Kurdish boy who met Ronaldo dies after cancer battle
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Awar Hozan, a five-year-old Kurdish boy from northeastern Syria’s (Rojava) Derik town in Hasaka province, died after a three-year battle with cancer on Tuesday.
Hozan Yousef, Awar’s father, told Rudaw’s Dilnya Rahman that the cancer had spread all over his body, and doctors had informed the family about a month ago that their son’s health would deteriorate. He died at his home in Germany.
Awar’s story drew public attention after meeting the Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo on July 1 at the end of a soccer match between Portugal and Slovenia.
At the time, Awar’s father told Rudaw that his son had only two wishes: to see Cristiano Ronaldo and attend school.
The first came true, the second never did.
The disease had spread throughout his whole body and he had lost the ability to speak three weeks prior to meeting Ronaldo.
The doctors had told his parents to make the most of his life while he was still alive. After the final whistle of the Portugal-Slovenia match in Euro 2024, Awar managed to get autographs from Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal's head coach Roberto Martinez, and referee Daniele Orsato.
Hozan Yousif, Awar’s father, recounted the interaction.
"Cristiano came. Cristiano showed up…,” Yousif recalled. “I told [Awar], ‘He is here.’ [Ronaldo] patted him, but [Awar] said, ‘No, give me a high five.’ He did.
Awar's family left Syria at the height of the civil war in 2013, finding safety in the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province.
Just two days before Awar turned 2, he got a high fever and his throat was swollen. At first, physicians were unable to diagnose his exact health condition. Two weeks later, medical examinations determined he had kidney cancer.
Awar’s mother, Suad Ali, detailed the lengths she has taken to find suitable medical care for her son.
"Once a month, for eight straight months, I would go to Derik [in Syria] from Kurdistan [the Kurdistan Region of Iraq] where I’d get on a bus for a 25-hour-long drive to Damascus for my son's chemotherapy,” she said. “For 15 months, I did this for my son hoping my son would recover and no longer need medications.”
Specialized medical care often is extremely expensive in the Middle East, if it is even available. The decade-plus long conflict in Syria has exacerbated the country’s once remarkable healthcare system.
“One night, he got a very high fever and after tests, it turned out that his disease had reached Stage 4,” Ali said. “His father was forced to immediately move to Germany upon comments from many doctors that his treatments were only available in Germany.”
In 2022, Awar's father decided to embark on a dangerous journey to reach Europe to help his son. After plenty of effort, he managed to bring his family to Europe in October 2023.
Dilnya Rahman contributed to this article
Hozan Yousef, Awar’s father, told Rudaw’s Dilnya Rahman that the cancer had spread all over his body, and doctors had informed the family about a month ago that their son’s health would deteriorate. He died at his home in Germany.
Awar’s story drew public attention after meeting the Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo on July 1 at the end of a soccer match between Portugal and Slovenia.
At the time, Awar’s father told Rudaw that his son had only two wishes: to see Cristiano Ronaldo and attend school.
The first came true, the second never did.
The disease had spread throughout his whole body and he had lost the ability to speak three weeks prior to meeting Ronaldo.
The doctors had told his parents to make the most of his life while he was still alive. After the final whistle of the Portugal-Slovenia match in Euro 2024, Awar managed to get autographs from Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal's head coach Roberto Martinez, and referee Daniele Orsato.
Hozan Yousif, Awar’s father, recounted the interaction.
"Cristiano came. Cristiano showed up…,” Yousif recalled. “I told [Awar], ‘He is here.’ [Ronaldo] patted him, but [Awar] said, ‘No, give me a high five.’ He did.
Awar's family left Syria at the height of the civil war in 2013, finding safety in the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province.
Just two days before Awar turned 2, he got a high fever and his throat was swollen. At first, physicians were unable to diagnose his exact health condition. Two weeks later, medical examinations determined he had kidney cancer.
Awar’s mother, Suad Ali, detailed the lengths she has taken to find suitable medical care for her son.
"Once a month, for eight straight months, I would go to Derik [in Syria] from Kurdistan [the Kurdistan Region of Iraq] where I’d get on a bus for a 25-hour-long drive to Damascus for my son's chemotherapy,” she said. “For 15 months, I did this for my son hoping my son would recover and no longer need medications.”
Specialized medical care often is extremely expensive in the Middle East, if it is even available. The decade-plus long conflict in Syria has exacerbated the country’s once remarkable healthcare system.
“One night, he got a very high fever and after tests, it turned out that his disease had reached Stage 4,” Ali said. “His father was forced to immediately move to Germany upon comments from many doctors that his treatments were only available in Germany.”
In 2022, Awar's father decided to embark on a dangerous journey to reach Europe to help his son. After plenty of effort, he managed to bring his family to Europe in October 2023.
Dilnya Rahman contributed to this article