© Muhammed Aslan
A father holds his son in the air. They both laugh, but the father has one leg and the boy has no limbs. The father, a Syrian refugee, lost his leg in an explosion. The boy was born this way after his mother took medication after a nerve gas attack. The picture, titled “The Hardship of Life”, won the award for best picture of the year.
The photo was taken by Turkish photographer Mehmet Aslan and selected from among thousands of entries by the international jury of the prestigious Siena International Photo Awards. According to the jury, the duality, family happiness, and horrific scars that war can leave are “emotionally charged and powerful.” The Washington Post was able to speak with the people pictured.
Father’s name is Munther Al Nazzal, a Syrian refugee. He lost his leg when he bombed a market in Idlib, Syria. His 5-year-old son Mustafa was born this way. He suffers from tetralogy of amelia, a rare birth defect believed to be caused by a medication his mother took during pregnancy after she had a poison gas attack. The family has been living in Turkey for three years now.
image title – hardship of life – It refers not only to the physical disabilities of the father and son, but also to the family’s futile search for prosthetics that should provide Mustafa with a form of independence. The photographer also stated that he hopes the photo will help the family in their search.
© Muhammed Aslan
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