Iranian Cancer Kid Fulfils Dream of Being a Groom

Saleh, who has been diagnosed with cancer for a long time, is now receiving treatment at Baqaei Hospital of Ahvaz.

According to a Farsi report by the Fararu news website, Saleh along with his grandfather came to Ahvaz for chemotherapy about 2 weeks ago, but his grandfather could not accompany him in the hospital. Therefore, a group of anonymous helpers took care of Saleh in the hospital.

Hoda Rashidi, a member of the “Anonymous Helpers Group”, and the organizer of the ceremony said that Saleh once told one of the group’s members that his biggest dream is to put on the groom’s suit.

“This seven-year-old child suffered a lot during the treatment, which made us make fulfilment of his dream a priority,” she added.

“We wanted to hold this ceremony as soon as possible, so we called for benefactors’ help via ‘Ahvaz Sky’ Instagram page. Many citizens welcomed the idea and it gave us more encouragement.”

“Finally, we could arrange everything including the hairdressing, atelier, decorations, gifts and the hall for the ceremony. Seven male members of the group were also chosen as the best men.

The groom’s suit and all the decorations were chosen red at Saleh’s request,” Rashidi noted.

“On the feast day, the guests were waiting for the arrival of the little groom. But his haircut and dressing took more than usual time. Apparently, his illness did not let him be on his own even on this special day.

Finally, the little groom ran his wheelchair from a decorated car. The guests were crying while the music and Bakhtiari folk dance were being performed. Saleh was taken to the hospital at the end of the ceremony while his pain was relieved a little and he was laughing from the heart,” Rashidi went on.

She said that Saleh was re-admitted to the intensive care unit, and in the following days, he got better and for the moment has been released.

“Saleh is the 200th child whose dream is fulfilled. He is also the twentieth kid who we managed to perform a field ceremony for him.”

According to Rashidi, so far, 15 kids whose dreams achieved have improved completely.

Helping fulfilment of cancer kids’ wishes is an idea that Rashidi, one of the Ahvazi benefactor women and the Director of the Cultural Institute ‘Fifth Beautiful Season’, has been developing since 2016.

‘Bashir’ was the first cancer patient to achieve his dream under this plan. This 12-year-old boy hoped to have a clean city. On January 14, 2016, with the cooperation of the people, Salman Farsi (Naderi) street of Ahvaz, which is the central market and one the most crowded streets of the city, was cleaned. Bashir is now completely healed.

After that, it was the turn of 13-year-old Abbas, who had a dream of becoming a policeman. On January 2016, he symbolically became the chief of a police station in Ahvaz.  This young man, however, could not get rid of the disease. He died in June 2016.