This photograph and the kindness of strangers have changed the world for one refugee father and his two young children after sparking a campaign that has raised $US170,000 ($240,000) in less than a week.
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Norway-based Icelandic journalist and activist Gissur Simonarson posted photographs of Palestinian-Syrian refugee Abdul Halim Attar and his four-year-old daughter Reem to Twitter on August 26.
The heartbreaking image of the exhausted man carrying his sleeping daughter on the streets of Beirut spread like wildfire, going viral and sparking a social media campaign called #BuyPens to track him down.
Less than 24 hours later, Mr Attar had been found.
And now, less than one week later, the crowdfunding campaign has raised $US172,548.
Until social media found him, Mr Attar had been selling pens for the past three years to provide for Reem and his son Aboudi, 9.
He and his wife parted ways when she decided to return to Syria.
On a good day selling pens, he scrapes together $US35, he told al-Jazeera.
Asked on the ABC's RN Breakfast why he thought the image struck a nerve despite the sea of images of Syrian refugees flooding international news pages, Simonarson said it was the fatigue written on Mr Attar's face and the desperate way he clutched his pens.
"It's his eyes. His look of exhaustion. It's his sleeping daughter on his shoulder. They both look like they've been living a really hard life for a long time," he said.
"It looks like these pens are everything he has in this world."
Meet Abdul and Reem. They are Syrian Refugees living in Beirut, #Lebanon & need your help! http://t.co/LFyCGjosMB pic.twitter.com/QCNXcCEtYJ— #BuyPens (@Buy_Pens)
August 27, 2015
Just got an update from @carolmalouf that she will be meeting the man in an hour! Will update with photos and info =)— #BuyPens (@Buy_Pens)
August 26, 2015
Syrian father selling pens in the streets of #Beirut with his sleeping daughter #Lebanon #Syria pic.twitter.com/KOz4mjW1rd— Gissur Simonarson CN (@GissiSim)
August 25, 2015
Simonarson said the campaign was working with the aid organisation Lebanese4Refugees to ensure the money reached Mr Attar and his family safely.
He told supporters via Twitter on Tuesday that the campaign would wrap up in 10 days and the crowdfunding site Indiegogo may take a further 15 days to process the funds.
However, he added that Lebanese4Refugees founder Carol Malouf, who contacted Abdul after his photograph went viral, was already helping the family with food and rent.
People want to know when Abdul gets his #BuyPens money. Wrote an update. Tnx @carolmalouf https://t.co/E6YrLWH346 pic.twitter.com/w4AQEBmoZk— Gissur Simonarson CN (@GissiSim)
August 31, 2015
Thrust into the global spotlight, an overwhelmed Mr Attarl, 35, told al-Jazeera that his initial response was fear, and he still felt as if he was living a dream.
"I didn't understand what was going on. One day I woke up to go to work; suddenly hundreds of people were coming up to me, trying to talk to me, and I didn't understand why."
He said he wanted to use the money to help other Syrians, many of whom were in far worse situations.
"I don't want to be the only one being helped; there are thousands of children on the streets," he said.
"I am lucky because at least I have a roof over my head and somewhere to sleep … There are many who are barely living."
