Friends Ali Abbas and Ahmed Farhan remain eternally grateful to Britain and its people for giving them a home after they fell foul of US bombing raids during the fall of Baghdad 20 years ago.
As people celebrated the demise of despot Saddam Hussein, Ali’s shocking story stole headlines when it was reported that the innocent child lost his family and his arms in a US raid on March 30 2003.
Admitted to intensive care in a Kuwait hospital, Ali, now 32, met Ahmed, 34, who lost his left leg and his right hand in a US air strike days later on April 4 and the pair formed an instant bond - with Ali accepting an invitation to move to the UK on the condition his pal could come too.
Living together in Kingston-Upon-Thames, south west London, Ali says they have become “more than brothers” since the devastating strikes which killed Ahmed’s 13-year-old sister Jannat and almost all of Ali’s family, including his parents.
Looking out for each other, Ahmed even helps to feed Ali with the one hand he still has – while Ali acts as a “wingman” for Ahmed, setting him up with his current wife.
Ali said: “Ahmed and I are more than brothers.
“When we first met in hospital Ahmed was alone. He didn’t have anyone with him. My uncle heard there was another Iraqi boy in the unit and he brought him to see me.
“The doctors brought his bed next to mine and we started chatting. At the time I had a little DVD player with a screen so we would watch cartoons together.
“Then we got a PlayStation as a gift and we started playing on it together. Ahmed learned to play with his left arm.
“I wanted to play with it so badly that I tried to play with my nose. Then I started using my feet and was surprised at how well I was doing with them.”
The pair still play games together now on Ahmed’s PlayStation 5 - two decades on from when they first met.
Manchester United fan Ali’s favourite game is Fifa, although he joked that he and his friend often end up “fighting” when playing as Ahmed is an Arsenal fan.
Ahmed said: “I was so happy when I met Ali in hospital because I was alone and scared. I didn’t have my mother or father with me.
“We have lived together ever since and we are always helping each other. Because I’ve got my arm I can do small things like help him if he’s struggling to eat.
“And he set me up with my wife. Ali’s ex-wife was a friend of hers and when Ali went over to her house he told her father I was a very good man.
“We then met up and it was love at first sight.”
Ahmed now has four children with his wife; Jannat, nine, Zehraa, seven, Fadhl, five, and four-month-old Khadir.
When Ali’s story was picked up by newspapers around the world in 2003 he and his carer were invited to travel to Canada for treatment.
However, Ali showed true loyalty to his friend by turning down the offer as Canada would not extend the invitation to Ahmed.
The UK made the same offer but said Ahmed could come along too.
Ali now hopes to bring his son Yusef, five, to the UK so he can receive a British education and live out Ali’s childhood dreams of becoming a doctor or a footballer.
Yusef currently lives with his mum in Baghdad but Ali says both he and Yusef’s mum have both agreed it would be best for the youngster to come to Britain.
Although Ali talks with Yusef five times a day on the phone - and visits Iraq once a year - he still misses his boy.
“I miss him a lot. It is hard when he says to me ‘when are you coming home?’” Ali said.
“He’s never been here before but he loves London. He thinks England is full of playgrounds.
“He’s five now and I’ve always wanted him to come here for his education.
“Schools in Iraq are not the same as here, I know people who have graduated from university and there’s nowhere for them to work.
“He will have a better future in the UK. I’d like to see him become a footballer or a doctor – maybe both!
“I’m trying to bring him here but it’s not so easy to apply with the Home Office.
“I told him that he’s not allowed to come and he asked if I could put him in my suitcase.
“I’m trying to get a lawyer to get him here but lawyers cost so much.”
Ali and Ahmed were injured just days apart in the spring of 2003.
They came to Britain after Mirror readers raised tens of thousands of pounds to bring Ali to the UK for treatment.
Ali now wants to set up his own charity to help disabled people like him in Iraq and Syria.
He added: “I’m lucky, I had the opportunity to come to the UK to have a better life. But there’s many people in Iraq and Syria who weren’t as lucky as me.”
He intends to make paintings with his feet and take part in sponsored runs to help raise money for the charity.
The keen runner is already planning to run the London Marathon after undergoing surgery on his knee later this year.
Ali has now finally “moved on” from the tragedy that tore apart his world.
Although he still has to apply lotion to the scars on his chest and stomach to stop them from itching, he insists he is “as happy as anyone else”.
He said: “Sometimes when people hear my story they get sad for me. But I tell them they shouldn’t be. I’m not sad for myself.
“I try to live normally and I’m enjoying my life.”
