Behind the ‘photo of the year’: Life without limbs for a Syrian father and his son

Syrian begetter Munzir al-Nazzal struggles to get by since helium was injured in a bombing connected a marketplace and fled to Turkey. But what occupies his thoughts astir of the clip is not the limb helium lost: It’s the aboriginal of his five-year-old son, Mustafa, who was calved without limbs.

The 2 are the subjects of a photograph by Turkish lensman Mehmet Aslan, which came first out of thousands arsenic photograph of the twelvemonth successful the yearly Siena International Photo Awards.

“We wanted to bring attraction to this,” said Aslan, who hopes the representation volition item the exile child’s quest for prosthetics. “The lad ever has tons of energy. The begetter seems to person fixed up.”

He told The Washington Post helium had met the begetter of 3 successful confederate Turkey adjacent the Syrian borderline wherever they lived successful a shop. The parents person since moved successful an effort to get assistance for Mustafa, their eldest, who needs aesculapian attraction they cannot afloat afford, and peculiar prostheses they cannot find successful Turkey.

“I curse I’ve gone from 1 infirmary to another. There isn’t a municipality wherever I haven’t asked astir this, but thing has travel of it,” Munzir told The Post.

Mustafa, who was calved with the congenital disorder tetra-amelia, smiles arsenic helium rolls connected the carpet, earlier his small sister picks him up and places him connected a sofa. “This is however helium is, but he’s so, truthful smart,” his begetter said.

His household has relied mostly connected foundation successful much than 3 years since they escaped Idlib, the past large pouch of Syria successful the hands of Islamist rebels aft 10 years of war, which has travel nether attacks by authorities forces with their allies.

That country of bluish Syria sits on a borderline dotted with camps crammed with refugees. In a decennary of conflict, millions of Syrians person poured into Turkey and different countries successful the region. The photographer, Aslan, hopes the photograph mightiness besides assistance easiness a backlash against exile communities successful Turkey wherever immoderate blasted them for economical woes.

His representation — which helium titled “Hardship of Life” and which jurors described arsenic “emotionally strong” — volition beryllium placed connected show with others successful an grounds successful Italy this month.

“The representation has reached the world,” said the boy’s mother, Zeinab. “We’ve tried for years to get our voices heard by anyone who would listen, to assistance with his treatment. We’d springiness thing to springiness him a amended life.”

Zeynep Karatas successful Istanbul contributed to this report.