Hamza is eight years old — an age meant for adventure, imagination, and boundless curiosity. Before last summer, his days were filled with school, basketball with friends, movie nights, and losing himself in the magic of his favorite Harry Potter books. He was a bright, energetic boy who moved through the world with confidence, laughter, and ease. No one could have imagined how quickly that world would disappear.
On August 27, 2023, everything changed.
Hamza suddenly began losing his eyesight. At first, it was confusing and frightening — blurred vision, pounding headaches, and a strange inability to walk in a straight line. Within hours, his symptoms worsened. By the following day, his vision had deteriorated so rapidly that his family rushed him to the emergency department at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, terrified by how fast their once-healthy boy was slipping away.
The diagnosis was devastating.
Doctors discovered that Hamza had a pilocytic astrocytoma — a brain tumor. Though classified as benign, it was causing dangerous swelling in his brain, putting immense pressure on critical areas responsible for vision, balance, and coordination. There was no time to wait. Hamza was taken into urgent surgery to remove the tumor, his family clinging to hope as they faced every parent’s worst nightmare.
The surgery saved his life.
But the battle was far from over.
A week later, Hamza underwent a second major operation. His brain was no longer draining cerebral fluid on its own, causing excruciating pain and further damage to his vision. Surgeons implanted a permanent shunt to relieve the pressure — a device Hamza will live with for the rest of his life.
In the days and weeks that followed, specialists delivered the news his family had been dreading.
Hamza’s vision loss was permanent.
He would not regain his sight.
At just eight years old, Hamza was forced to begin a life he never prepared for — a life of darkness, adjustment, and relearning how to exist in a world he could no longer see. Simple tasks that once required no thought now demand constant assistance. Showering. Dressing. Walking safely. Eating. Playing. Even interacting with his younger sisters now requires careful guidance and support.
The things that once brought him joy are no longer accessible in the same way. He can no longer read the books he loved, watch movies with his siblings, attend school with his classmates, or play basketball with friends who still remember him as the boy who could see the hoop clearly. Soon, he will say goodbye to his school community and begin attending the South Australian School for the Vision Impaired — located on the other side of the city, adding hours of travel to each day.
At the center of all this change is Hamza’s mother, Jessica.
A single mother of seven children, Jessica has stepped into an overwhelming role with strength that few could manage. She now provides full-time care for Hamza while also raising his six siblings, including a four-year-old and an 18-month-old. Her days are consumed by hospital visits, therapy sessions, and medical appointments that occur almost daily, often lasting between two and six hours at a time.
To be there for Hamza, Jessica has had to stop her part-time work, plunging the family into financial hardship. She has also been forced to delay her plans to return to university, putting her own future on hold so she can focus entirely on helping her son heal — not just physically, but emotionally.
Jessica has little family support. Hamza’s father lives overseas and is unable to assist during this critical time. Despite everything, Jessica continues to advocate fiercely for Hamza, pushing for the best care, the right resources, and a future where her son can regain independence and confidence in his new reality.
Those who know Jessica are not surprised by her determination.
She has always been selfless. Years ago, she cared for her own mother during a terminal cancer battle. She has stepped in to help other family members without hesitation. She never asks for help. She simply carries the weight — again and again.
But this time, the weight is too heavy to carry alone.
The family is now raising funds to help meet one urgent, practical need: a reliable vehicle. Jessica’s current car is old, frequently breaks down, and creates constant anxiety around making it to critical hospital appointments on time. With seven children, she urgently needs a seven-seater vehicle — one that can safely transport Hamza to therapy, rehabilitation, school, and medical care, and eventually accommodate accessibility supports such as a guide dog.
Reliable transportation would ease daily stress, reduce financial strain from constant repairs, and give Hamza a small but meaningful sense of stability as he adjusts to a life forever changed.
Hamza is facing a difficult journey ahead.
But he is brave. Calm. Remarkably resilient.
Those who meet him speak of his gentle spirit, his quiet strength, and the way he continues to face each day with courage far beyond his years. With the right support, compassion, and resources, Hamza can learn to navigate his new world — not as a child defined by loss, but as one shaped by resilience.
By supporting this family, you are not just helping with practical needs.
You are helping an eight-year-old boy rebuild a life after unimaginable loss.
You are helping a mother stay strong when exhaustion and fear threaten to take over.
And you are reminding them that they are not alone.
Hamza’s sight may be gone — but his future, with help, does not have to be.
