In a race against time, an Indian family has moved to the UAE, abandoning their home and possessions, to save their only son, Yunus Kidwai, who suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Yunus, turning six on September 6, is running out of time to access a vital but expensive gene therapy that could change his life. The treatment, estimated at Dh10.37 million by Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, can only begin once the full amount is secured. Yunus's father, Farid Kidwai, quit his job in the pharmaceutical industry in Lucknow to focus on his son's treatment, stating, 'Any father would do the same. Yunus is our only child.' The family, unable to afford the treatment, moved to the UAE for access to local charitable aid, required to be residents. Farid and his wife, Kulsum, regularly seek help from various charities, hoping for a miracle. Dr. Haitham Elbashir, a clinical professor at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, who is monitoring Yunus, strongly recommends the gene therapy before Yunus turns six, highlighting the hospital's readiness to provide the treatment. The therapy, administered through a single infusion, has been approved for children aged 4 to 6 years and has already helped over 450 patients. Without the treatment, Yunus faces severe complications from DMD, a genetic disorder that weakens muscles due to a lack of dystrophin, a protein essential for muscle function.
Text: Lara Palmer
19.06.2024
Indian Family Relocates for Access to Expensive Gene Therapy Before Critical Deadline