Miracle Across the Mediterranean: Yahia's Journey to a New Life

Abdulaziz Aldarwish, unable to afford dialysis in Lebanon for his son Yahia, embarked on a perilous journey to Cyprus to seek a kidney transplant. Surviving rough seas, they reached Cyprus and were later flown to Greece. Yahia received a transplant in Greece, symbolizing hope and international medical cooperation.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 30-03-2026 14:36 IST | Created: 30-03-2026 14:36 IST
Miracle Across the Mediterranean: Yahia's Journey to a New Life

Abdulaziz Aldarwish made a choice of life and death after his son Yahia's kidneys failed. The Syrian construction worker, unable to meet the 1,200 euros required monthly for dialysis in war-torn Lebanon, charted a daring escape to Cyprus on hopes of medical assistance.

The decision, fueled by 5,000 euros scraped from savings and family loans, led them on a perilous journey aboard a migrant boat, seeking salvation 200 km away. Yahia, among the youngest to receive a transplant at Greece's Onassis National Transplant Center, signifies the breakthroughs possible via international collaboration.

Their passage was fraught with peril as they survived a week adrift in the Mediterranean before reaching Cyprus. Greek and Cypriot cooperation allowed the duo to Athens for the lifesaving procedure, marking a testament to faith against insurmountable odds.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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