Princess Haya of Hearts opens one-of-a-kind pediatric centre in Dubai

If you don’t want your heart to melt, look away now.

Princess Haya bint Al Hussein looked right at home as she cuddled little kids and laughed with them during the opening of her brand new pediatric centre in Dubai this week.

The High Hopes Pediatric Therapy Centre provides expert care for children with “moderate to complex special needs,” according to online magazine Emirates Woman.

Children aged between 0-13 can be treated at the facility, which specializes in everything from “genetic and neurodevelopmental disorders to delayed development and self-care difficulties,” the magazine added.

The centre was funded and set up by the generous Majid and Lynn Jafar, who received sincere thanks from her Highness following her visit.

“Majid and Lynn Jafar’s life changed when their daughter was born with a rare genetic disorder,” wrote the royal on Instagram.

“Today, beautiful Alia is 3 years old and struggles with almost daily epilepsy and other difficulties, unable to walk or talk. Motivated to do all they can to help her, her parents travelled the world in search of the best therapies.

Inspired by all they learned and the daily challenges of Alia and other children with complex special needs, the Jafars have now established High Hopes Dubai Pediatric Therapy Center, which I was proud to open today.”

The impressive facility is the first of its kind in the region, where children will be cared for by “a team of hand-picked experts from across the world,” Princess Haya revealed.

What makes the centre special?

It has a sensory room and swimming pool on site, and hopes to serves as a “much-needed refuge for children with complex special needs,” said Lynn Jafar.

“High Hopes offers a solution for parents who spend a lot of time trying to find the right services for their children, and settling for less than ideal care – it offers a place where the super special ones can make progress and have fun.”

It’s those children that Princess Haya—who is also chairperson of Dubai Healthcare City Authority—honoured on the day, telling her Instagram followers “their determination is an inspiration to us all.”