No More Victims Part 2

Yesterday, I admitted to dreading a visit to a 5 year old boy named Mustafa and his father, Ahmed. I knew deep in my heart that I wasn't going to be able to deal emotionally with the situation...

Mustafa is in Doernbecher Children's Hospital here in Portland receiving medical treatment for an injury he sustained in the war in Iraq. His leg was blown off by a missile outside of Fallujah and he suffers other medical complications as well from the strike.

Upon arriving at the hospital, my intention was to tell him that he was going to be alright...that his prosthetic leg would help him play soccer....that I knew he missed his mom but he needed to get better before he could go home.

None of that came out. When I heard his little voice return our greeting of "as-salaamu alaikum" (peace be upon you), I had to excuse myself from the room.

I wept at the nurses' station (bless the nurses of the world!!) and they quietly handed over a box of tissues without ever interrupting my "moment".

After twenty minutes, I had composed myself enough to reenter his room and was able to start building a rapport with him and his father.

We will go back on Sunday to visit again after he undergoes a kidney operation but this time, I am taking Winnie the Pooh with me. Turns out that Mustafa has discovered and has fallen in love with the bumbling bear.

Private photo of Mustafa and his father

Part 1 is here