WASHINGTON (AP) January 10, 2016 – A Syrian scientist stricken with cancer and seeking a new start for his family in Michigan will represent Syrian refugees as a guest of first lady Michelle Obama for the president’s final State of the Union address Associated Press reported.
President Barack Obama has committed to accepting an additional 10,000 Syrian refugees.
Refaai Hamo, his son and three daughters landed at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in December, anxious to rebuild their lives. Hamo fled to Turkey from Syria after a missile attack killed his wife and one other daughter. He was profiled on the popular photo blog Humans of New York as “The Scientist.”
The White House said Sunday that Hamo will be among about two dozen guests invited to sit near the first lady on Tuesday. The guests include several veterans and service members, including one of the three Americans who thwarted an attack aboard a Paris-bound train.
Obama read about Hamo’s story last month. His cancer had gone untreated because he lacked health insurance. More than $450,000 for the family was raised through an online fundraising campaign actor Ed Norton had set up for them.