3-year-old brings ‘incredible’ fortune to Emirati family

Dubai - Talal's father has decided to keep the vehicle as well as the cash for his future.

Every year, Emirati Nasser Abdul Rahman Al Hammar would fill in raffle tickets to win the mega prize of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF).
Little did he know that using his three-year-old son’s name would bring the family an Infiniti QX70 and a cash prize of Dh150,000, especially when it comes after a long tough battle for the child to overcome kidney illness.
Talal Nasser was diagnosed with a medical condition that caused excessive levels of proteins in his kidney when he was two. The family got the alarming signs when they noticed their son experienced some bloating.
“The bloating didn’t go away for days, then his body started to swell. When we took him to the hospital, they kept him for a week after he was diagnosed with having excessive protein in his kidney,” said Al Hammar.
The father took him to India for treatment and came back eight months ago. The boy won the grand prize with the start of the 22nd edition of DSF when it was picked on the second day on December 28. Talal’s raffle ticket was the luckiest to be picked at the daily Infiniti Mega Raffle draw.
“It was a long journey filled with difficult times. He was allowed only a few things to eat, especially food of low salt and would cry when he watches his sister getting a treat while he doesn’t,” said the father of Talal and two other daughters Alia, 4, and Haya, 3 months old.
Now, the child is not only fully recovered, but is now the owner of an SUV and a decent cash prize.
“It is an incredible feeling. Thanks to God, my son has recovered from his illness and now I consider this prize also as a gift from God for Talal.”
He added that the car and prize money will be kept for Talal’s future. Al Hammar filled the raffle tickets during a family trip to Ras Al Khaimah last month. Stopping at a petrol station on their way, he bought tickets.
“Unlike every year, where I used my name to fill in the tickets, I tried Talal’s name and couldn’t believe it worked,” said Al Hammar.
Raffle tickets may be purchased from Eppco and Enoc petrol stations, Al Ghurair Centre, Global Village, Al Fahidi Street, Al Rigga Street, Al Seef Street, Baniyas Road and the Gold Souk. The daily raffle draw takes place every night at 10pm and is broadcast live on Sama Dubai TV.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai