Iyad and Amir

Our story begins on 5 December 2013 in the city of Tangier, Morocco, with the birth of my first child, Iyad, who was very small in height and weight. For two years, many paediatricians were unable to diagnose Iyad’s condition, so we moved to the capital, Rabat, to no avail.

Then we went to Valdemoro, south of Madrid, but due to logistical problems, we were unable to continue our search. In 2018, we had our second child, Amir, who was the same size, height, weight and head shape.

We travelled to the city of Malaga, only 198 km from our city of Tangier in Morocco, to discover that Iyad had a hole in his heart. After open heart surgery in Malaga, we decided to go to Barcelona. I quit my job as a bank clerk, sold everything I owned and borrowed money.

On 11/11/2019, the day we arrived in Barcelona, until 18/ May 2021, we are still searching at the Trial and Pujol Hospital in Badalona, north of Barcelona, for test results confirming that Iyad and Amir have CEP57 mosaic syndrome with heart problems, weakened immunity and breathing difficulties. They are also at risk of developing cancer.

To date, Iyad and Amir suffer from delayed physical and mental development. Additionally, like many MVA patients, there are other on-going health issues that need constant care and attention.

– Hicham Llaabi