After months of waiting, this critically ill baby is one step closer to relocating to London, Ont.
CBC
Warning: This story contains graphic images below.
A refugee family from Syria has received the green light from the federal government to bring their critically ill child to London, Ont., after months of having an unknown status on their application.
Ezzeddin and Midia Alahmad's one-year-old son Tim, lives with a rare genetic disorder called epidermolysis bullosa, also known as butterfly syndrome. It makes his skin so fragile that it's prone to frequent blisters, tears, infections, and continuous itching.
The family's sponsor in London, Martha Macrae, says that although the condition isn't curable, it can be managed with effective treatment and pain medication, which will save Tim's life.
"It's a horrific disease, this child is just wasting, he's a sitting duck for infection and for dying and without treatment, he won't survive," she said.
Macrae has been working tirelessly since August to speed up their application based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds due to Tim's condition.
On Feb.15, she finally received good news in the form of an approval email from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, the entity responsible for handling the application.
"I was afraid to open it because I thought it was going to be another 'wait your turn' message, but when I read the words that they approved it... I was stunned and in disbelief," she said.
When the Alahmads arrive in London from Beirut, Lebanon, where they've lived since fleeing the war in Syria, they'll join Ezzeddin's brother Mustafa and his family, who also came to Canada as refugees in 2016.
Mustafa's 10-year-old son Ameen also has butterfly syndrome, but with proper medical care, he's able to live a more comfortable life, which Macrae says is possible for Tim as well.
Macrae adds that she's received an outpouring of support from Londoners wanting to help the family, including a serviced car donated by Oxford Dodge to help Tim get to his medical appointments.
"The support that has just come out of the woodwork has been outstanding, people who don't even know me have donated money for the family, it's just incredible," she said.
Macrae has raised close to $50,000 to support the family, and arranged for a pediatric dermatologist and a family doctor who are ready to treat Tim as soon as he comes to London.
Macrae said that while the application's approval is a huge hurdle crossed for the Alahmads, there are still a few more background checks they need to pass, which could take several months.
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