Dubai: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has stepped in to fund the treatment of a young Jordanian girl diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

According to the Dubai Media Office, Katya Abu Al-Saud will receive treatment at Al Jalila Hospital in Dubai, with all associated treatment costs covered. The child began showing signs of delayed motor development at around six months of age, prompting her family to seek medical care.

Katya requires a specialised gene therapy that is not currently available in Jordan. The treatment can cost up to US$2.4 million, a sum her family said was beyond their financial means. Doctors have indicated that the therapy needs to be administered before the child reaches the age of two.

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The family had appealed for financial assistance online, with Katya’s story gaining attention and support. The intervention will now allow her to receive the required treatment in Dubai.

The case reflects previous instances in which the Dubai Ruler has supported life-saving medical treatment for children with serious illnesses.

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