Turkey gym gifts free lifetime pass to Syrian refugee after his 'heart-breaking' photo goes viral

A young Syrian refugee in Turkey got a new year surprise Tuesday from a gym owner when a photo of his went viral on social media. 

Identified as Muhammad Hussein, the 12-year-old who earns a living as a shoeshine boy in Turkey's Adiyaman province was clicked one evening wishfully looking inside the compound of a gym from the street.

His photo posted anonymously on social media instantly clicked with the netizens who showed eagerness to help him get inside the gym. 

With an outpour of support for the boy, the supposed gym owner decided to gift the boy a free lifetime pass. 

The gym owner then clicked photos of the boy working on the machines and shared it with the media, much to their joy. 

Speaking to a local news channel, the owner said, "A boy, looking through the gym window, wearing slippers in the middle of winter and carrying his backpack. Our aim was to find him and offer him a lifetime membership here. And, we did it. He is one of our members now."

Excited with all the attention, the boy said, “'I had always dreamed of losing weight and now I believe I can do that by working out.”

Muhammad Hussein fled the brutal war in Syria and is now working to earn a living in Turkey.