Ahmed Mahmoud, a thirteen-year-old boy, has travelled alone from his hometown in Egypt to seek medical treatment for his little brother who suffers from the blood disorder thrombocytopenia.<br /><br /> Ahmed’s journey started on board the boat of a people smuggler in the Egyptian port city of Alexandria.<br /><br /> He eventually arrived in the Italian city of Florence carrying medical documents describing his brother’s medical condition. <br /><br /> The quality and availability of healthcare in Egypt has been described as patchy.<br /><br /> When he arrived in Italy, the young boy told a police officer on the Italian island of Lampedusa that he wanted his younger brother to survive. <br /><br /> The officer, Maria Volpe, explained why she took Ahmed from Lampedusa to Porto Empedocle. <br /><br /> “To see a 13-year-old boy who risks his life, crossed the sea and comes in Italy only to ask for help to save his brother is a new story, among so many human cases. He said: ‘I`m here because I want to help, I want to save him and continue to play with him.”<br /><br /> The Italian government have decided to admit Ahmed’s family and treat his brother at no cost to them. <br /><br /> Authorities in Egypt meanwhile have urged the family to seek treatment there.<br />
