of the world’s rare and severe neuromuscular diseases, often requiring highly specialised and extremely costly treatments aimed at slowing the progression of the condition and improving quality of life.
