A Jordanian mother's plea to save her toddler has been answered by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, who will cover the cost of medical treatment for Katia Abu Al Saud.
Dubai Media Office has announced Katia will receive treatment at Al Jalila Children's Hospital in the emirate. Katia, who is 16 months old, has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic disorder. The hospital said she is currently still in Jordan and further information will be shared when the family arrives in the UAE.
Katia's mother, Nour Roudnahal, appealed for assistance with the costly treatment and her request gained attention on social media. She has documented her daughter's struggle with the condition, which affects nerve cells in the spinal cord.
At six months old, Katia's parents took her for a routine check-up, where the doctor observed that her movements differed from those of typical infants her age. After the paediatrician's advice, they monitored her progress but her difficulties persisted.
The family then pursued a number of medical tests to determine the cause of Katia's limited movement. After SMA was diagnosed, they began physiotherapy and medication. However, Ms Roudnahal has posted that there is no cure.
However, she said an injection of a drug called Zolgensma could help Katia. Zolgensma costs up to $2.4 million, which the family could not afford, prompting their appeal for financial assistance. Additionally, the gene therapy is not available in Jordan.
The family launched an online fund-raising campaign for Katia's treatment, which received widespread support. All donations were collected and transferred to a US account.
Now, with Sheikh Mohammed’s generous donation to bear the full cost of the treatment, the family has found renewed hope to help Katia.
SMA treatment in the UAE
For several years, doctors in the UAE have successfully administered the gene-therapy drug Zolgensma to children with SMA. This one-off intravenous infusion replaces the faulty or missing SMN1 gene and is used primarily for children under two years old.
The National previously reported that UAE regulators have also given the go-ahead for the use of Itvisma, a drug that will enable gene therapy to be administered to older SMA sufferers.
While Zolgensma is suitable for infants only, Itvisma, approved by the Emirates Drug Establishment after the thumbs-up from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), can be given to older children, as well as teenagers and adults.
Treatment is expected to come at a high cost, with Zolgensma, which works in a similar way, having once been described as the most expensive drug in the world, with a price tag of more than $2 million per treatment.
Katia's condition
For transparency and credibility, Ms Roudnahal shared the medical reports to confirm Katia's condition, with some information redacted to protect privacy.
Katia, born on April 2, 2025, appears to have symptoms and characteristics consistent with SMA type 2, a rare genetic neuromuscular disorder characterised by progressive weakness and loss of control of movement.
Dubai Ruler's generosity
Sheikh Mohammed has consistently funded life-saving treatments for children with serious illnesses.
In March 2021, the Dubai Ruler covered the Dh8 million ($762,300) treatment for Iraqi toddler Laveen Jabbar Al Kutyashi, who received Zolgensma at Al Jalila.
In July 2025, he pledged to pay Dh7 million in treatment costs for a Syrian girl with SMA after hearing her father's public appeal.
He also sponsored treatment for 15-year-old Fatima Ahmed Hassan, who was diagnosed with sarcoma cancer. After several months of care, she was declared cancer-free.
The Al Jalila Foundation, supported by Sheikh Mohammed, continues to advance medical research and fund treatment for patients, especially children.
