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Baby Leah is Developing Nicely as We Anticipate a July Surgery Outside Iraq
April 30, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Visiting Leah’s house this week was so much fun. She is developing well and her parents continue to work with her everyday to help her struggle through her Down Syndrome. We gave her some stacking rings, which she picked up and chewed and wore as bracelets while playing with her older sister, Dia, who is two years old.
A few weeks ago Leah’s mom watched me with a careful eye taking in everything I was doing with Leah. She then repeated it all after me to get Leah to engage in play rather than just lay still - which is going to be such a critical part of her development. Now, thanks to this simple modeling session and her mother’s diligence to practice and work with her, Leah can now roll over, sit up with little support, grab and hold toys and giggle about it all.
She is gaining weight steadily and should be just the right size for her surgery in July.
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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. |
Sara is Doing Great Back in Iraq One Month After Surgery
April 25, 2010 by Jessica · Leave a Comment
Sara and her father came by our office on their way to a check-up with the local cardiologist, Dr. Aso Faeq.
It was a joy to see her and talk with her. She is doing great and is enjoying a little time off from school. We talked about picnics and the results of recent elections. They told us in detail of their visits to Deelan’s family, who also went to surgery in March. They amazed me with their love for this little boy they didn’t even know until they met at the airport on their way to Istanbul. It is great to see healed hearts, bright futures, and relationships formed (and/or sustained) across some recent - and some more historic - barriers between Turkmen, Kurd and Arab in the city of Kirkuk.
We ended our time with them celebrating with the fresh baklava and chocolates they brought to say “thank you.” Thanks to all of you Woodway college students Sara is alive and thriving with her newly healed heart.
Follow Sara on Twitter: @SaraMuaeed. Subscribe to Sara’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Sara’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
ADOPT A CHILD
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Churches, universities, and other organized groups were the backbone of our large fundraising efforts in 2009—and now we’re looking for at least 12 churches, mosques, synagogues, universities, youth groups, etc to adopt an single Iraqi child to raise life-saving awareness and funds on his/her behalf. Group goals usually range between $5,000–10,000—though we’ve seen junior high groups raise over $8k and college students pull together $30k! |
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Jessica Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Family Services Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. She is also a mother of two children and is married to PLC's Executive Director, Jeremy Courtney. When not absorbed in caring for Iraqi children and sharing life with Iraqi families, she enjoys sewing and scrapbooking. |
In Tribute to a Fallen Friend
April 19, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
I learned yesterday that the man on the right (above) was assassinated in Baghdad by the Mehdi Militia of Moqtada al-Sadr. The man above is a friend and a partner in our efforts to wage peace in Iraq. In fact, it was his efforts to bridge gaps and stand down oppression that earned him the array of bullets and bombs that finally took his life at the hands of his enemies.
This is not a post to celebrate the Preemptive Love Coalition, me, or anyone other than the countless thousands of brave men and women in Iraq who face down these petulant bullies every day and get virtually no credit; no headline stories; no Facebook pages dedicated to their efforts; no trending topics on Twitter; no books written about their peaceful hearts or comparisons to Mother Teressa or Mohandas Gandhi.
I knew him as Abu Namis or “The father of Namis” - a typical way to be known in Iraq. So it was immediately striking. When I learned of his death, I thought of Namis, now fatherless because his dad worked across the aisle with a vision that far exceeded the atrophied imagination of his opponents.
The photo above is taken from my first meeting with him. The other two men in the picture - who are currently alive & well today الحمد لله - are sheikhs with whom we have worked to help children receive the heart surgeries they’ve needed. All three of these men are Sunni, but like so many un- and under-reported similar groups in Iraq, these men do not bow to the minority who argue for violence between Sunnis and Shi’as.
In that first meeting the man second from the right seemed stand-offish and suspicious. This photo itself seemed more an act of obligation than something born from a genuine desire to mark a memorable meeting after forging the beginnings of a partnership to take children to Turkey in conjunction with their Baghdad-based organization. But when the camera turned off, I put my hand on his shoulder and apologized for the things that had happened to his children, his neighbors, and his countrymen here in Iraq.
We frequently talk about the need to avoid lazy generalizations. All Arabs, Muslims, and Iraqis are not this way or that way. Nor am I America or Christianity. But I can apologize for myself - and I can do it honestly - because the truth is that I didn’t initially have many objections to a lot of the terrible things that happened in Iraq. But that was before “these people” had real names, real stories, and real lives in my eyes.
In an instant, that apology seemed to unlock his heart.An hour has passed inside our poorly lit apartment office and then - for the first time - he took off his glasses. He had seen me for an hour - but I had not been allowed to see him, hiding under a keffiyeh and sun shades. But now I was allowed in. I was still an outsider - but at least an outsider with a heart. And with the glasses off he looked at me and said “Thank you” as tears started coming down.
I’m not trying to be dramatic. But an assassination of a man I knew to be kind and who genuinely desired peace for his people is, in and of itself, dramatic! My main goal here is to honor his memory. To say what the newspapers likely won’t. And to let Abu Namis stand as a representative of so many other unsung Iraqi heros. There are too many to celebrate. And like Abu Namis, many of them pay the price every day.
In the Fall we will begin our first tour of America. We will be talking more about these stories, about Iraqi peacemakers, Muslim peacemakers, and Christians peacemakers; and about how these principles are deeply relevant to your friendships, your marriages, and your engagement with the world around you, and about how you can live a similar life - even when the stakes may not seem as high.
Until then, may GOD do something to amazing and unpredictable to intervene in the current course of events in IRAQ. Peace was GOD’s idea long before it was ours.
Peace from Iraq,
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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. |
Baby Leena Leaves Iraq for Urgent Surgery in Turkey
April 14, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
It was about mid-morning on Sunday when Leena’s dad came into our office, frantically looking for help for his daughter who was dying before his eyes from her congenital heart defect.
We contacted our partners in Istanbul at the Anadolu Medical Center and they concurred: it might be too late for Leena, now 50 days old, but if there was any remaining chance she should come immediately.
With unprecedented speed we worked with Leena’s father and their extended family to get Leena to surgery. The family and friend network rallied quickly sold their car and rallied with a total of $10,000. Within just a few hours we were able to get our local staff, Leena, and her mother on the very last seats out of Iraq on Tuesday’s flight to Istanbul.
The picture above is Leena’s last moments with her father before leaving him to go back to the village where he is 8 year old Mohammed Star’s elementary school teacher, whom we sent to surgery in November 2009.
Are you looking for a way to get involved? Let us suggest the following three actions:
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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. |
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!
COPY AND PASTE THE CODE BELOW TO EMBED THIS SLIDESHOW IN YOUR OWN WEBSITE
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Are you looking for a way to get involved? Let us suggest the following three actions:
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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. |
Three Kids Headed Home with Happy, Healthy Hearts
March 10, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
This doesn’t look like the happiest group of people, but trust us, they are! It was 6 a.m. at an airport! Few are happy in that context!
It’s been a great journey for Muhammed, Baroof, and Sozyar. Both Muhammed and Sozyar were “urgent.” It was unclear whether Muhammed or Baroof would even be operable. And look at them today!
In our talks today with Dr. Resmiye at the Anadolu Medical Center she used words like “miracle” and “unbelievable” and “they won their lives back” to describe these kids.
Usually we try to keep a healthy balance of the “miraculous” and that which can be reasonable calculated according to the medical numbers. It’s hard to build a budget around miracles! But we are thrilled to celebrate GOD’s kindness in the lives of these children alongside the Turkish doctors who, themselves, have said that it is GOD’s doing and not just their own.
By the time this posts, Muhammed, Baroof, and Sozyar will be resting at home - in the city or the village - with their daddies and extended families who have been missing them so much.
As much as the surgery at this point, the fact that you’ve paid for round trip airfare through our partnership with Atlasjet Airlines for these kids is a great source of comfort, because healing means precious little when it separates you from the ones you love the most!
These children are now enrolled in the Preemptive Love Followthrough program. We’ll track their progress as Baroof goes back to school and Muhammed and Sozyar learn how to walk, and we’ll offer a number of services to them for the next six months (and often, much longer).
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Followthrough Program
With our Followthrough program we monitor a child’s healing and re-entry into their home culture, teach the importance of activity and a balanced diet, and address issues like racism and other radical ideologies. This amount represents the costs of medications, special needs, teaching materials, etc.
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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.
Follow Baroof on Twitter: @BaroofAbdul. Subscribe to Baroof’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Baroof’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
Follow Muhammed Adnan on Twitter: @MuhammedAdnan. Subscribe to Muhammed’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Muhammed’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. |
Deelan Discharged from ICU after Surgery & Nitric Oxide Save His Life
March 10, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Deelan is almost like a different baby than the one we’ve been working with the last few months - and certainly different than the crying, uncomfortable, scared baby we brought over last Tuesday night.
Deelan’s surgery and his post-operative treatment with nitric oxide gas has transformed this once-uncomfortable, scared child into a happy, comfortable, impacted-for-life story of your compassion and kindness!
 Molecule of the Year (1992), Nitric Oxide |
To save lives through the very specific provision of nitric oxide, please contribute your desired amount below. One container of nitric oxide costs us approximately $2,000. |
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. |
Sara Enjoys a Visit from U.S. Supporters Who Funded Her Surgery
March 9, 2010 by Jeremy · 1 Comment
As cute as the babies are, we do enjoy interacting with these older kids. Watching them work through their fear, and seeing them come into their own in a foreign culture, is a real joy. Plus, it seems like the “mark” we’re leaving for life will be more profound for these adolescents.
If you’ll remember, Sara’s family comes from Kirkuk, Iraq. One of her cousins left Iraq over ten years ago and currently lives in Istanbul. So we’ll be discharging Sara into the care of her cousin this week so he can show her the sites and so they can reconnect a bit as a family.
But before she leaves, we were honored to host one of our biggest advocates and long-term supporters, Chelsea Pershall (center), and two friends (Erin [left] and Ashley [right]) for Spring Break in Istanbul. They came specifically to meet Sara, whose surgery they funded through a widespread grassroots effort on the Baylor University campus via FWCM.org.
Sara’s family was so grateful to meet these three girls and beyond the life-saving money they represent, found a lot of comfort from hours of broken English conversations and card games.
Do you know someone who might be interested in joining us for a summer of this kind of work in Turkish hospitals and Iraqi homes? Click here to consider our Summer Internship.
Follow Sara on Twitter: @SaraMuaeed. Subscribe to Sara’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Sara’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. |
Baroof Works His Lungs After Discharge from ICU
March 8, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
At first Baroof was a little ambivalent toward the exercises designed to improve his lung capacity and rehabilitate him after his heart surgery. As much as he wants to get back outside and play football (soccer), he has a hard time connecting these “meaningless” exercises with his real end game!
But when Jessica - our Family Services Director - pulled out the camera and made it a game, Baroof was plenty excited to show off.
Baroof is looking really great and his mood is as happy as we’ve ever seen it. His fear of the Turks attending to his needs (”Turks” about whom he has no doubt heard plenty of disparagement in his border town) has turned into affinity; and his uncertainty about these weird Americans always trying to speak his language and take his pictures has turned into was just might be abiding friendship.
Comprehensive, human-scale peacemaking efforts and long-term, whole person family services - two of our core values at the Preemptive Love Coalition in action here in Istanbul, Turkey and in Iraq this week.
     
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| We are on the brink of sending six kids back to Iraq with healthy, happy hearts this week. And it’s all because of you. Still, we know you do not only want us to mark surgeries like notches on a belt. We’ve heard your desire that we invest ourselves - and your money - in long-term followthrough.
To keep us engaged in long-term followthrough for these kids and others once they arrive back in Iraq, all you have to do is:
Alternatively, you can make a check payable to “Preemptive Love Coalition” and send to: 373 Freear Dr. Buellton, CA 93427 You can also speak with a real person and make a gift over the phone by calling 805-245-4666 during normal business hours. We’ll get the next child on their way in a few weeks! |
With thanks and joy!
Follow Baroof on Twitter: @BaroofAbdul. Subscribe to Baroof’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Baroof’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. |
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