Yusra's dream by Hani Abbas. All rights reserved, Hani Abbas for SEP, April 2016. 

18 years ago, Yusra’s brother Abdulrahman was rushed to hospital due to a severe kidney failure. His sickness broke his mother and sister’s hearts, “I hate remembering those days, they were the most miserable times of my life...whenever my mind strays to those memories, I try to distract myself” Yusra said.  

With a pained voice, Yusra told us that Abdulrahman had to go to hospital three times a week for dialysis, each treatment lasting about four hours, for four years until he finally underwent a kidney transplant operation. The donor: his mother, who had to go through many medical examinations including biopsies, electrocardiograms, and an array of general health tests.  

Abdulrahman is now 38 years old and is still receiving medical care for his kidneys. These ongoing expenses have made it impossible for the family to pay back all the debt accumulated over the years for treatment and the transplant operation.  

Throughout all those difficult times, Yusra has always been there for her mother and brother psychologically and physically. However, she felt helpless on the financial front. “I was so drained from constantly thinking about all the money we owe and how we can pay it back.” Yusra said, “Since working with SEP, I’m no longer worried about the money we owe all the time”.  

While Yusra still suffers from anxiety about her family’s debt at times, she has lately had something else on her mind, which she is grateful for. When asked about her dreams, Yusra said she is a simple girl with a simple dream; she really wants to be the owner of a smartphone. “It’s silly, I know.” said Yusra “There are so many priorities; my real dream is for my family and I to never need help from anyone.”  

What SEP says about Yusra: A wonderful example of diligence and determination, Yusra has now mastered the Alhambra pattern despite struggling to perfect it at first. She is such a sharp young lady whose wit always brings smiles to the SEP house. We find her lightheartedness in spite of all she has gone through with her family truly inspiring.  

By Nada Aradeh and Shuhd Al Sharki