Newsroom
In a turn of events, the government of Cyprus has stepped in to cover the costs of transferring five-year-old Abraham Christoforou to Israel for specialized medical treatment, offering a glimmer of hope to a family facing a life-threatening crisis.
Abraham, who is battling Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM), a rare and severe autoimmune neurological disorder, has been under critical care at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. His condition, according to his mother, Andrea Papachristoforou, remains serious, prompting the family to seek treatment at facilities abroad with greater expertise in managing such complex cases.
In a social media post last Thursday evening, Ms. Papachristoforou shared that she received a personal phone call from the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides. “The Cypriot government will cover the cost of Abraham’s transfer and treatment in Israel,” she wrote, expressing profound gratitude. She added that the family will now close their fundraising page, with all contributions earmarked for Abraham’s full recovery.
Earlier this week, the family had appealed publicly for urgent financial and state support. Speaking to local media, Ms. Papachristoforou explained that hospitals in Israel could provide specialized care unavailable in Cyprus or the United Kingdom. She said that prior attempts to seek assistance from the Presidential Office and the Ministry of Health had yielded no response. She also noted that officials had classified the family as migrants because they had been living in England in recent years, which had delayed any formal support.
The estimated cost of the transfer and treatment ranged from £300,000 to £350,000, prompting the family to launch a fundraising campaign online. In her post announcing the government’s support, Ms. Papachristoforou thanked everyone who had contributed or offered words of encouragement, noting that their response had been “incredible” and a source of strength.
