A story of resilience, solidarity and networking
Two years ago we met a family from Morocco, whose situation was particularly complex as father and son had decided to come to Spain in search of better alternatives to the autoimmune disease suffered by the little boy. We committed ourselves to support them as much as we could. So far, maintaining support for this family has been possible thanks to a magnificent network that has helped in different ways.
What has happened to this family in the meantime?
The youngest son’s health condition —an autoimmune disease affecting, among other things, his kidneys— makes his situation unstable. He has had two transplants (the second in 2023). He continues to have complications that too often keep him in hospital or on daily treatment. Currently, due to a recurrence of the underlying disease, he is on a very strong treatment that affects his general condition.
Despite his difficult situation, the boy is enthusiastic about his studies. He finished the 1st year of ESO with very good results and, this year, despite his absences due to hospital admission, he passed the 2nd year with good marks. He is now fifteen years old, and with the concerns of his age, he takes every day as an opportunity to continue fighting.
Knowing that he has a safe and dignified place to live, and that he has the support of a group of people who accompany him when he needs them, has allowed his emotional health to improve. Nevertheless, he suffers from major crises of worry and sadness; as he grows older, he becomes increasingly aware of the seriousness of his illness and its consequences.
The father never ceases to amaze us with his capacity for sacrifice and resilience; a whole life dedicated to his son far from home, has made him give up many things along the way… His process of inclusion in the labor market has been, and continues to be, a challenge as he has to be aware of his youngest son’s health condition.
However, he strives to look for opportunities that will allow him to achieve his autonomy. He has been immersed in an itinerary of labor insertion that is thankfully beginning to bear fruit.
FAMILY REUNIFICATION
An important event in recent years has been the family reunification of an older son. He is currently undergoing training in hairdressing to strengthen the skills and knowledge he brought from Morocco in this activity. This could be useful in the medium term for his inclusion in the labor market and could be of great help to consolidate the family’s autonomy.
The rest of the family —the mother and the two youngest children— remain in Morocco, waiting for the Foreigner’s Office in Sevilla to accept another reunification. This is something they are all eagerly awaiting, as the doctors will not allow the youngest son to travel to Morocco and they have not even been able to hug each other for years.
The challenges for this family continue… The health situation of the youngest son means that his process of autonomy is going at a different pace to that desired. Having financial help to guarantee them a home and cover their basic needs during the periods they have needed it, has undoubtedly been very valuable in making their day-to-day life less difficult. Also, attending medical appointments when the father is working, psychological support and sharing time with them is undoubtedly being helpful.
From DPC we want to continue accompanying them on their journey as best we can. We can only thank those of you who have contributed during all this time and those who can continue to be part of the help for this family, THANK YOU!
