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WE HAVE KIDS IN SURGERY RIGHT NOW! THROUGH THESE STORIES WE'RE INVITING YOU TO BE A PART OF THE NEXT LIFESAVING SOLUTION. GET TO KNOW THESE KIDS & PLEASE GIVE WHAT YOU CAN FOR THE NEXT GROUP! |
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Deelan Calls Daddy in Iraq: “I’m Coming Home!”
March 11, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Press the “forward” button above to view and read the captioned slideshow about Deelan’s journey through surgery and the phone call to his daddy in Iraq that brought tears to our eyes!
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Follow Deelan on Twitter: @DeelanKameran. Subscribe to Deelan’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Deelan’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
Sozyar’s Smiles (VIDEO)
March 10, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
When Sozyar came to our office a few weeks ago she was urgent enough for the referring organization to ask that we do everything we could to move her to the front of the line.
Within two weeks she was in surgery with Dr. Sertac Cicek in Istanbul, Turkey - that may be a record turnaround for any organization working on congenital heart disease issues in Iraq today.
After a few days recovering in ICU, she was discharged to her private room where she has been the last few days.
And look at her today!
Gone is the blue skin from lack of oxygen; gone is the threat to her life; and here to stay - for some time it seems - are smiles and joy and kisses and waves and “that winky thing” she does.
Hers is a story of cooperation. It’s a story of your kindness. It’s a story of compassion.
Thanks for all you’ve given for Sozyar to live.
With thanks and joy!
Follow baby Sozyar on Twitter: @SozyarHamdan. Subscribe to Sozyar’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Sozyar’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
Dua is Out of Surgery with a Total Correction for Her Heart
February 27, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
I reported incorrectly on Thursday when I introduced Dua as having “tricuspid atresia.” She in fact came to us with “extreme Tetralogy of Fallot.” The great news is that she just received a total correction for her heart problem that we plaguing her and threatening her life just days ago.
While everything did go according to plan, Dua does have a fever right now in ICU and nurses are monitoring her closely as we head into the weekend.
Please continue to pray for this little girl; specifically that whatever is causing her fever would subside and that she will stabilized and be removed from life-support in the next day or two.
With gratitude and joy,
Follow Dua Arif on Twitter: @Dua_Arif. Subscribe to Dua’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Dua’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
Advocate of the Week: Lawan Hawizy
January 28, 2010 by Cody · Comments Off
Lawan Hawizy, an Iraqi-Kurd living in London, is our advocate of the week! How do you become an “Advocate of the Week”? You overcome chronic back pain and knee surgery and run a half marathon with three of your friends to raise money and awareness to pay for the life-saving heart surgery for a group of kids in Iraq needing lifesaving heart surgery.
This might not be our standard every week but when we talked with Lawan and heard his story, we knew this title belonged to him! Lawan and 27,000 others will run the Semi-Marathon De Paris on March 7th. The only difference is that Lawan’s running to save lives.
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Our February group of kids comprises Kurds from all over northern Iraq, including Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, and Dohuk regions. They were all born with congenital heart disease and because of that they can’t play like the other kids and face death. They definitely cannot run like Lawan. But now, thanks to Lawan, kids like Mohammed (pictured left), Sara, and Lea have a chance at life and one day they too can be an advocate that’s willing to run miles in honor of those who can’t. | |||
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Join Lawan and his team in their fight for the lives of our February surgery group by donating the amount of your choice in the field below. All donations help the Preemptive Love Coalition send the group to life-saving heart surgery.
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Some of our international customers have apparently been having problems donating. To make a gift over the phone using your credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover), please call +1 805-245-4666 during normal business hours - Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 6:00 p.m. Pacific Coast Time (GMT -8:00). |
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This campaign was originally initiated in the name of a little girl named Daroon. Because of family fears of sending their child and her mother abroad for surgery to Turkey, they have withdrawn her name from our February Group. All funds previously raised in her name were donated online under the “February Surgery Group” line item (please see your receipt) and those funds will be used - along with any further donations - to meet the financial needs of the entire group, as some surgeries come in over/under budget. For more information please email info[at]preemptivelove[dot]org. | |||
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Cody Fisher is a co-founder and U.S. Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. Cody is married to the marvelous Michelle Fisher and they currently live in Southern California. Cody is a lover of people, good music, photography, and anything that makes him laugh. |
Mohammad Coloring Pictures in His Room - Fit to Fly Home to Iraq Tomorrow Morning
November 9, 2009 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
We told you in the amazing film of Mohammad’s surgery - made by PLC’s Joshua Gigliotti - about Mohammad’s mother’s tears and the weight of the burden that it is to entrust your only son to foreigners, in a foreign land, and to have your only access to life-saving services taking place in a foreign language. And though we told you that weight was lifted, there is still another weight that always remains: the weight of loneliness in having to bear all these life-and-death decisions without your spouse.
It’s not uncommon for other programs in the region to take children out of the country for months or more at a time. The logistics of scheduling surgeries with other hospitals and different policies about finances often cause Iraqi families themselves to be put in an even harder position in pursuit of life-saving solutions.
This is yet another reason why we are so grateful for all the amazing staff at the Anadolu Medical Center. They make scheduling, pricing, planning, and every other form of logistics so unbelievably easy that we cannot help but save more lives because of it. Because of them we are able to serve more of the riskiest of children, faster, and cheaper than many other programs in the region - and far better than we ever dreamed possible.
The upshot is that Mohammad is going home to his dad tomorrow. His mother is not going to be kept on this surgical sojourner any longer than was absolutely necessary. And Mohammad is one step closer to getting back to Iraq to go to school and beginning pursuing his big dreams!
Exactly one week after leaving his home country for surgery, Mohammad will be resting at home!
Follow 11-year-old Mohammad on Twitter: @mohammadstar. Subscribe to Mohammad updates via RSS HERE. Follow Mohammad’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
New Embed-able, Share-able, Tweetable, Facebookable Video of Life-Saving, Game-Changing Heart Surgery
November 7, 2009 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
A PEAK BEHIND THE SCENES INTO MOHAMMAD STAR’S SURGERY from Preemptive Love on Vimeo.
When he arrived in Iraq to intern with the Preemptive Love Coalition 5 months ago, Joshua Gigliotti never imagined he would end up sitting in on a heart surgery with one of the most amazing pediatric heart surgeons in this part of the world…
When Kelly gave his extremely needed, life-saving donation last week, he may not have known that he was actually going to have a chance to see how we put his hard-earned money to work.
And when Sheikh Fakher & Sheikh Towfiq of the Qaiwan Group graciously funded Mohammad’s surgery, in fulfillment of PLC’s requirement that 50% of all life-saving surgery funds come from within Iraq’s borders, they hoped (but couldn’t be sure) that their investment would go beyond good intentions.
And even Mohammad and his mother, when they got on the plane three days ago from Iraq to Turkey, probably did not expect that they would come to feel deep gratitude and love for the administrative, nursing, and doctoral staff of the Anadolu Medical Center.
But Josh was in that surgery, creating this media production to show to Kelly, the Qaiwan group, and you, and Mohammad’s mom erupted in prayers of thanksgiving and praise to God for the Turks that live to the north of her… These Turks that her neighbors might very well call enemies, she now calls friends.
Press play above to see beyond good intentions… watch a life be changed forever!
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Idrees is slated for surgery in January 2010. We will be collecting money for his life-saving surgery throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. What a chance to make a profound difference in the life of a child and his family! | |||
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Donate the amount of your choice to Idrees by entering it in the field below. All donations made before January 2010 will go to help the Preemptive Love Coalition send Idrees (and any others in his group) to life-saving heart surgery.
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Follow 11-year-old Mohammad on Twitter: @mohammadstar. Subscribe to Mohammad updates via RSS HERE. Follow Mohammad’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
Toyota (Yeah, the Auto Maker) Features PLC in Their “Get in Gear” Campaign
October 19, 2009 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
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David Statham visited PLC in Iraq in April 2009 after his wife bought an intriguing shirt that said, “Buy Shoes. Save Lives.” on it. Statham, Technology Manager for Toyota Motor Sales (USA) for his day job, has gone on to raise thousands of dollars and tons of awareness for PLC in Toyota and in his home state of California. Statham also serves on the PLC Advisory Board. |
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
SWEET LITTLE RANU GAINS MUCH-NEEDED WEIGHT & STARTS SCHOOL AFTER LIFE-SAVING SURGERY
October 6, 2009 by Joshua · Leave a Comment
Poses for a picture… never camera shy!
You just can’t stop this girl from smiling!
Eating pomegranate seeds by the bowl-full!
I went with PLC’s Family Services Director, Jessica Courtney, to visit Ranu Bahadeen and her family on Tuesday in what turned out to be one of the most enjoyable home visits I’ve been on.
This little girl was really shy at first, given it was my first visit to their home, but by the end, I didn’t want to leave! She was so adorable. We started this game of stealing the pomegranates from each other’s bowls…..which ended in hilarious laughter and wishing we didn’t have to leave…
A few months ago her parents didn’t know if Ranu would be alive today. But thanks to you and your kindness, her life-saving surgery has provided her with a brand new life. She’s gained some much needed weight, has more energy, and is now going to school for the first time!
WHAT A DIFFERENCE YOU MADE IN THE WORLD OF THIS FAMILY!
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Joshua Gigliotti is a PLC Summer Intern ('09) turned short-term staff who spends a majority of his time with PLC taking exceptional photos of children in Iraq in an effort to humanize Iraqis and portray them as people full of dreams and hope. When his camera is not in-hand, Josh is often found in local tea houses with friends and also enjoys traversing the great outdoors. |
Zana Continues to Grow and Amaze After Newsmaking Heart Surgery in February
September 30, 2009 by Joshua · Leave a Comment
Today Ruth and I visited the home of Zana Tofiq, whom you helped send to surgery in February with the group we called the Great Eight. Zana’s case was particularly difficult and the doctors in Turkey still talk about it to this day… and for good reason!
Today Zana is in great health and very active - as we observed in the energetic game of football (soccer!) played in the street with his neighborhood friends.
The impact you make on these dear kids in Iraq is breathtaking! And for those of you who are new to our work from Twitter or Facebook, we urge you to give us a try and see what your donation can do today!
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Joshua Gigliotti is a PLC Summer Intern ('09) turned short-term staff who spends a majority of his time with PLC taking exceptional photos of children in Iraq in an effort to humanize Iraqis and portray them as people full of dreams and hope. When his camera is not in-hand, Josh is often found in local tea houses with friends and also enjoys traversing the great outdoors. |
Meer Challenges Preemptive Love Staff to Soccer 2 Weeks After Surgery!
September 18, 2009 by Joshua · Leave a Comment
After a great check-up visit with Meer Mustaffa yesterday we found out that Meer’s case was just the 51st of its kind reported in the world. We are so grateful to have the wonderful doctors and surgeons at the Anadolu Medical Center in Istanbul, Tukey, and to our local doctors, like Dr. Aso Faeeq, for their help in getting Meer to surgery in time.
Meer is doing really well back at home and is poised to go on living a healthy life. In fact, he hasn’t slowed down at all in the wake of his surgery a few weeks ago… he’s ready to get back to playing football with his friends. Only this time he can expect to play without getting tired so easily and without any risk of fainting from low oxygenation.
He even went so far as to challenge the PLC staff to a match…. we’re delaying as long as we can so as to avoid being schooled by a kid straight out of surgery. We’re all pretty confident that we’ll lose!
Follow 15-year-old Meer on Twitter: @meermustaffa and through the Twitter campaign associated with meeting his urgent need #SaveMeer. Subscribe to Meer’s updates via RSS here. Follow Meer’s thread of longer stories (with pictures) on the PLC blog here.
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Joshua Gigliotti is a PLC Summer Intern ('09) turned short-term staff who spends a majority of his time with PLC taking exceptional photos of children in Iraq in an effort to humanize Iraqis and portray them as people full of dreams and hope. When his camera is not in-hand, Josh is often found in local tea houses with friends and also enjoys traversing the great outdoors. |
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