The internationally acclaimed photo “Hardship of Life” has not only changed the life of the photo’s photographer Mehmet Aslan, but also the lives of the people he has immortalized on image. Munzir and Mustafa El Nezzel, father and son who have both lost one or both legs as a result of the protracted war in Syria, have been granted visas to receive treatment in Italy.
The photo shows Munzir lovingly raising his son in the air. Both have been disfigured by the ongoing conflict that has plagued Syria for years. Father Munzir’s leg had to be amputated after a bomb attack. Mustafa was born without legs due to the medication his mother had to take during pregnancy to counteract the effects of a nerve agent attack. The two became the faces of the nearly three million Syrian refugees living in Turkey through the photo.
Siena International Photo Awards
The photo of Mustafa and Munzir was named Photo of the Year at the Siena International Photo Awards (SIPA) and went viral internationally. The impact was particularly large in Italy. That is why Luca Venturi, the organizer of SIPA, organized a crowdfunding to provide father and son with a visa to receive treatment in Italy. This collection raised €100,000.
Gregorio Teti, head of the facility where Mustafa and Munzir will receive treatment, said Father Munzir could have made enough progress in a few weeks to be able to walk independently using prosthetic legs. For Mustafa, on the other hand, it will be a long-term task. The little boy will first get artificial legs that can be slid over his thighs to get used to. At a later age he will get some that can be attached to his hips. “Since he is still young, time is in his favour,” Teti says. “Future research will ensure that he is likely to be able to drive the car and work independently in the future.”
Last Friday, Mustafa and Munzir arrived at Rome’s Fiumicino airport, accompanied by the family’s mother and two daughters. The family plans to settle in Siena, not coincidentally the city where their photo was awarded. In an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Munzir said he is very grateful for the opportunity the family will have, especially because his children will now be able to go to school. But he also added that his greatest wish is that Mustafa one day be able to stand on both feet and embrace each other.
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