Syrian refugee whose wife and daughter were killed in missile attack among special guests invited to President Barack Obama's final State of the Union address 

  • Refaai Hamo's story appeared on popular Humans of New York photo blog 
  • Escaped to Turkey after his wife and daughter were killed in missile attack
  • Arrived in Detroit, Michigan, with his son and three daughters in December
  • He's among two dozen special guests invited by First Lady Michelle Obama
  • See full news coverage on Barack Obama at www.dailymail.co.uk/obama 

By JAY AKBAR FOR MAILONLINE

Published: | Updated:

A Syrian refugee whose wife and daughter was killed in a missile attack has been invited to the White House for President Barack Obama's final State of the Union address.

Refaai Hamo, a scientist who is suffering from Cancer, will attend the event as a guest of First Lady Michelle Obama. 

He was profiled in the popular Humans of New York (HONY) blog, who referred to him as 'The Scientist', after landing in Michigan with his son and three daughters in December.

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Refaai Hamo (pictured), a scientist who is suffering from Cancer, was invited to the event after he appeared on the popular Humans of New York blog

Refaai Hamo (pictured), a scientist who is suffering from Cancer, was invited to the event after he appeared on the popular Humans of New York blog

He will attend President Obama's (right) State of the Union address as a guest of First Lady Michelle Obama (left)

He will attend President Obama's (right) State of the Union address as a guest of First Lady Michelle Obama (left)

The White House said Hamo would be among about two dozen special guests invited to sit near the First Lady on Tuesday.

They include several war veterans and armed service members, including one of the three Americans who thwarted a terror attack on a Paris bound train.

The guest list encompasses the issues that Obama has tried to highlight while in office, including health insurance. 

Obama read about Hamo's story on the HONY blog last month and learned of how his cancer had gone untreated because he did not have health insurance.

The White House described him as living his own version of the 'American dream' in Syria.

Obama read about Hamo's (centre) story on the HONY blog last month and learned of how his cancer had gone untreated because he did not have health insurance

Obama read about Hamo's (centre) story on the HONY blog last month and learned of how his cancer had gone untreated because he did not have health insurance

The White House said Hamo (left) would be among about two dozen special guests invited to sit near the First Lady on Tuesday

The White House said Hamo (left) would be among about two dozen special guests invited to sit near the First Lady on Tuesday

He married his college sweetheart and together, they built a life and family before a missile tore through the complex where his family lived.

Yes, you can still make a difference in the world, and we're proud that you'll pursue your dreams here. Welcome to your new home. You're part of what makes America great
Barack Obama on Refaai Hamo's 'Humans of New York' post

Obama told Hamo through a Facebook post: 'Yes, you can still make a difference in the world, and we're proud that you'll pursue your dreams here. Welcome to your new home. You're part of what makes America great.'

Through a fundraising campaign set up by actor Ed Norton, more than $450,000 was raised for his family.

In response to Hamo's invitation to the White House, HONY wrote: 'I think the President's inclusion of a Syrian refugee is a powerful and important gesture in itself. And it's so cool for me that he chose a refugee who's story he learned on HONY.'

Other guests invited to the State of the Union address include a California man whose partner was killed in the San Bernardino attack, the first female Army Reserve officer to graduate from the Army's elite Ranger School and a plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case that found same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. 

The guest list at the State of the Union address encompasses the issues that Obama (pictured) has tried to highlight while in office, including health insurance

The guest list at the State of the Union address encompasses the issues that Obama (pictured) has tried to highlight while in office, including health insurance

One seat will be left empty to represent the victims of gun violence.

Obama has committed to accepting another 10,000 Syrian refugees into the United States, but some Republican lawmakers and presidential candidates have been critical of the expansion.

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz said the two Iraqi refugees who were recently arrested on terror charges came to the US 'using the same vetting that President Obama wants us to trust with Syrian refugees'.

SPECIAL GUESTS INVITED TO OBAMA'S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS 

  • Sue Ellen Allen of Scottsdale Arizona, co-founder of a nonprofit that helps former prisoners re-enter society.
  • Gloria Balenski of Schaumburg, Illinois, a woman who lost her job during the recession and whose husband was in danger of losing his job at an auto manufacturer. The couple wrote a letter to the president thanking him for economic priorities he pursued during the recession.
  • Jennifer Bragdon of Austin, Texas, a woman attending junior college in hopes of becoming a teacher.
  • Edith Childs of Greenwood, South Carolina, a local councilwoman who during a 2007 campaign stop, led the chant 'Fired Up.' The crowd replied 'Ready to go.' The call and response became an unofficial slogan for Obama's two presidential campaigns.
  • Cynthia 'Cindy' Dias of Las Vegas, a formerly homeless veteran.
  • Mark Davis of Washington, District of Columbia, who started a small business that trains low-income people to install solar panels.
  • Cary Dixon of Huntington, West Virginia, a mom who has called on family members to speak up about drug abuse as a sickness, which reinforces Obama's call to direct more resources into drug prevention programs.
  • Lydia Doza of Klamath Falls, Oregon, a Native American pursuing a degree in software engineering at Oregon Tech.
  • Lisa Jaster of Houston, a major who became the first female Army Reserve officer to graduate from the Army's elite Ranger School.
  • Mark Luttrell, the Republican mayor of Shelby County, Tennessee, who has helped create specialty courts for veterans and those with mental health or drug problems as part of an effort to promote effective rehabilitation.
  • Dannel P. Malloy of Hartford, Connecticut, a Democratic governor who has led efforts to increase the minimum wage and tighten gun laws following the massacre of 20 elementary school students in Newtown.
  • Braeden Mannering of Bear, Delaware, a 12-year-old who started his own nonprofit that provides healthy food to the homeless and poor.
  • Satya Nadella of Bellevue, Washington, the CEO of Microsoft. Under his leadership, the company increased its paid leave benefits to 20 weeks for new mothers and 12 weeks for adoptive parents.
  • Jim Obergefell of Cincinnati, Ohio, the plaintiff in the landmark case establishing that same-sex couples have the constitutional right to marry.
  • Kathleen O'Toole of Seattle, the chief of the Seattle Police Department, who has focused on community policing and undertook a pilot program in which officers wear body cameras.
  • Ryan Reyes of San Bernardino, California, an activist whose partner was among the 14 killed Dec. 2 in the attack by a radicalized couple. He wrote in defense of the Muslim community saying the twisted actions of a few should not be used to view the majority.
  • Ronna Rice of Greeley, Colorado, a small-business owner whose company has benefited from trade in Asia.
  • Cedrick Rowland of Chicago, who helps people find health care insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
  • Naveed Shah of Springfield, Virginia, a veteran originally from Saudi Arabia who fought in Iraq.
  • Earl Smith of Austin, Texas, a veteran who gave Obama a military patch he had worn while serving in Vietnam. Smith kept the patch for 40 years, from Vietnam to his pardon after serving three years in prison for a wrongful conviction. Smith gave Obama the patch when he met the then-senator during the 2008 presidential campaign. Obama carried it with him the rest of the campaign.
  • Staff Sgt. Spencer Stone of Sacramento, California, who, along with Anthony Sadler and U.S. Army Specialist Alex Skarlatos, stopped a man from opening fire on passengers aboard a crowded Paris-bound train.
  • Oscar Vazquez of Fort Worth, Texas, a veteran who came to the U.S. from Mexico as a child and now works as a business analyst and advocate for Latino students.

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