Gazan boy's need for bone marrow transplant might have saved entire family

Rare immune condition led to boy being taken to Abu Dhabi for care

Falling ill with a rare immune condition may have led to a young boy from Gaza saving the lives of his entire family, as it resulted in their evacuation to the UAE.

Oday Al Jedba, 12, was one month old when his family discovered that their firstborn son was sick. He was constantly vomiting, and doctors soon told the family he needed regular blood transfusions and medications to stay alive. “He just kept vomiting and vomiting – a few weeks after he was born,” his mother, Zahrat Al Jedba, 31, told The National.

By the time war broke out on October 7, he needed up to eight immunity-boosting tablets a day, his family said. Soon after, the family was no longer able to obtain the medication he relied on. It was the lowest point they had faced.

“This was a nightmare. We were worrying about keeping not only Oday alive but the entire family,” said Ms Al Jedba. A few weeks later, they received news that Oday would be treated in the UAE and was set to board one of the first evacuation flights. “We sent him on the flight not sure if we would ever see him again,” said his father, Khaled Al Jedba, 38.

At the time, only his grandmother was allowed to accompany him. Oday and his grandmother arrived in Abu Dhabi in December 2023, and he remained in hospital for nearly a year before receiving the life-saving treatment he needed.

The boy was diagnosed with Dada-2 deficiency, a rare genetic disorder that involves inflammation of the body's tissues, especially the tissues that make up the blood vessels, which can lead to damage to the vital organs and systems, resulting in disability and even death.

Fighting the odds

Doctors at Yas Clinic in Abu Dhabi determined he needed a bone marrow transplant but his grandmother was not a match. For almost a year, the UAE worked tirelessly to bring the rest of his family to Abu Dhabi to determine whether his parents or one of his three sisters might provide a match.

“This was an emotional rollercoaster,” Mr Al Jedba said. “Were we going to survive in Gaza amid all the bombing, or would Oday stay alive until we arrived? There was not a night that we slept in peace,” he said.

On October 25, almost a year later, his mother and three sisters managed to come to the UAE. A few months later, their father joined them. The family was immediately tested to identify a suitable donor. Oday’s 15-year-old sister, Doaa, was found to be a match.

“The day we all arrived to the UAE, I bent down to the floor to kiss the ground and thank God,” said Mr Al Jedba. “We survived. We all survived.”

On March 10, Oday received his bone marrow transplant at Yas Clinic in Abu Dhabi. After almost two years of being in and out of hospital, he is now recovering at Emirates Humanitarian City, which is currently sheltering around 2,600 Gazans.

“I am so grateful that I am with my family. It is so hard and lonely at the hospital without them,” the 12-year-old said. “I didn’t think I would see my mother and family again.”

UAE offering help to those in need

The operation is one of many examples of how the UAE continues to support the people of Gaza since war broke out in the enclave.

Launched in 2023 by President Sheikh Mohamed, Operation Gallant Knight 3 has been taking place in collaboration with the Emirates Red Crescent and humanitarian and charitable institutions in the UAE, to deliver aid to those most in need.