Sleepy Syrian Refugee Struggles To Stay Awake During Obama's State Of The Union Address [VIDEO]

A Syrian refugee who was invited to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address was apparently a little sleepy during the nearly hour-long speech.

Refaai Hamo, who now lives in Troy, Michigan with his son and three daughters, attended Tuesday's event as a special guest and sat in first lady Michelle Obama's visitor box. The 54-year-old, who suffers from stomach cancer, arrived in America late last year after fleeing to Turkey from Syria following a missile attack on his home that killed his wife and one daughter.

As Obama was speaking about the plight of the refugees, the television camera panned over to Hamo, who was clearly struggling to stay awake.

To be fair, Obama's SOTU was the 16th longest since 1966, according to The American Presidency Project, clocking in at a total of 58 minutes and 40 seconds.

Hamo was profiled earlier this month on the popular photo blog Humans of New York and identified as "The Scientist." He said in text accompanying seven photos that he "was overseeing a project outside the city when the missile hit my house" and those of relatives next door. He said 16 people died, seven from his family, and he left Syria "with nothing."

Hamo said his cancer has gone untreated because he lacked insurance, and wants to get well so he can "make a lasting contribution to humanity."

After reading the story, Obama welcomed Hamo to the US, calling him "an inspiration" on the president's official Facebook page.

"Michigan will embrace you with the compassion and support you deserve," Obama's post said. "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