Syrian Refugee Boy’s Dreams Come True When He’s Gifted Free Gym Membership for Life.
Muhammad Hussein, a young Syrian refugee and shoe shiner, was photographed standing outside of the Olimpiyat Spor gym holding his shoeshine stand and staring into the workout facility. The fitness center shared the photo of the boy online, asking for the people of the internet to help them find him.
Turkish social media was heartbroken over the viral photo of a Syrian refugee shoeshine boy staring in from the outside of a southeast Turkey gym (left). So the gym gave the 12-year-old Muhammad Hussein a free lifetime membership. (right, DHA photo) pic.twitter.com/NCTXvV4I5F
— Borzou Daragahi 🖊🗒 (@borzou) January 9, 2018
The photograph soon went viral and was shared thousands of times by Twitter users around the world. The public was able to identify the boy easily, and the gym offered 12-year-old Hussein a free gym membership for life and some fitness gear for him to work out in.
Here's a photo of Muhammad Hussein, 12, and Turkish gym co-owner Engin Dogan. Via @dhainternet https://t.co/oLww27qJWq pic.twitter.com/WLs6HUIl0X
— Borzou Daragahi 🖊🗒 (@borzou) January 9, 2018
“It affected me very much because we came from nothing and we did not have such a gym in our time,” Mustafa Kucukkaya, one of the fitness center’s owners said. “The Turkish people are very sensitive about this issue, I am very touched, I think we are doing something very good.”
The young boy said he has the goal of losing weight. Best of luck to him on his fitness journey.
