Friends, strangers rally to help Syrian family of 6 kids with ailing parents

Friends and supporters of a struggling Syrian family living in northeast Calgary are racing against the clock to raise money to help them.

Sami and Rounza Alnaimy came to Calgary full of hope and excitement in 2015 after fleeing war in their home country and enduring months in a refugee camp.

But soon after arriving in Calgary, things went downhill for the family.

Sami discovered he needed open heart surgeries and now lives with serious health issues. Then his wife, Rounza, was diagnosed with the deadly neurological disease ALS. She has deteriorated quickly to the point where she may only have days left to live.

In the background are the couple's six children.

They face an uncertain future — with no other family in Canada.

Kids under 'most horrific pressures'

The eldest daughters, aged 11 and 13, have alternated missing school to help their father look after their younger siblings — ages two, four, eight and nine.

The girls also pitch in to help with their mother, who is in hospital and needs 24-hour care. She can no longer speak, breathe, swallow or move.

"They've watched their mom slowly deteriorate. That's one of the most horrific pressures they've been under," said Aseel Qazzaz, a Calgarian who has helped the family since their arrival in Alberta.

"They've missed a lot of school, which is sad because one of the main reasons they came here is to have a better future for their children.

"It's heartbreaking."

One long-term solution for the children would be to bring family members, who are living as refugees in Lebanon, to Calgary.

They could help raise the kids, who are permanent residents in Canada. Assistance from family would provide them stability and a more normal life, also helping them integrate and succeed in their new lives in Canada.

Qazzaz started a GoFundMe page to raise around $36,100 to sponsor the children's grandparents, an aunt and an uncle to come and live with the family. As of Wednesday evening, the GoFundMe had raised close to $19,000.

"It's essential for their well being, especially as adults. Worst-case scenario, if something were to happen to Sami, what would happen to the children? It's something I don't want to think about because they've suffered enough," the family friend said.

"I remember seeing them so excited about going to school, and it was so heartwarming.

"Then for this to go and happen, we're depriving them of a second chance."

The Calgary Immigrant Support Society has been working with the Mennonite Central Committee and the federal government to try to secure sponsorships for additional family members.

The committee donated an initial $10,000 to help the sponsorships become a reality.

'The difference of surviving'

Saima Jamal, a co-founder of Calgary Immigrant Support Society, said the group had to work hard to have the committee understand this family's situation. Private sponsorship has become more difficult, she said, after the large acceptance of Syrian refugees in 2015.

"I can't tell you how difficult it is to sponsor a refugee family these days," Jamal said. "[The committee members] were so gracious to make a spot for these four family members to come.

"But time is of the essence. The mom is going to pass away any day now."

Jamal said she's hoping an exception can be made to speed up the immigration process for the Alnaimys. 

"To have a support system will make all the difference of surviving — of finally getting a break and some happiness for this family," she said.