My Name is Mohamad Abdulkader Lababidi. I was born and raised in Aleppo, Syria—a city once celebrated for its ancient citadels and bustling markets, now scarred by war. My life has been a relentless dance between two forces: “hemophilia”, a genetic disorder I inherited, and the chaos of a conflict that turned streets into battlegrounds. These twin struggles have shaped who I am, but they have not defined my limits.
“Living with Hemophilia: A Daily Battle for Survival”
Hemophilia in Syria is not just a medical condition; it is a life sentence. Simple acts—like brushing my teeth or climbing stairs—carry risks. A minor cut could lead to hours of bleeding, and dental treatments? Impossible. The lack of Factor VIII injections and doctors’ unfamiliarity with the disorder forced me to become my own advocate. At 15, I developed kidney stones. The pain was excruciating, but the “solution” was worse: outdated plasma transfusions instead of proper clotting agents. For weeks, I endured sleepless nights, clutching my side, while doctors shrugged helplessly.
Even diagnosis was a labyrinth. Blood tests contradicted each other—one day my Factor VIII level was 2%, the next 5%. “Which result is true?” I asked. No one knew. This uncertainty became my shadow, a constant reminder that my body was a puzzle no one could solve.
A Society That Sees Weakness, Not Humanity
In Syria, illness is a stigma. At school, teachers mocked my absences, unaware that a single nosebleed could hospitalize me. Classmates called me “glass boy,” whispering that I’d shatter if touched. The worst blow came during a history exam. I collapsed from joint pain, my knee swollen like a balloon. Instead of help, the principal accused me of faking to avoid the test. “Go home,” he said. “You’re a burden to this class.”
Outside school, the judgment deepened. When I confessed my condition to a girl I admired, her family forbade her from seeing me. “We don’t want sick blood in our lineage,” they said. Hemophilia, invisible to the eye, became a mark of shame—a secret I carried like a second skin.
War: When Survival Overshadows Everything
The war didn’t just destroy buildings; it shattered any semblance of normalcy. In 2016, a mortar shell hit our neighbor’s house. The blast shattered our windows, and shrapnel pierced my bedroom wall—inches from where I slept. For months, I studied by candlelight, textbooks propped against rubble. Universities, once my escape, became death traps. Professors fled; libraries burned.
Yet, in the darkness, I found light. With no access to lectures, I turned to philosophy. Nietzsche’s words—“What does not kill me makes me stronger”—echoed in my mind as I read by flashlight. Hobbes’ theories on justice fueled my resolve to study law. These books weren’t just pages; they were lifelines, teaching me to channel rage into purpose.
Hemophilia: The Unlikely Teacher
Pain is a harsh instructor, but it taught me lessons no school could. Chronic joint damage forced me to sit still for hours—a curse that became a gift. I devoured works on human rights, scribbling notes in margins. Marcus Aurelius’ meditations on endurance mirrored my reality: “You have power over your mind—not outside events.”
My eye condition, nystagmus, made reading a struggle. Words danced on the page, but I refused to quit. I memorized paragraphs, turning weaknesses into discipline. Slowly, I realized: hemophilia didn’t make me fragile; it made me relentless.
A Plea to the World: See Us, Hear Us
To the outside world, Syria is a headline—a blur of bombs and refugees. But behind the statistics are people like me, fighting silent wars. We don’t need pity; we need “action”. Factor VIII isn’t a luxury; it’s a lifeline. Education isn’t a privilege; it’s a right.
My dream? To stand in a courtroom, defending those whose voices are drowned by war and prejudice. To prove that a “broken” body can house an unbreakable spirit. My story isn’t unique—it’s a mirror reflecting thousands of untold struggles. See them. Hear them.
To read my full story in my own words here …..
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ju0uwGxoApgy2cxVeGj8npXyMy2Tn4Yt/view?usp=drivesdk
And please Follow my journey on X (Twitter) here:
https://x.com/Mohamad15355791?t=ABhKC_G_01Q3c3i-wEvatw&s=09
Join me as I share raw, unfiltered truths about living with hemophilia in a war-torn land. Every word is a cry for justice.