How Brisbane doctor is fighting to save sick Afghan boy’s life

An Afghani-born doctor, who works at a major Brisbane hospital, is fighting desperately to help her teenage cousin escape their war-torn homeland to get lifesaving treatment.

A PA Hospital doctor born in Afghanistan is desperately trying to get a visa for her cousin who needs cancer treatment.

An Afghani-born doctor, who works at one of Brisbane’s major hospitals after escaping her war-torn homeland, is fighting desperately to bring her cancer-stricken teenage cousin to Queensland for lifesaving treatment.

Dr Masoumeh Safari has applied for an emergency medical treatment visa from the Federal Government, which she said was needed to save her 13-year-old cousin Alireza Noori, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL).

Dr Safari emigrated with her parents to Canada during the war against the Taliban in the early 2000s and later moved to Australia, where she studied medicine and is now a junior doctor at the Princess Alexandra Hospital at Woolloongabba.

Alireza Noori, who has a rare cancer called Hodgkin Lymphoma which can cause swelling in the neck.

Alireza was taken for testing near his home in the Afghan capital, Kabul, after noticing a lump behind his ear before the results were sent to Dr Safari in Australia when she realised the danger her young relative faced.

“I woke up one morning to biopsy results my uncle had sent me. He asked me ‘do you think it’s dangerous?’” she said.

“I looked at the results and I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it, I was devastated.

“It was hard to explain to his family (that) the only chance for him to survive was to be transferred outside of Afghanistan.

“Right now they cannot start him on medication or even painkillers, nothing.”

To make matters worse, Afghanistan’s hospital system collapsed last year when the government fell to the Taliban.

Many non-government organisations and aid groups were forced to suspend their operations, leaving little to no health care for millions of people.

“I saw their desperation and I felt it in my heart, a child with this diagnosis sitting there with absolutely no where to go and no hope,‘’ Dr Safari said.

“I just decided for myself, I’m going to try and help.”

She applied for an emergency medical treatment visa but they can take months to be approved.

Princess Alexandra Hospital doctor, Dr Masoumeh Safari, is fighting to bring her seriously ill 13-year-old cousin to Brisbane for lifesaving cancer treatment. Picture: Dan Peled

A Department of Home Affairs spokesman said Afghan citizens are prioritised for processing within the Humanitarian Program but the current political environment in the country was causing issues.

“The protracted and volatile situation in Afghanistan has severely limited the Department’s ability to process in-country applications for Humanitarian visas,” they said.

“All visa applicants in the Humanitarian Program must meet the visa criteria and satisfy public interest criteria for character, security and health.

“Applications are generally acknowledged in writing and processed as quickly as possible according to their date of receipt.”

Alireza’s father is currently waiting to hear if his application for a passport to leave the country was approved.

“Nothing is easy for people living in Afghanistan,” Dr Safari said.

“The current regime promised to have a meeting to decide if they should grant him a passport.

“If he gets the visa they may consider granting him one, then there is hope to get him out.”

Dr Safari said Alireza and his sisters were all “bright kids” but his sisters had to abandon their studies at Kabul‘s university when the Taliban barred women from attending.

As well, one of the sisters was recently injured during an explosion.

“These are good people, they’re just trying to survive and live a normal life,” Dr Safari said.

Alireza was in Year 7 and topped his class with dreams of becoming a pilot before the regime started closing schools.

Dr Masoumeh Safari is a junior doctor at Brisbane’s PA hospital.

“I don’t want people thinking that because he is disadvantaged and in the worst place someone can be in the world that no one cares about him” Dr Safari said.

“I’m committed to supporting him, I just can’t sit back and let a child die from a treatable condition.

“I hope the Australian government considers his medical visa.”

Dr Safari has started a GoFundMe page to support Alireza and his family‘s efforts to come to Australia and pay for medical costs.

“If anyone can see it in their hearts to contribute to saving this child’s life, for the cost of a coffee, it can go a long way,‘’ she said.

“I encourage everyone if they can help, to please not look the other way because of where he is from. We are all human.”

The Australian government has allocated 16,500 places for Afghan nationals under the Humanitarian Program, to be delivered over the next four years.