Up to 80,000 euros to bring 6-year-old Younes back from Egypt: Italy steps in

The Majidi family’s holiday in Egypt took a turn from the very first day. On August 3, Younes, aged 6 and a half, was playing in the pool at his hotel in Sharm el-Sheikh when he was found unconscious. The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that the child suffered cardiac arrest following a drowning.

Since then, Younes has been hospitalized in critical condition in intensive care at Piramide International Hospital in Sharm el-Sheikh. The child is an Italian national and of Moroccan origin. His father, Kamal Majidi, and his uncle Mounssif Rafia are also of Moroccan origin and Italian nationality.

On Bladi.net : article 122383

Another problem was quickly added to the medical emergency: the cost of returning to Italy. The family did not have insurance covering such an operation. On August 25, the father told La Repubblica that a medically assisted flight was estimated to cost between 60,000 and 80,000 euros.

Expenses were also mounting in Egypt. According to the Italian daily, the hospital bill had already reached around 20,000 dollars. Faced with the situation, relatives launched a fundraiser to finance the repatriation.

The mobilization was massive. On August 26, around 1,000 people had already donated 40,000 euros. By Monday evening, the GoFundMe fundraiser showed that more than 89,000 euros had been raised through some 2,600 donations, with the target increased to 90,000 euros.

Rome now organizes his return

In the meantime, the situation was resolved on the Italian authorities’ side. Following a new MRI, the doctors treating Younes in Egypt and their Italian counterparts determined that the child could now be transported by plane.

Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital in Turin declared itself ready to take charge of him. The Italian Embassy in Cairo is now coordinating arrangements between the facility in Sharm el-Sheikh, the Turin hospital, the foundation responsible for organizing the medical repatriation, and the airport authorities.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is personally following the case with the embassy and the president of the Piedmont region, Alberto Cirio. Rome also announced that its embassy would cover part of the medical expenses incurred by the family in Egypt.

On Bladi.net : article 115318

Younes is also licensed to play in the youth teams of the L84 Torino futsal club. The Italian five-a-side football division has also mobilized to spread the word about the fundraising campaign organized to bring him back to Italy.