An Iraqi girl got a lease of life on Thursday after Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the UAE's Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, paid for a life-saving Dh8 million injection.
Laveen Ibrahim, 18 months, suffers from spinal muscular atrophy type 2 – a genetic neuromuscular disorder that affects the nerve cells that control voluntary muscles.
Laveen came to Abu Dhabi a few weeks ago for her treatment after she lost control of her neck muscles and most of her body.
Her only treatment was a Dh8m injection called Zolgensma, but the injection was inaccessible to Laveen's family who had neither the money to buy it nor any health insurance to cover the cost.
Injected into the vein, Zolgensma is a one-time treatment and takes an hour to administer.
The family made a desperate plea to find a sponsor and it was then when Sheikh Mohammed stepped in to help the little girl’s family.
Laveen received the injection at Al Jalila Children's Specialty hospital in Dubai.
"This was a cure for my daughter and for us. You have no idea how much we suffered and how difficult these past few months were on all of us," Ibrahim Al Kutayshi, the child's father, who works for a local marine shipping company in Iraq and frequently travels to the UAE, told The National.
Sheikh Mohammed covered the cost of the treatment and donated Dh8 million for the treatment after seeing the heartbreaking video posted by Laveen's mother.
In the video, Massar Mundhar said doctors found her daughter had spinal muscle atrophy and that she had only a few months to live.
“The treatment is available in Dubai at Al Jalila Children's Hospital, but we can't afford it,” Ms Mundhar said in the video.
“I appeal to you to look at my child with all humanity and mercy. Please agree to take her under your care so she receives treatment in your kind and giving country."
She said the disease could reach Laveen's lungs and kill her.
“Your doors are open to humanity and I am a mother who is racing against time for her child. I have tried and continue trying and I am now in your land, a guest in your land with my daughter,” she said.
"We’ve reached a day where a probe has reached Mars, and that was a sign of hope to me. God willing, my call will reach you.”
Her video went viral and people tagged Sheikh Mohammed.
"We are forever indebted and thankful to Sheikh Mohammed, Dubai, the government, Al Jalila hospital and the doctors there. Words cannot express how overjoyed we are. My daughter now has a chance to live and we can't wait to see her get up and run and grow up with her sister and live a regular life," Mr Al Kutayshi said.
"Our lives were returned to us. You can't imagine the feelings of a mother and father being told that their daughter will have a chance to survive," he told The National.
The family, who have two daughters, Laveen and Lareen, 6, live in Iraq, but will remain in Dubai for three months for physiotherapy and follow-up treatment.
To date, only two children have received Zolgensma, while four others are scheduled to have the injection. The children who were treated were from Egypt and Lebanon. Those on the waiting list are Turkish, Saudi Arabian, Iraqi and Syrian.
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR
US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.
KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.
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Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
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Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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Displacement: 8,700 tonnes
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Draught: 7.4 m
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Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
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Bantamweight Hamza Bougamza (MAR) v Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
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1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
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4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
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16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
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- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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5.30pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
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6pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
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6.30pm: Handicap | Dh85,000 | 2,200m
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7pm: Shadwell Farm for Private Owners Handicap | Dh70,000 | 2,200m
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7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m
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- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
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- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
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