A Little Girl, A Big Hope: How Dubai’s Ruler Gave Yaqeen a Second Chance at Life
When a Syrian family couldn’t afford the world’s most expensive treatment for their 2-year-old daughter, Dubai’s Ruler, Sheikh Mohammed, stepped in. A powerful story of compassion, leadership, and why the UAE is more than just a place—it’s a promise of hope.

Sometimes, a home isn’t just four walls and a roof. It’s a place where dreams are rescued, and hope is rewritten.
Two-year-old Yaqeen Kankar, a Syrian girl battling spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), received the world’s most expensive gene therapy—Zolgensma, worth Dh7 million—thanks to an extraordinary act of kindness by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

Just two weeks ago, her family—new residents in the UAE—posted a heartfelt video plea on social media, holding little Yaqeen close, asking for a miracle they couldn’t afford. That miracle arrived with a phone call from Sheikh Mohammed’s office: “We will cover the cost.”
“We didn’t sleep for three days after hearing the news,” said Yaqeen’s uncle, his voice trembling with relief. “We cried tears of joy. This is not strange for the UAE—it’s a country that listens when people are truly in need.”
The treatment, administered at Al Jalila Children’s Hospital in Dubai, is a rare and revolutionary gene therapy, offering Yaqeen the chance to live, laugh, and grow like any other child.
The doctors are hopeful. The family is grateful. And the city of Dubai has once again proven that its greatest strength lies not only in its skyline—but in its heart.

At Hopohomes, we believe in more than just helping people find a house. We believe in the power of community, kindness, and belonging. Stories like Yaqeen’s remind us why we chose to grow our roots in Dubai—a city that doesn’t just open its doors, it opens its arms.
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