Zahir learns to walk on prosthetic legs after Sudan drone strike and Vinicius Jr surprise
Zahir, a Sudanese boy who lost both legs in a drone strike, has been learning to walk on prosthetic legs in Cairo after thousands of pounds were raised, and has received a surprise from Vinicius Jr.
How it was covered
- BBC One was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on the prosthetic treatment, the Vinicius Jr surprise and Zahir's return to Sudan.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC Two, Channel 4, GB News, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
Zahir, a Sudanese boy who lost both legs in a drone strike in Khartoum, has been learning to walk again on prosthetic legs in Cairo, BBC One reported. The BBC's Nawal Al-Maghafi first met him in Sudan a year ago, when a drone strike had taken both his legs but not his love of football.
BBC One reported that his story led to thousands of pounds being raised for treatment in Cairo, and that the money paid for new prosthetic legs. For the past six months, Zahir has been receiving specialist treatment with his mother by his side, away from the war in Sudan.
The broadcast said his story touched people around the world. The broadcast said a message was sent to his hero, Vinicius Jr. BBC One reported that Zahir received a surprise from one of the best footballers in the world. The report showed him overwhelmed as the lights were turned off.
The evening bulletin also showed Zahir at a bowling alley in Cairo, making up for lost time. According to BBC One, he must soon return home, where the war that changed his life continues to devastate others.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| A drone strike caused Zahir to lose both legs. | |
| Thousands of pounds were raised for treatment that was unavailable in Sudan. | |
| Zahir received specialist treatment for six months with his mother present. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The lunchtime bulletin led with an uplifting follow-up to Nawal Al-Maghafi's earlier report from Sudan, centring on Zahir's new prosthetic legs and his Vinicius Jr surprise. The evening bulletin repeated the story with more detail on the fundraising, the six months of treatment in Cairo and his looming return to Sudan. Neither broadcast included direct comment from Vinicius Jr or the medical team, and both kept the focus on Zahir's personal recovery against the wider war.
- “A drone strike had taken both of Zahir's legs, but not his love for football.”
- “Thousands of pounds were raised, allowing Zahir to access the treatment he needed that was simply unavailable in Sudan.”
- “We also sent it to his hero, Vinicius Jr.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 18:26 GMT
Vinicius jr, his hero
BBC News · Wed 11 Nov
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.