|
Success
Stories
Mostafa
 Mostafa
and his brother, Haider, were on their way to buy sweets at a Basra
market when a
missile struck.
Haider was six years old at the time and
Mostafa
was four. Haider was killed and Mostafa's
body was riddled with more than 130 pieces of shrapnel. He lost two
fingers from his dominant hand, and half of his liver had to be removed.
No More Victims brought Mostafa and his mother, Umm
Haider, to the
United States
in early
April 2003. The boy received free medical care from
Los Angeles
area
doctors, and his mother had the opportunity to tell her story to the
American public. Unfortunately,
many of the shrapnel pieces in Mostafa’s body proved too small to be
safely removed. He will
suffer from their effects throughout his life.
Mostafa was the first child helped by No More
Victims. Founder Cole Miller writes: “We wanted to create a
model that could be used by others. We wanted to demonstrate that people
in ordinary circumstances could manage to bring an injured child out of
the war zone and secure treatment for them in the
United States.”
Since
that time, communities across the
U.S.
have taken
up the challenge and helped to realize Miller's dream. Read on to
learn what some of them have already done.
Abdul Hakim
 When
an
air strike hit the Fallujah home of Abdul Hakeem in April, 2004, the
nightmare for his family had just begun.
It intensified as Abdul’s father, Ishmael, realized that
ambulances were being blocked from entering the city and the hospital
had already been bombed. As
Ishmael tried to comfort and aid Abdul and two of his other children
who’d been injured, his wife tried in vain to save the 8-month-old
fetus who’d been torn from her womb by shrapnel.
Abdul lost an eye and his face was horribly mangled on one side;
but, miraculously, he survived. The
baby girl did not. Following
Muslim tradition, Abdul’s parents would bury their daughter, giving her
an Arabic name meaning “Blessed Forgiveness”.
In
February 2006, No More Victims and a group of caring individuals in
Pittsburgh
brought Abdul to the US
for surgery. Because his injuries were extensive,
Abdul remained in Pittsburgh for 5 months, living with a host
family, attending public school and charming the entire city.
Finally, after implantation of a prosthetic eye and multiple
plastic surgeries, Abdul and his father were ready to go
home.
Before they left,
Pittsburgh
sponsored a community-wide
Walk for Peace and Healing to help rebuild their bombed house in
Fallujah.
Alaa'
|
 Two
year old Alaa’ was injured when a tank round hit her home in Al
Quaim, Iraq during a children's tea party at 3:00 in the
afternoon, May 2005. In
all, fourteen women and children were wounded and killed in the
attack. Alaa’s two
brothers and three cousins were killed.
Her eyes were embedded with shrapnel. No
More Victims received Alaa’s medical records in June of 2005,
and a young college student in Melbourne, Florida contacted them
and asked how she could help.
Working for months, pounding on doors and making phone
calls, she was able to obtain pro bono medical services for Alaa’.
|
|
In
November of 2005, a No More Victims volunteer flew to Amman,
Jordan to help Alaa’ and her father Kahlid through the Visa
process and accompany them to Florida. Doctors in Florida
and California, where more surgery was performed with NMV’s
help, said that if they’d waited only days longer, Alaa'
would have been permanently blinded. Alaa’s family will
always suffer over the loss of her two brothers. Their home was
destroyed, and Alaa’s mother lost an eye and suffered abdominal
injuries in the attack. That
day in May of 2005 will be a permanent scar on their hearts.
But, thanks to No More Victims and a caring young woman in
Florida, Alaa’s family knows that compassion still exists.
Today, Alaa’ is a precious, laughing three year old, with
hope for the future. |
 |
Asra'a
 Asra'a
Amir Mizyad is the subject of this famous poster created by No More
Victims founder Cole Miller and photographer Alan Pogue. Asra'a
was just nine years old when she was injured in a missile
strike. She had just finished a test at the Al Najed primary
school and was walking home with two friends and a cousin. All
three of the other children died in the attack. Asra'a lived, but
a large piece of shrapnel severed her right arm below the shoulder
and she suffered chest and abdominal wounds. To this day, a metal
fragment, judged too dangerous to remove, remains lodged in her
skull. In August 2004, Miller and Pogue succeeded in
bringing Asra'a to Houston where she was treated at Shriners
Hospital and received a prosthetic arm.
Omar
 Omar
and his family were traveling from Mosul to Baghdad to celebrate Eid
when their passenger vehicle came under fire. Omar's mother was killed.
The driver and two other passengers also died at the scene. Omar was
severely burned and needs extensive reconstructive surgery. He is now
receiving medical treatment in Boston thanks to the hard work of local
volunteers and the generosity of Children's Hospital.
|
