A 13-year-old Gambian who was born without external ears has arrived in Celtic, Scotland to undergo surgery at Monklands hospital.
Muhammed Cham, known as Alieu, is in the country for an operation that will allow him to hear for the first time.
He attends a school for the deaf in The Gambia after being born with no external ears.
Lanarkshire charity Project Gambia: People Feeding People have been behind the bid to change the 13-year-old’s life and now he will attend Sunday’s Scottish Cup clash between Celtic and St Johnstone.
Alieu has previously been pictured in a Hoops top that was donated to him through the charity, and will now be a special guest at Celtic Park for the game.
The surgery from Arunachalam Perumkulam Iyer and his team at University Hospital Monklands will hopefully change his life.
Project Gambia co-founder Paul Lafferty said: “We would like to thank everyone who has helped make this impossible venture possible, including all those people who played such an important role in ensuring the completion and granting of Alieu’s visa application as well as all those amazing people who are providing this brilliant medical support.
“We’d also like to give a special thank you to all of our fantastic supporters and volunteers, who have been supporting and praying for us every step of the way and have made this dream come true. Alieu knows us all well through visiting his school so we are no strangers to him.
“My wife and my daughter, Rebecca, have met him as well, so he’ll be one of the family while he’s here. Despite, the challenges in his life Alieu is someone who tries hard to do the things any other little boy would do. He loves football and to visit Celtic Park will be the icing on the cake for Alieu and I am sure an experience he will never forget.”
A spokesperson for Celtic added: “Clearly, Alieu has been through so much in his life and it is fantastic now that is achieving such life changing support through the hard work of Project Gambia.
“It is amazing that he already has a Celtic jersey and knowledge of the club through our previous contact with the charity and now we are delighted to welcome him to Celtic Park, where we hope he has a day to remember.”
