During a ceremony held in his honour, in the presence of his mother who accompanies him in this long and difficult battle against illness, emotion proved contagious among those hearing his story for the first time, as well as those who have closely witnessed this touching human journey, starting with the medical staff following his case.
Emotion reached its peak when the young boy, who dreams of one day returning to Morocco to serve as a police officer, received from the Ambassador of His Majesty the King to France, Samira Sitaïl, a gift from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) in the form of a national police uniform tailored to his size.
“Nizar is a child we would all like to have, whom we would all like to accompany on his journey, in his struggle, in his battle against illness. He suffers from an extremely rare disease,” Ms Sitaïl explained in a statement to MAP.
She particularly praised the mobilisation of his parents, who have never given up to ensure he could benefit from the best possible care, paying special tribute to the courage of his mother, equally a “heroine,” who came to France to accompany her son, who has suffered physically almost since his birth on January 21, 2014, in Marrakech.
At the age of just seven months, he was confronted with a serious and rare digestive disease, with a severe life prognosis, requiring specialised medical care as well as long months of hospitalisation in Morocco, before being transferred to Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital in Paris and later to the Margency Children’s Hospital of the French Red Cross.
Detailing Nizar’s case, Isabelle Pharon, chief physician of the Margency Children’s Hospital, indicated that the care provided in this facility is a continuation of that administered in Morocco and in Paris for this rare disease, which originates at the genetic cellular level and can affect several organs.
“We continued his medical management while placing him in a normal life setting, meaning participating in his schooling and in all the activities a child requires,” added the practitioner, who represented the facility at the ceremony alongside the hospital’s director, Fatima Oudghiri.
Following her exchanges with the Ambassador, the child’s mother said she was deeply moved by the welcome extended to them at the Moroccan Embassy, thanking all parties who contributed to the improvement of her son’s condition and who continue to support him, notably members of the National Social Action Association of Personnel of the National Police and the French Ministry of the Interior.
According to the association’s vice-president, Samira Beillot, it was a meeting with Nizar that triggered a flagship initiative of the association, which “reaches out to seriously ill and hospitalised children to offer them a moment of exchange, what we call ‘a breath of fresh air,’ and to present them with gifts where possible, but above all to create a link between the police and the population.”
Since 2020, the National Social Action Association of Personnel of the National Police and the French Ministry of the Interior has organised throughout mainland France “Operation 17.17,” in reference to the Police Emergency number, she explained to MAP, specifying that “following the meeting with Nizar, we decided to expand across the entire national territory” this initiative inspired by his wish to become a police officer.
She also took the opportunity to commend the journey of this young boy from Morocco, whose courage and resilience are deeply impressive, and who recounts his story with remarkable maturity.
Editorial team/le7tv