American businessman makes generous donation to Shamiam Arif Appeal Fund

Boston management consultant Steve Rosen saw our sister paper the Herald&Post’s story about Shamiam being given a custom-made wig by the The Little Princess Trust charity and felt an immediate connection.

“I lost all my hair through alopecia when I was in my mid-30s,” he said. “It was a terrible shock at the time and yet here was this brave little girl, who’d lost most of hers after being badly burned in a fire, smiling for the camera. I knew I wanted to do anything I could to help.”

Kind-hearted Steve already supports a young girl back home in Boston. Kai Leigh Harriott was paralysed at the age of three after being accidentally shot in a gang-related event in her neighborhood.

He believes Kai Leigh and Shamiam have a lot in common – they’re both well-adjusted young people who seem unaffected by their tragic circumstances and are real-life role models in their respective communities.

When Steve flew into the UK on business recently he made a special trip to Luton to meet Shamiam and her extended family – parents Arif and Tahira, siblings Shakaib, Shamita and Monoor and Aunt Farzana and her family.

He was enormously moved by Shamiam’s zest for life while she was equally impressed by his kindness and humour – and the fact he’d come all the way from America to see her. He said: “Meeting Shamiam and her family is one of the best experiences of my life. It‘s made me a better person.”

Shamiam said: “He seems like such a nice man and we’re all looking forward to seeing him again.”

> If you’d like to help Shamiam, send a cheque to Muslim Hands (Shamiam Arif Appeal), 148 Gregory Boulevard, Nottingham NG7 5JE.