The mother of a young boy with a rare genetic condition has set out to photograph people and animals with disabilities, to show how they are "different, not less".
Em Ray's son Sam, 5, has Angelman syndrome, a complex genetic disorder that primarily affects the nervous system and occurs in one in around 20,000 people.
It is associated with delayed development, problems with speech and balance, intellectual disability and sometimes seizures. People with the syndrome often smile, laugh frequently, and have a sunny disposition. It is usually diagnosed at six to 12 months, when a child would start to show cognitive development.
Sam's complex case is "rare within rare", and found in one in every 375,000 cases, his mother said.
After getting over the initial shock, Ms Ray, 46, who is from the UK and lives in Dubai, set about raising awareness of the condition her son faces.
They are all different people and animals who we don't come across in everyday life
The idea for her picture project came one morning on her way to work, when she spotted a dog in the street walking with the aid of wheels.
“In the time it took me to drive past the dog and get to the little roundabout and go down into the school car park. I turned the car around and I went back and said hello,” said Ms Ray, a photographer and teacher.
“I said you don’t know me, but I have just seen your dog on wheels and I have had an idea. Here’s a little bit about my son. What about if I take a picture of Sam with your dog?”
The idea has since expanded to include other animals and people with disabilities.
People were easy to find.
As member of many groups for parents of children with disabilities, she already knew of plenty.
She feared locating the pets would be more problematic. But within 48 hours of putting out a call for pets with disabilities, the owners of 80 special needs animals came forward.
And they had all sorts of different conditions - some with two legs, others with three, some which were blind, and others which only had one eye.
There were also animals who were deaf and others with neurological conditions.
She has already held three photoshoots, and the images have been shared on an Instagram page called Smile with Sam.
“We would love people to follow it and make this project a household name. They are all different people and animals who we don’t come across in everyday life,” she said.
The idea behind it is to show how everyone is different.
“They are different, not less, at all. And the sense is that Sam doesn’t see people or animals in any way different than just what they appear to be to him,” she said.
“So it doesn’t matter what you do or what you look like, just as it doesn’t matter what an animal looks like to him.
“Every single person and animal is exactly the same. He just wants to meet them. He wants to touch them and he wants to stroke them. He loves people, and smiley faces. He wants to reach out.”
Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
Hobbies: Travelling, going to the gym
Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
Favourite read: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Favourite film: The Founder, about the establishment of McDonald's
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Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
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Ain Issa camp:
- Established in 2016
- Houses 13,309 people, 2,092 families, 62 per cent children
- Of the adult population, 49 per cent men, 51 per cent women (not including foreigners annexe)
- Most from Deir Ezzor and Raqqa
- 950 foreigners linked to ISIS and their families
- NGO Blumont runs camp management for the UN
- One of the nine official (UN recognised) camps in the region
