Disabled Syrian refugee 'so grateful' after special US soap scene Published duration 30 September 2015

image copyright NBC image caption Actor James Scott filmed the spoof Days of Our Lives scene about disabled Syrian refugee Noujain Mustaffa

A teenage refugee has expressed her delight after a US soap opera filmed a special scene in her honour.

Noujain Mustaffa is a disabled 16-year-old Syrian migrant who travelled to Europe in her wheelchair.

A character played by James Scott "returned from the dead" to film the scene in Days of Our Lives after Noujain said she learned English by watching the show.

In a video, Noujain said she was "so grateful" and it was "her lucky day".

Noujain also used the video uploaded to YouTube to send a message to other victims of war around the world.

"You are stronger and braver than you think. Fight for what you want and I am sure you will get it," she said, speaking from a room she is sharing with her sister in Germany. She has applied for asylum in Dortmund.

media caption Noujain posted a video message online expressing her thanks to everyone involved

Noujain was one of hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have undertaken the arduous 4,000-mile (6,400km) journey to Europe in recent months.

'Incredible girl'

But her courage in attempting the journey in her wheelchair - and her unshakeable optimism - captured the attention of the world's media, initially the BBC's Fergal Keane

Noujain revealed that her accomplished English was down to watching her favourite TV show, the long-running US daytime drama Days of Our Lives, back in her home town of Kobane.

"I was waking up at 08:00 some days to watch it. That's a great show," she told BBC partner ABC . "But they killed the main character that I loved!"

That lament came to the attention of comedian John Oliver, who picked up on Noujain's story at the end of a segment examining Europe's treatment of the migrants on the latest edition of his late-night show, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

He introduced a specially filmed spoof scene in which Noujain's favourite character, EJ DiMera, played by Scott, returns from the dead to be reunited with his former lover, Sami.

"Coming back from the dead, that's not hard," EJ tells Sami - played by Alison Sweeney - during the scene. "You know what's hard? Getting from Syria to Germany."

"Have you seen what those migrants are going through?" Sami responds.

Later, EJ says: "I read about this incredible 16-year-old girl from Kobane called Noujain Mustaffa. Yes, Noujain Mustaffa," he says, looking into the camera with a smile.