Messi poses for a picture with Dominic, Dani, their father Vinu Joseph and mother Bindhu Saimon at Lusail Stadium | Express
ALAPPUZHA: It was a dream come true for Dominic, 15, and Dani Joseph, 13. The pain and suffering from the Duchenne muscular dystrophy -- a genetic disorder characterised by progressive muscle degeneration -- had hit the brothers hard, but Wednesday provided them an occasion to put that all aside.
After all, they were meeting their hero — Argentine captain Lionel Messi — at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar. Dominic and Dani also got to accompany the Croatian team for the national anthem before the beginning of their semifinal match against La Albiceleste.
My friends asked me to send an email to FIFA asking them to accommodate Dominic and Dani for the opening ceremony, says father Vinu Joseph of Velimparambil, Alappuzha. “They accepted. Officials arranged for the kids to wait in wheelchairs in the corridor linking the dressing rooms.”
Before the match, players emerged for warmup. Most of them shook hands with the children. Messi arrived, shook hands and said ‘god bless’ before proceeding on. When he returned after the workout, the kids requested a photo. He accepted without any hesitation,” says Vinu, an engineer who has been in Qatar for 12 years. “All our pain was dissolved by Messi’s touch and blessing,” said Dominic. The duo is continuing their education in Qatar. Their mother Bindhu Saimon, is their constant companion.
