Our Kids

We fund surgeries for both Arab and Kurdish children; no matter their religious sect or ethnic distinction. We work for reconciliation of all kinds and applaud the Kurdish shoemakers who stand against racism and religious discrimination by gladly giving of themselves to help both Arabs and Kurds.

Some of these children have been funded largely by the proceeds from shoe sales - other have been funded through our partnerships that only exist because of our advocacy, your interest, and the storytelling that happens because of shoe sales. So in both ways, your kindness has helped secure well-being for these children! We like for you to know where your purchases are going.

Total Raised/Given for Heart Surgeries: $72,052

Heart Surgeries

Shkar, 6 years old

Shkar’s case is very urgent and has recently caused him a great deal of difficulty breathing. His surgery is long-overdue, but doctors believe that he can still have a normal life. We plan for Shkar to be in surgery July 2008.

Hevi, 12 years old

Hevi has a condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, a combination of four anatomical abnormalities. Thankfully, doctors believe she can be fully healed and lead a ‘new life.’ We plan for her to be in surgery July 2008.

Shanaw, 12 years old

Shanaw’s case is very urgent. Though it’s difficult to see under the face-painting you see in the picture, Shanaw’s skin is very blue due to a severe valvular obstruction in her heart. Doctors believe she can be cured through surgery and go on to a healthy, normal life. Shanaw has received all her funding now and we plan for her to be in surgery July 2008.

Kale, 8 years old

Kale’s family keeps calling to remind our partnering organization that their little girl still needs help. Her favorite subject in second grade is English… We’re eager to follow up with her when she returns from her surgery. You can write notes to Kale in simple English here. Kale has received all her funding now and we plan for her to be in surgery July 2008.

Sarah, 8 years old

The cardiologist at the March 2008 screening found that the heart of this frail little girl can be fully restored through surgery. Her internal organs are all on the wrong side (situs inversus) - sometimes surgeons will use a mirror to operate in this case! We hope to have her in surgery in July.

Kale, 12 years old

Kale has cerebral palsy but constantly has a huge smile.  It is wonderful to see her mom put so much concern into her daughter in a culture where the mentally challenged are often abandoned. Kale had a large hole, 2.5 centimeters, in her upper ventricle. We helped send Kale to surgery on February 20th but she is only now receiving the money she needed for her surgery. With our partnering organization, we went ahead and pushed her surgery through and Kale returned to Iraq on May 6, 2008 with a healthy heart.

Shayan, 1 year old

We helped send Shayan to surgery on February 20th but he is only now receiving the money he needed for his surgery. With our partnering organization, we went ahead and pushed his surgery through on February 27th and Shayan returned to Iraq on March 26, 2008 with a healthy heart. Before he left the guesthouse outside the country to return home he was seen chasing balloons around the room and laughing big belly laughs… true signs of a healthy heart!

Sarah, 4 year old

We helped send Sarah to surgery on February 20th but she is only now receiving the money she needed for her surgery. We pushed her surgery through on March 23th and Sarah returned to Iraq on April 30, 2008 with a healthy heart. We saw pictures of her in the airport before returning to Iraq playing “doctor” for a number of strangers. She’s been through the ringer and come out a healthy, happy little girl!

Najeeba, 4 years old

We helped send Najeeba to surgery on February 20th but she is only now receiving the money she needed for her surgery. We pushed her surgery through on March 6th and Sarah returned to Iraq on March 26, 2008 with a healthy heart. At first Najeeba had difficulty understanding why her mother would take her away from her home and let the doctors open her heart, but it seems that she is now able to grasped the degree to which this surgery has improved - and in fact saved - her life.

Sharmeen, 3 years old

Sharmeen was marked for urgent surgery in October 2007. However, owing to complications related to the inability of her pregnant mother to accompany her outside the country she is just now (May 2008) being sent to surgery. She still has a long road ahead… but your interest and support has helped to secure the essential next step for a healthy future in Iraq for this sweet girl and her family.

Baveel, 9 years old

Baveel had surgery on January 13th due to the generosity of the good doctors in Israel who operated on him before we had fully secured funding. He had a very speedy recovery and returned to Iraq on February 6th. Baveel was a borderline inoperable case, and his mother wanted to say to the doctors, the various organizations who partner together to make this happen, and those of you who help fund these surgeries, “Thank you for not giving up on my son!”

Juliana, 2 years old

Juliana has Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and needs immediate surgery. She has been dubbed “the wild child” as they say she doesn’t sleep, and keeps her mother awake until three or four in the morning. On 18th February she successfully underwent surgery. Following surgery she had high fever for a few days but thankfully she is doing well now and should return to Iraq very soon. Thanks for making her surgery possible!

Hussein, 4 years old

The Israeli cardiologist who saw Hussein in Jordan says he has a combination of heart defects which will make his surgery unpredictably complex; he could see full recovery after surgery, or he might need follow-up surgeries every 10-15 years. Either outcome is better than leaving him as he is, vulnerable to sudden death at any time. We had already secured $2,500 of funding for Hussien, but due to your intense purchasing power, we were compelled to give the additional $878 that he needed! He had his surgery 24th February and although his operation went according to plan, his heart did not keep a steady rhythm. so after waiting 2 weeks with an external pacemaker the doctors decided to fit an small internal pacemaker. He’s still in Israel waiting for the doctor to give him the ok to return home.

Rebar, 3 years old

Rebar was born with a large hole between the ventricles of his heart. An Israeli cardiologist who saw him in October 2007 in Jordan put him down for “intervention in near future” due to the risk that developing pulmonary hypertension could leave him inoperable. Thanks to our partnership with Kurdistan Save the Children he successfully underwent surgery on February 18th. He is now continuing to recover in Israel and hopefully will return home soon.

Aria, 2 years old

Doctors at the October 2007 screening in Jordan found that little Aria has the features of Down Syndrome and six fingers on his right hand, as well as a heart defect commonly found in Down children. Thanks to our partnership with Kurdistan Save the Children Aria successfully underwent his surgery on 21st February which should allow him to grow into adulthood. He will undergo one last minor operation to fix his right thumb, which has a small deformity before returning home to Iraq.

Delshad, 5 years old

Delshad has a hole between the ventricles of his heart, and was singled out by Israeli doctors at the October 2007 screening in Jordan as a child who needs surgery in the near future, before pulmonary hypertension would leave him inoperable. Thanks to your continued advocacy and purchases, BSSL contributed almost 40% of the necessary funds and he underwent surgery December 30th which needed to be followed by another operation to repair a valve a few days later. He recovered well from his surgeries and he returned to Iraq February 2, 2008.

Hedi, 8 months old

Thanks to an anonymous gift directly to our partner organization on behalf of The Preemptive Love Coalition, Hedi was able to have the operation he needed to fix the hole between the ventricles of his heart. He underwent surgey 19th November 2007 and returned to Iraq Dec 12th 2007 after a speedy recovery and at such a tender age. Your advocacy among your friends is apparently working! Keep it up.

Hussein, 3 years old

Hussein is from one of the few Arab (non-Kurdish) families who made it safely to the October 2007 screening. Doctors singled him out as urgent, as he periodically runs out of breath and cries. Hussein’s older sister is also a victim of heart disease - only she did not survive. Thanks to an anonymous gift to Shevet Achim on behalf of The Preemptive Love Coalition, Hussein sucessfully had his life saving surgery on 17th December 2007 - a 7 hour operation. He returned to Iraq 13th January 2008 after making a good recovery in Israel. Thanks for all you are doing.

Aras, 12 years old

Aras should have had surgery as an infant, and thanks to your thoughtful buying practices and great compassion Aras was able to get that surgery he needed. This surgery was co-sponsored by The Preemptive Love Coalition and other private donors with PLC paying over 68% of the $7,000 base. Aras is expected to lead a normal life now with his mended heart! He returned to Iraq February 2008 and is making a remarkable recovery. His family are so thankful for our part in helping save their son’s life.

Pre-Op Heart Screening

$16,000 for 21 Children to Heart Screening

The Preemptive Love Coalition, Rayalla Organization, and Kurdistan Save the Children and other local partners recently raised and distributed over $16,000 to 21 children and their families so they could travel to Amman, Jordan for heart screening.

Twenty of these children have just been approved for surgery. Seven of them are going straight to surgery due to the severity of their case. Others will be placed in line until funds are available to fund their surgeries - whether through donations or the revenues from our online store.

Dyarko, 2.5 years old

Being extremely poor, Dyarko’s family borrowed all of the money just to get him to the heart screening. This is the first family you have helped by buying shoes. You paid part of their travel expenses to get them out of the country.