Zaher, 13, Told the BBC He Wanted Prosthetic Legs. A Viewer Helped Raise £45,000.
A fundraiser paid for 13-year-old Zaher's surgery and prosthetic legs in Cairo after a drone strike in Khartoum, and Vinícius Júnior invited him to a match.
Zaher, a 13-year-old Sudanese boy who lost both legs in a 2024 drone strike in Khartoum, can now walk and kick a ball on prosthetic legs fitted in Cairo, Egypt. The BBC reported on Nov. 11 that his favorite footballer, Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, sent him a video message inviting him to a match.1
His recovery began with a wish he shared with the BBC. When the BBC first met Zaher in 2025, in the ruins of Khartoum, he said he wanted prosthetic legs so he could get back to football.1
“I wish I could have prosthetic legs so I can play football with my friends like I used to,” he told the BBC at the time.
He was injured in 2024. He and his mother, Habibah, were trapped in Khartoum during fighting between Sudan’s army and the RSF, and were selling lentils on the street when the drone struck.1
How a news report became a fundraiser
Dena Latif, a UK-based lawyer of Sudanese origin, saw that BBC report and helped lead an online campaign for Zaher’s medical care. It raised £45,000 (about $60,000).1
Getting him to treatment took months of planning. Zaher and his mother had no passports, and their birth certificates had been destroyed. They eventually flew to Cairo, where an apartment, food and medical appointments had been arranged.1
In Cairo, Zaher had more surgery, followed by months of physiotherapy and training to use his new legs. He also received psychological support. He can now walk and kick a ball, though he has not yet played a game of football.1
A message from Madrid
Zaher had also told the BBC that Vinícius was his favorite player. The BBC passed his wish along, and the Real Madrid forward recorded a personal video for him.1
“I really hope you will make good use of your new prosthetic legs, that you return to playing football and that you find happiness. You deserve it,” Vinícius said in the message.
Then came the invitation. “I would like to invite you to attend a Madrid match. We can spend the day together,” he said.1
“His message has really uplifted me,” Zaher said in the BBC report. He also had a message to send back: “Tell Vinícius, I love him.”1
Accepting the invitation depends on a visa, which Zaher hopes to get one day. In the meantime his plans reach well beyond the stadium. He wants to become an airline pilot, and he is eager to try horse riding and cycling.1
Back in Khartoum
Zaher and his mother have since returned to Khartoum, where they hope he can have his prosthetic legs checked and adjusted as he grows. The state of emergency there has been lifted and the army is back in control, but the city is badly damaged, and Sudan’s civil war has not ended.1
He is one of a great many children hurt by the war. Unicef says more than 17 million children in Sudan need humanitarian assistance. The agency has verified at least 4,300 children killed or maimed and believes the true figure is far higher.1
Latif hopes Zaher’s recovery will bring attention, and money, to the thousands of other Sudanese children living with life-altering injuries.1
Did this make your day? Give it a cheer.
Sources
- BBC 🔵 Real Madrid's Vinícius Jr sends surprise message to boy who lost his legs in Sudan's war Shango Media (RSS reproduction of the BBC article, the most readable version I could get), 2026-11-11
