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Rezhin Doing Great Post Surgery & Growing Up Fast After So Much Childhood Lost
July 8, 2009 by Abby
Last Thursday PLC Family Advocates and a few summer interns went to visit Rezhin, a tiny and precious 12-year-old girl who received heart surgery in early 2009. As we watched a slideshow of her stay at the hospital, we were able to see the bond she formed with the PLC staff and the other kids who were there during that time. Now that school is out for the summer, she doesn’t have anything planned besides enjoying the break from school!
She is doing so well physically now (which is exciting!), but we can’t help but grieve the years of childhood that she missed out on while waiting for surgery…especially since she is now caught in the awkward age between being a kid and wanting to “grow up”. At one time during our visit, she pointed out a bracelet on her wrist that she got during her time away with a smile. This reminds us not to dwell on the past but to be thankful for the ways she has been healed and hope for the new way that she can live. We greatly enjoyed being in their home and the summer interns are particularly excited to see her again this summer before heading back home.
Rezhin represents another of the many Iraqi children who are not getting their surgeries in a timely manner. Granted, her condition had not deteriorated to the point of inoperability when she received her surgery, but she had already missed out on all of her childhood years, sick and playing it safe by the rules established for her by an easily corrected heart defect.
To help future kids like Rezhin get well and keep their childhood, please consider donating to the Shad Faraydoon Memorial Fund for Infant Surgeries by clicking here.
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Abby Bertrand is the Hospitality Coordinator for the Preemptive Love Coalition in Istanbul, Turkey. She is married to PLC's Turkey Director, Scott Bertrand. When not showing hospitality to Iraqi families on during their surgical sojourns, she's still most likely to be found showing hospitality to someone else through her delicious home-cooking or many manners of gift giving and kindness. |
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