1: What are you trying to accomplish?
2: What's your evidence that you can accomplish it?
3: How is it possible that you can provide an open heart surgery in Iraq for less than $1,000? Is that the full cost?
4: So is that the same thing as saying that my donation doesn't really make a difference? That the "up to 85%" funded locally by those inside Iraq is all that is really necessary to make this work?
5: Any other costs?
6: What is the bottleneck to more surgeries: money or skilled labor?
7: I'm skeptical of non-profits and charities because they always seem to be asking for more money. How can I be sure that Preemptive Love Coalition has "room for more funding" and that I'm not paying into a huge savings account, "Rainy Day Fund", or something similar?
8: Do you have enough volunteer surgeons available for unfunded Remedy Missions? (i.e., are there trips that you could fund if you had more money, or is there a labor bottleneck?)
9: Many heart surgeries require follow-up treatment (including additional surgeries). Do you have a way of providing these to patients?
10: How do you assess whether surgeries are completed competently and appropriately?
11: What is the rate of complications during and following surgery?
12: How do you assess whether surgeons are performing additional surgeries that they would have not had the funding or motivation to perform otherwise?
13: How do you assess whether surgeons are charging their patients for the surgeries you fund?
14: Do you follow up with the surgeons you've trained to assess whether they are correctly applying their training?
15: What information is available on the activities - and competence - of the surgeons you've trained?
16: Where do surgeons work after completing training? Do they serve poor patients?
17: How much do you spend each year on "program" expenses and how much on "overhead?"


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 Q: What are you trying to accomplish?

A: Train Iraqi heart surgeons and nurses so they can eradicate the backlog of tens of thousands of Iraqi children waiting in line for lifesaving heart surgery. [Back to Top]

 Q: What's your evidence that you can accomplish it?

A: Each year we continue to increase Iraq's total number of pediatric cardiac surgeries with new surgeries in Iraqi centers that would not - indeed could not - have been accomplished otherwise. Ministry of Health (MOH) officials speculate 500 surgeries were accomplished in 2009 (of which we provided 23 - 4.6% - outside the country). The addition of our 82 surgeries in FY 2010 - to the 500 baseline - for a total of 582 approximated surgeries, represents an increase created by PLC of 14% over 2009. In FY 2011 we anticipate increasing Iraq's total number of pediatric cardiac surgeries to at least 719 (or another 19% over FY 2010 directly attributable to our surgeons and our training).

Each year the local teams with which we work will become more proficient, and each year they will independently take on a larger case load than they could have the year before. None of these figures yet account for that additional output.

In March 2010 the Iraqi Ministry of Health asked us to expand our work to three additional sites. In May 2010 we began additional discussions about establishing a fellowship program in which international surgeons and nurses would take up residence in the Iraqi system to train locally for 40 weeks out of the year.

Our model does not rely strictly on volunteers because the level of need in Iraq outstrips what we could reasonably supply through volunteer labor alone. Accordingly, we set our budgets so as to actually contract the international surgical and nursing staff we need to accomplish our mission.

Sure, this increases the cost-per-mission (and thereby, cost-per-child) over early "mission" models in which volunteerism was idealized and training was not necessarily prioritized. But our contract labor + volunteerism model is inarguably the only way to create a nationwide quarterly training program and fellowships inside Iraq with international experts across approximately 6-8 surgical sites. Moreover, our model does not face the same sluggishness of learning that other surgery organizations suffer because we do not have the same rates of turnover; we have incredible consistency across our programs and missions. [Back to Top]

 Q: How is it possible that you can provide an open heart surgery in Iraq for less than $1,000? Is that the full cost?

A: The "less than $1k" numbers we routinely publish represent the amount in "program costs" we spend from our international donor money. The figure does not necessarily account for every single management, overhead, or fundraising expense.

Our total expenditures for FY 2010 were $188,919. We performed 82 surgeries during the same period for a per child total of $2,304 (though this data is a bit moot moving into 2010-11 as we abandon our very expensive "surgery exports" program(s) in Turkey, etc. and focus henceforth on more cost-effective in-country surgeries alone).

When all of our Remedy Mission partners are taken into consideration - including the Iraqi Government, medical companies that donate medicines and supplies, and local organizations - the real Remedy Mission cost to all donors is in the range of $5,400 - $7,000. Put another way, up to 85% of the total cost of a single surgical/training mission is now subsidized by local, Iraqi constituent institutions. [Back to Top]

 Q: So is that the same thing as saying that my donation doesn't really make a difference? That the "up to 85%" funded locally by those inside Iraq is all that is really necessary to make this work?

A: There is not a single site across Iraq for which our Remedy Missions are fully funded. If we fail to provide our 15-19% of the overall budget, Remedy Missions fail, surgeons and nurses do not get trained regularly, on-site audits from our international team do not happen, up to 20 children are delayed from receiving surgery, and a few may even die or become inoperable. Your role in funding the remaining 15-19% is as critical in the short term as any other entity. A single Remedy Mission is binary - it either happens or it doesn't. Your money makes it happen. But our goal is to continue to graduate all our programs so they are 100% funded locally in the next 5-10 years. [Back to Top]

 Q: Any other costs?

A: Our numbers per Remedy Mission do not account for "indirect costs," such as the cost (or value) of our volunteer medical staff from around the world, costs to local healthcare systems, the cost of a family to travel to the surgery site, the opportunity costs of lost income for families as they wait for surgery, etc. The reason we think it's important to note this here is because lifesaving is actually quite difficult. Building a pediatric cardiac surgery system for the entire country of Iraq is laborious and full of complexities. [Back to Top]

 Q: What is the bottleneck to more surgeries: money or skilled labor?

A: People often assume that the biggest need is more Iraqi heart surgeons. We could use a few more, but the real bottleneck is skilled nurses, technicians, and non-surgical physicians. A surgeon is only as good as his support staff. One of our biggest challenges is training pediatric cardiac intensive care nurses. To date, we haven't found a better model than our Remedy Missions through which we bring quarterly hands-on training to local nurses (and surgeons) in Iraq. Rather than exporting the nurses to Europe or the USA for training (whose medical systems barely resemble the Iraqi system), we train them with what they have on hand in their local environment. [Back to Top]

 Q: I'm skeptical of non-profits and charities because they always seem to be asking for more money. How can I be sure that Preemptive Love Coalition has "room for more funding" and that I'm not paying into a huge savings account, "Rainy Day Fund", or something similar?

A: For the record, we are skeptical of non-profits as well! In 2012 PLC needs $350,000 on hand at any given time to cover our cash flow needs for up to three Remedy Missions per quarter. We are still 30% under-funded against that goal. In addition to cash flow needs, we still require 15-19% funding on most of our missions after local sources contribute their portion; we have un-funded pilot programs in new cities where local doctors have been requesting our help (but where weve yet to woo local philanthropists or health directors); and we have research and social service initiatives through our Followthrough program that require funding at present because we have not yet sought local funding for those initiatives (seeing as how they relate mostly to our Monitoring & Impact Evaluation objectives). Please see our "Funding Gap" page to look deeper into our anticipated program costs, the sources of funding we are counting on, and the funding gap between the two for the next few years. [Back to Top]

 Q: Do you have enough volunteer surgeons available for unfunded Remedy Missions? (i.e., are there trips that you could fund if you had more money, or is there a labor bottleneck?)

A: Great question! We use a hybrid volunteer/staff model. Roughly 25-30% of any one of our Remedy Mission teams is employed by the International Children's Heart Foundation (typically the surgeon, scrub nurse, anesthesiologist, ICU doctor, and often a part-time ICU nurse). The remainder of the team typically comprises volunteer physicians, technicians, and nurses from across the world. Because the hardest-to-come-by positions are contract labor for us and NOT volunteers, we have never failed to run a mission for lack of personnel. We have only cancelled or turned down a request for a future mission due to lack of funding. [Back to Top]

 Q: Many heart surgeries require follow-up treatment (including additional surgeries). Do you have a way of providing these to patients?

A: Yes, we do. Our model dictates quarterly visits to each program site (a hospital inside a regional hub). Our reliance on local cardiologists ensures that the local team prioritizes and almost entirely sets the agenda for patient selection (within a development curricula) - after all, Iraqi doctors are the ones who are most intimately connected to the patients and their daily progress! When a local cardiologist sees a child who has either (1) deteriorated and requires another intervention or (2) advanced as expected to the next step of a complex, staged intervention, the child is prioritized for follow-up treatment. [Back to Top]

 Q: How do you assess whether surgeries are completed competently and appropriately?

A: Because we are a broker and play a combination administrative and financier role in the coalition of partners working in Iraq to develop pediatric cardiac care, we are able to stand in-between the local surgical team and the international surgical team (whom we contract as a third-party to train and perform surgeries in Iraq). If the local team or health directorate suspects a lack of competence in the international team, a cavalier attitude, or a single poor judgement call, our role is to be the go-between - to be the advocate for the local healthcare providers vis-a-vis the international surgical team.

Similarly, if the international surgical team feels pushed by the local surgical team to perform procedures with which they are uncomfortable or for which they think the local system is ill-prepared, they are able to refuse children for surgery and/or use us (PLC) as a go-between.

The checks-and-balance between the two teams helps us ensure surgeries are performed in a competent, appropriate manner. [Back to Top]

 Q: What is the rate of complications during and following surgery?

A: We report our in-hospital and 60-day mortality after each Remedy Mission. You can finds those numbers here. We also produce reports after each Remedy Mission detailing the trip, including data on intraoperative complications, post-operative complications, and mortality. You can find those reports here. We are also deliberately raising the funds necessary to help us bring our various heart hospitals into compliance with the International Quality Improvement Collaborative for Congenital Heart Surgery in Developing Countries. If this kind of quality improvement and reporting initiative interests you, we are currently looking for financial partners for our Followthrough program. [Back to Top]

 Q: How do you assess whether surgeons are performing additional surgeries that they would have not had the funding or motivation to perform otherwise?

A: Pediatric heart surgery in Iraq is almost nonexistent without our work. There are two active programs for relatively simple surgeries (one in Erbil and one in Baghdad). Local surgeons claim that combined they perform no more than a few hundred pediatric surgeries a year. In every location where we work, pediatric heart surgery is effectively nonexistent. Therefore, every surgery performed at our program sites (both when we are present and when we are not) are "additional surgeries" that they would not have had the SKILL to perform without the FUNDING we employed to train them in their local environment. [Back to Top]

 Q: How do you assess whether surgeons are charging their patients for the surgeries you fund?

A: Because we work in public (government) hospitals - and because healthcare in Iraq is provided almost entirely free of charge - it is widely known that any cardiologist, surgeon, or administrator seeking compensation for services is acting outside of Iraqi law. [Back to Top]

 Q: Do you follow up with the surgeons you've trained to assess whether they are correctly applying their training?

A: We see them quarterly in their local environment and perform real-time audits of their skills, recollection of past training, application of new techniques, etc. Additionally, our international surgeon remains on call at any time via phone, Skype, or email for consultation. [Back to Top]

 Q: What information is available on the activities - and competence - of the surgeons you've trained?

A: Because our Remedy Mission training program only began in late 2010 - and pediatric heart surgery at our sites across Iraq is the same age - there is still relatively little independent practice to report, and therefore little data on the activities and competence of our surgeons and their teams. But as they begin performing more surgeries independently, we are trying to align each site/surgical team with the International Quality Improvement Collaborative for Congenital Heart Surgery in Developing Countries (a data collection and tracking initiative of Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard University). [Back to Top]

 Q: Where do surgeons work after completing training? Do they serve poor patients?

A: As of Q2 2011 there was only one private hospital in Iraq (to our knowledge) providing pediatric heart surgery (and those surgeries were on the lower end of the complexity scale). Our work does not necessarily mean to exclude private hospitals as they continue to come online and become viable options, but at present the government system has a better equipped foundation for training local surgical teams. As we look to fully graduate our local surgical teams in the next 5-10 years, we imagine that most of them will stay in the public sector for all of the stability, pensions, and benefits of loyalty provided to those who stick with it. But, undoubtedly, some will seek positions at private hospitals (assuming private hospitals are willing to invest in the requisite capital purchases necessary to establish a credible program). In the public sector, rich and poor are served alike. In the private sector, poorer patients would be at an obvious disadvantage. [Back to Top]

 Q: How much do you spend each year on "program" expenses and how much on "overhead?"

A: As a rule, we do not adhere to the model that claims that "overhead" is somehow bad and "program" is somehow good. There are very bad program expenses. There are overhead expenses that are excellent investments. We agree with Paul Brest, President of the Hewlett Foundation, when he said, "Achieving a low overhead ratio drives many charities to behaviors that make them less effective and means more, not less, wasted dollars." Therefore, we spend as much on overhead as we need to accomplish our mission. The mission itself is our North Star - not arbitrary (even harmful) standards about overhead-vs-program expenditures. For the record, however, you can find a current pie chart of our expenditures here (and if you're into that sort of thing, you'll probably be impressed!). [Back to Top]

Jeremy Courtney Founder, Executive Director Twitter: @Jeremy_Courtney

“I'd love to hear any critique or questions you might have!”

DROP A NOTE OR DONATION BY MAIL: Preemptive Love Coalition 1300 Darbyton Dr. Hewitt, TX 76643 GIVE BY PHONE: To make a gift over the phone, using your credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover), please call +1 (806) 853-9131 during normal business hours. IRAQ OFFICE: +964 770-355-6298 (local)

New Beginnings For Fallujah!

May 16, 2013 by matt · Leave a Comment 

We’re pleased to announce that our most recent Remedy Mission in Fallujah went extremely well!

This was our third mission to Fallujah, and spirits are still high. Doctors and nurses are learning, children are being treated, and there’s a lot of optimism among our partners about this program.

But most importantly: we’ve seen calculable growth.

On our first mission to the city, the team worked with Dr. Firas and his staff to perform 12 procedures in 4 days. On the second mission, they did 16 procedures in 5 days. And now 16 kids in just 3 days!

That means our children-to-day ration climbed from 3 kids per day to 3.2 kids per day to now 5.3 kids per day, and that kind of progress means everything to those who have been waiting years for their chance at a lifesaving operation.

Thank you for making this kind of progress possible—maybe next mission will see 6 children saved per day!

As Communication Director, Matt Willingham spends most of his time trying to get the word out on PLC's work in Iraq. On the side, he likes reading stories, devouring the great food his wife cooks up, and DSLR camera work. He's also mildly obsessed with Twitter: @mehtin.

Tikrit Wrap-Up—Watch To See How Many Heart Operations You Made Possible!

April 26, 2013 by matt · Leave a Comment 

Reporting from our first-time mission in Tikrit is at an end, and the children are doing really well. The lead local cardiologist was giddy when he heard we are planning to come back.

Push play to see his reaction and the results of this historic mission!

And there wouldn’t be any celebration without The Haddock Family Foundation. As a family, they chose to underwrite the entire mission!

Haddocks, on behalf of the families, doctors, and nurses: thank you!

Help us keep up this momentum by making a donation!

Our Partners:

As Communication Director, Matt Willingham spends most of his time trying to get the word out on PLC's work in Iraq. On the side, he likes reading stories, devouring the great food his wife cooks up, and DSLR camera work. He's also mildly obsessed with Twitter: @mehtin.

Saving Lives, Sans Surgery—Why Diagnostics Are So Important

April 24, 2013 by matt · Leave a Comment 

The girl in this picture was misdiagnosed as a baby.

Her family thought she needed surgery. They waited and worked, wondering if their daughter’s heart would give out.

As she gazed at the image of her heart beating, her father shared how hopeful they were that their daughter would get well.

Minutes later, he got his wish. After years of carrying around the wrong diagnosis, his little girl had a healthy, defect-free heart all along.

We’ve introduced you to a lot of sick, blue children over the past 5 years, but we haven’t always shared stories of already-healthy children. Thanks to highly trained cardiologists like Dr. Kirk, Iraqi children are receiving top-notch diagnostics testing in the form of preliminary echos, TEEs, and diagnostic catheterizations.

“We don’t do as many diagnostic caths in the US as we used to because we catch most heart disease early, before we have concerns about operability. Internationally, the situation is much different,” Dr. Kirk explained.

Over a span of # years, Dr. Kirk has screened hundreds of children across Iraq, and they’re often well beyond the ideal age for diagnosing a heart problem.

“Many of the children we see are being diagnosed or considered for surgery at a time which is much later than what we see in the west. The diagnostic cath tells us if a child is appropriate for a surgery or if a child would probably live longer if we didn’t do anything. There are many children who we think are inoperable because of their age, but we take them to cath and find they are indeed a good candidate for surgical repair. In this case we’ve probably added years to their lives by getting them repaired.”

In short, good diagnostics inform decisions, illuminate the situation for doctors and in-the-dark family members, and they save lives.

“The diagnostic cath isn’t as exciting as an interventional procedure to most, because, even if the news is favorable for surgery, another procedure is still needed.

If we can get away from focusing on what’s done today and look at what was learned today and what is best for the child, we realize we positively change the lives of children with a diagnostic cath.“

“Diagnostic caths either allow children to be repaired safely, or they prevent them from being harmed by surgery.”

Diagnostics take dollars—help us make it happen by donating below!

Our Partners:

As Communication Director, Matt Willingham spends most of his time trying to get the word out on PLC's work in Iraq. On the side, he likes reading stories, devouring the great food his wife cooks up, and DSLR camera work. He's also mildly obsessed with Twitter: @mehtin.

The Invasion of Iraq’s 10th Anniversary—How We’re Remembering It

March 19, 2013 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment 

This month marks the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Can you believe that much time has already passed?

After living six of those ten years in the country, I’m keenly aware how negative a lot of the headlines will be. News stories reminding us of debt and death tolls are already floating around the internet, and that’s why my team and I are so excited to deliver you this news:

As we remember the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, Preemptive Love Coalition is about to launch our first Remedy Mission in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein’s hometown and a former insurgency hotspot.

What does this mean?

We’re about to begin saving the lives of Saddam’s former neighbors, tribe-members, and relatives. This is where the rubber of enemy-love meets the road, and this is your chance to join other like-minded heartmenders in making this simple but profound declaration:

“Ten years ago something happened in Iraq, but we haven’t forgotten. We remember the families, the children, and this country that is still in need.”

Will you join us in remembering by acting? We continue to say “yes” to these amazing opportunities because of your help. Please give today to ensure that we can say “yes” to every opportunity in front of us.

Donate below to help us save lives!

Give now to bring hope to families in Tikrit!

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. Follow Jeremy on Twitter: @JCourt.

We’re Launching Remedy XVI (And I’m Nervous)

March 7, 2013 by Cody · Leave a Comment 

I woke up in Najaf today.

It’s been months since I’ve been able to launch a Remedy Mission in Iraq.

After being in the states to welcome my little girl into the world, my wife and I made our way back to Iraq in January, just missing the Fallujah mission.

Now, it’s my chance again. And I have the jitters.

Having a baby does all sorts of odd things to your emotions, or at least it did for mine. It created space where I thought I had no more room. Space for those fatherly instincts to kick in; space for a new, maybe deeper kind of love and the ability to tangibly experience emotions in ways that have been entirely foreign to me before.

I knew it was coming. A friend wrote and gave me a heads up and he was spot-on.

And that’s why I have the jitters. As I kick off this Remedy Mission, I know I’m going to see dozens of babies fighting for their lives—babies just like mine. I’m going to see 5 year-olds and 12 year-olds who have waited their entire lives for a chance at a lifesaving heart surgery and honestly, I’d rather not see them. I’d rather look the other way and block it all out so that I don’t have to imagine what their parent’s are going through. I don’t want to see their sons poked and prodded with needles or their daughters have to say goodbye before surgery.

I’ve done it all before but this time things seem more real to me, and I think it’s going to hurt.

But I know I can’t have it both ways.

I can’t block out the pain, the fear, and the uncertainty of heart defects and the risky operations that can fix them and still expect to experience all of the hope, the victories, and the sheer joy that this mission has in store for those that will be saved.

So, I’m showing up and I’m going to embrace it all.

I’ll hold the babies. I’ll play soccer with the 5 and 12 year-olds and I’ll listen to their parents talk about what it’s like to have a child with a heart defect. I’ll do my best to take their minds off the needles and remind them that this isn’t goodbye.

And it may sting more than usual. It may be uncomfortable and I’ll feel way too vulnerable as a dad.

But it’s only by standing alongside them now, in these moments, that we can experience the full measure of joy that comes with a chance for their children to win and for their heart defects to lose.

We’ll see hundreds of children with heart defects these two weeks, and the medical team will be able to save just under twenty of them. That’s why we train and that’s why we’ll come right back and do this all over again. And that’s why I have to embrace it all—because it’s through embracing the ‘otherness’ of pain in someone different from me that I learn—that we learn—to press on and overcome together.

Let’s get to it. Stay tuned…Remedy Mission XVI is underway.

Our Partners:

Cody Fisher is the co-founder and Development Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He moved to Iraq in 2007 where he met his wife and since then they've been waging peace and mending hearts across Iraq. His passions are photography, peacemaking, and food that doesn't come out of a can. You can follow him on Twitter: @candmfisher.

To America And Back—See Photos From Our Heartmender Tour!

March 5, 2013 by matt · Leave a Comment 

“Wow…”

That’s really the best one-word sum-up I can give for the past few weeks. We just arrived back in Iraq after our Heartmender Tour in America, and it was quite the blitz.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, we take time away from Iraq about once or twice a year to speak, share stories, and to get to know you better; not to mention we want to tell you about the difference you’re making in the lives of Iraqis here.

To us, these intense, exhausting trips are absolutely worth it because we believe in concept of preemptive love. Not just Preemptive Love, but preemptive love. The former is a 501(c)3 nonprofit created to provide countless Iraqi children with heart surgeries—something we love discussing with you!

But the latter is the lower-case concept by which we seek to live our lives, and we believe this love is essential, albeit extremely difficult. Preemptive love is about pain-absorbtion and enemy-love over against the all-too-involuntary eye for an eye reaction we’re all prone to. You know what I’m talking about; that involuntary jerk-of-a-knee that makes us want to kick back every time we’re kicked (maybe even twice).

Little did you know that we’re development workers and arm-chair philosophers. But, whether you think us naive or wise, we’ve planted our stake in the ground, or, as we like to put it: we’re blackmailing ourselves into this lifestyle. I.E., our thoughts on fists-down preemptive love are all over the internet, so we’d better live it out!

For a better look at what we mean by “preemptive love”, watch Jeremy’s TEDx talk here.

We started this leg of the tour at The Justice Conference in Philadelphia, where we also hosted an After Party (pictured above) with singer-songerwriter Derek Webb and Seattle pastor Eugene Cho.

That alone would’ve been worth the trans-Atlantic trip, but then we got to meet with people at several universities and churches in Ohio and Texas. So, to everyone at The Loft, Ecclesia, Houston Baptist, and Cedarville: thank you!

After arriving back in Iraq (both bags lost!) and sleeping like a dead person for two days, I spent four hours today combing through new emails, Twitter handles, and info from all the excellent people we met on the trip. As the communication guy here, hundreds of new people to connect with is exciting enough, but the fact that I got to sit down with so many of you and to hear your story—I’m so humbled. The work you guys are doing inspired me!

You’ve been encouraging to us and, more importantly, you’re accomplishing extremely meaningful things in the lives of Iraqi doctors and families.

If you’ve been with us awhile, thank you. And if you’re new and only just joined us, stick around. Our 16th Remedy Mission starts in a few days—keep reading!

Video credit: Ashton Owen
Photo credit: Brandon Hook

As Communication Director, Matt Willingham spends most of his time trying to get the word out on PLC's work in Iraq. On the side, he likes reading stories, devouring the great food his wife cooks up, and DSLR camera work. He's also mildly obsessed with Twitter: @mehtin.

Six Places We’re Visiting On Our Upcoming American Tour—Will We See You?

February 14, 2013 by matt · Leave a Comment 

I recently sat across a table from a white, middle-class, 20-something American man from Texas and it was just so… wonderful.

No, I wasn’t having tea with a mirror.

When we aren’t helping Fallujan babies get heart operations, we’re constantly encouraging you to engage ‘the other,’ to find someone radically different from yourself—preferably someone you would deem an ‘enemy’—and to connect with them. You get extra points for learning from them, and even more points for loving them when they treat you poorly.

But there is something really sweet about connecting and refreshing with like-minded people, and that’s why our recent trips across the United States have felt like a breath of fresh air. We speak the same language, we agree that Mayo on fries is nasty, and we share a common cultural heritage. Not to mention you guys teach us so much!

The eyes-wide-open passion of the students and faculty at Cedarville University, Bryan College, Taylor University, Calvin College, and Pepperdine University blew us away; it gave us hope.

So, to all the individuals and institutions who have hosted us in recent days: THANK YOU! Your role in the Coalition is invaluable—you’re saving lives in Iraq, and you’re certainly making ours better.

We’re headed back to the States this month for a series of speaking engagements, and we’d love to see you! Check the listing below to see if we’ll be in your area, or leave us a comment/send me an email if you’d like to host one of our staff for a dialogue about enemy-love, peacemaking, or our development work in Iraq.

    Houston Baptist University – February 19 – Houston

    The Justice Conference – February 22+23 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    The Loft Church – February 23-24 – The Woodlands, Texas

    Ecclesia Church – February 24 – Houston, Texas

    Eastgate Community Church – February 25 – Cincinnati, Ohio

    Cedarville University – February 27 – Cedarville, Ohio

Photo Credit: Calvin College

As Communication Director, Matt Willingham spends most of his time trying to get the word out on PLC's work in Iraq. On the side, he likes reading stories, devouring the great food his wife cooks up, and DSLR camera work. He's also mildly obsessed with Twitter: @mehtin.

At Home With Hussain—A Followthrough Checkup

January 31, 2013 by matt · Leave a Comment 

People sometimes ask us, “So, what happens to these kids after surgery?”

It’s a great question, but it isn’t easily answered. Thanks to you and our partners, we’re now providing exponentially more surgeries than we did during our early years. What once was 20 children per year is now 20 children per mission—over 300 children this year alone!

With that kind of volume, it’s difficult to keep up with all the families we help. But we still work to follow up with as many as we can; to make sure they don’t slip through the cracks. But the nature of that Followthrough has changed. Now we spend time encouraging local doctors to follow up with families, reminding them to call families for post-operative check-ups.

And, due to safety concerns, it’s often easier for families to come see us at the hospital (the last thing we want is to disrespect our hosts!).

Going cowboy and riding a taxi into downtown Fallujah to visit a family is not a good way to maintain relationships with partners and friends of the program.

One misstep could lead to someone getting hurt, the program getting canceled, and children not getting their hearts fixed—not something we’re willing to risk.

So we’re tip-toeing into these home visits with care, and Hussain was our first. Stay tuned for (hopefully) many more to come!

As Communication Director, Matt Willingham spends most of his time trying to get the word out on PLC's work in Iraq. On the side, he likes reading stories, devouring the great food his wife cooks up, and DSLR camera work. He's also mildly obsessed with Twitter: @mehtin.

5 Children You Helped Save In 2012

January 8, 2013 by matt · Leave a Comment 

My favorite thing about January?

It’s the only month when it just feels right to look back and to plan ahead. A backward glance helps us remember what God has done during the previous year and all that we’ve learned, while a look forward offers hope for betterment and an opportunity to grow.

And who doesn’t love a clean slate—an opportunity to jumpstart things in a new direction? I’m here to tell you, though, that you did some pretty fantastic stuff last year. If your friend is bragging about their new job or some kind of shiny new gadget, please read this part out loud: “I helped save lives last year.”

Is there someone near you right now? Grab their sleeve and say it again, “I helped save lives last year.”

In 2012, you guys raised money, hosted parties, and spread the word on behalf of Iraqi children. There are children alive now who would not be—you’re heroes!

So—in case you didn’t get to meet them all—here are a few of the children you helped save in 2012:

1) Hussain—I don’t know who came up with the “don’t play favorites with kids” rule, but they obviously haven’t met this boy. I’ve adored him since our first game of “air soccer,” and the first thing I try to plan when we return to Najaf is try to plan a visit to see him and his family. He’s a sweet, sweet child and—thanks to you and the Coalition—he is now home and fully alive. Read his whole story here.

2) Yousef—our 2012 vote for the Most Pinchable Cheeks Award, Yousef received a heart operation at our groundbreaking Remedy Mission X in Fallujah. If you haven’t seen some of his adorable facial expressions yet, do yourself a favor.

3) Zahraa—Sweet, solemn Zahraa. I tracked with her from beginning to end, right up until she carried her dollies into the hospital elevator and went home. Click here to watch our video shorts of her trip through the hospital.

4) Hassin—don’t be fooled by his drooping eye lids and ridiculous eye-lashes, Hassin is sneaky. When the doctors told him he couldn’t eat or drink anything before his surgery, he snuck past his family, out of his hospital room, and down 6 flights of stairs to demand that the snack vendor give him food. His parents found him pounding his fists and declaring, “I need to eat or I’ll die!” I’m happy to report that, after his surgery, he snacked to his healthy heart’s content. See more of Hassin here.

5) Maddy—the 300th child you’ve helped us save, this little boy is sunshine incarnate. I still stand by my claim that he’s the smiliest, most pleasant little boy you’ll ever meet. If you missed the excitement of his landmark surgery, check it out here (the video was especially fun to make!).

2012 was pretty amazing, and 2013 is looking even better. Stick with us as things get started—our 15th surgical mission is coming up in Fallujah!

As Communication Director, Matt Willingham spends most of his time trying to get the word out on PLC's work in Iraq. On the side, he likes reading stories, devouring the great food his wife cooks up, and DSLR camera work. He's also mildly obsessed with Twitter: @mehtin.

Join Jackson—Throw A Lifesaving Party This Month!

December 19, 2012 by matt · Leave a Comment 

This sweet little boy, Jackson, decided to donate a portion of his Mario-themed 7^th birthday party toward saving the life of an Iraqi child!

Do you have any creative fundraising ideas of your own? Why not join Jackson in saving lives while you celebrate?

Share your party ideas with us in the comments section below, and scroll down to click the birthday gift and start your own fundraiser now!

	$9—Stitch a Heart Our partner surgeons use high-quality stitches (called “sutures”) to fix leaky heart valves, sew up holes, and close up wounds after surgery. For just $9, you can help us save a child’s life—perfect for an office party or stocking stuffer!
	$50—Patch a Heart Our partner surgeons and nurses make heart patches for each child during their operation from a sheet of material called “Gore-Tex.” For just $50, you can fill the gap in a child’s heart and help save their life!
	$500—Package of Patches Your gift will help us buy enough material to create the patches and change the lives of ten children suffering from life-threatening holes in the walls of their hearts.
	$1,000—Heartmender Package Your gift will help us buy all the medicines, sutures, patches and a portion of the airfare for our doctors and nurses required to save one child’s life on our next Remedy Mission. In partnership with the Iraqi government, $1,000 is roughly what it costs PLC to save a life in Iraq.
	Start Your Own Fundraiser Online Today! You may feel like you only have a few dollars, but when you combine your best with those closest to you, you will quickly find that you can patch a heart—or fund an entire heart surgery—as a group. Click here to get started –>

As Communication Director, Matt Willingham spends most of his time trying to get the word out on PLC's work in Iraq. On the side, he likes reading stories, devouring the great food his wife cooks up, and DSLR camera work. He's also mildly obsessed with Twitter: @mehtin.

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OUR BLOGGERS

	Matt Willingham is the PLC press secretary and writes primarily on politics, history, general updates and visual peacemaking through photography and film.
	Cody Fisher is a PLC cofounder and writes primarily on program development and peacemaking by giving us a lens into the lives of the real people we love.
	Jeremy Courtney is a PLC cofounder and writes primarily to emphasize our vision and values, including organizational and financial transparency.

Preemptive Love Coalition provides lifesaving heart surgeries for Iraqi children in pursuit of peace between communities at odds. We offer the untold thousands of Iraqi kids suffering from life-threatening heart defects a chance at the surgery they need to save their lives. With our world-class international surgical partners, we create long-term solutions by training local Iraqi doctors and nurses so they can sustainably save lives without our help.

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