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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. |
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. |
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 · Leave a 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. |
Deelan Responded Well to the Nitric Oxide Treatment in ICU; Pressures Decreased
March 8, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
It’s amazing what a few days of nitric oxide - named the Molecule of the Year in 1992 - can do to change the life of a child. Truly GOD has an amazing world! For just $2,000 this gas treatment has taken the rising pulmonary (lung) pressure in Deelan’s body and, by expanding the blood vessels inside, has brought it down drastically, saving his life and allow his repaired heart to actually make a difference in his long-term well-being.
Little Deelan’s time in ICU is almost over. We hope to discharge him to his private room here at Anadolu Medical Center later today… and possibly send him home to Iraq later this week.
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 Rests in Her Room After Surgery; Quickly Discharged from ICU
March 7, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Sara breezed through ICU in just 24 hours! She’s now back up in her room resting, spending time with her extended family who migrated away from their tumultuous city of Kirkuk years ago currently live in Istanbul.
She wasn’t really feeling like any more photos… I imagine I would not have been either! So we left her alone and let her rest after snapping this shot!
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. |
Can You Imagine Sending Your Child - Like Sara’s Mom Did - Through These Doors for Heart Surgery?
March 5, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
When I spend time with these two year olds, I just see my son, Micah. When I spend time with the four and five years olds, all I see is my daughter, Emma. And I’ll be honest, as often as I tell these parents not to worry and not to fear, it’s very hard for me to imagine sending my own kids down that corridor.
More information on the results of Sara’s surgery as soon as possible…
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All that is required to get the next child down this hallway is:
We’ll get the next child on their way in a few weeks! |
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. |
Sara Settles in to Her Room at Anadolu Medical Waiting for Morning Surgery
March 4, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Sara arrived late at night at the Anadolu Medical Center for surgery the next morning after hours of travel with her mom and the Preemptive Love Coalition’s Family Services Director. It was truly amazing to watch Sara caring for baby Deelan during their travel. And despite all the difficulty of traveling to a new place, she was still able to answer all her own questions about her health in a very composed way for the Turkish nurses when they came.
Doctors have given Sara’s family the choice of a mechanical valve or a more organic fix. After weighing the pros and cons, there was consensus all the way around to pursue the organic correction, which is estimated to keep Sara alive without much complication for an additional 20 years, allowing her to marry, have children, and reach her mid-thirties before she will likely need some sort of follow-up procedure.
More information after surgery….
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. |
Meet Sara (Twitter: SaraMuaeed)
March 4, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Meet Sara. Sara hails from the still contested, disputed, and much-disrupted city of Kirkuk, Iraq. So disrupted, in fact, that there were reportedly four bomb explosions in Kirkuk the day before Sara left for Turkey.
Sara’s father works in a local anti-terrorist security unit. Given the backdrop of “Arabization” reaching back decades, conventional Kurdish storytelling now often says that all the terrorists are Arabs and that all the danger lives in the Arab part of city.
Those of us at the Preemptive Love Coalition can speak to that terrible stereotype by referencing our own run-ins with Kurdish terror conspirators. So in hopes of tearing down harmful stereotypes, we’re excited that Sara’s family has drawn so close to baby Deelan’s mother during their surgical sojourn together in Turkey - because Deelan’s mother is an Arab from Kirkuk.
We brought Sara to surgery because of a valve problem she is having that is threatening her life and possibly the life of her future children. At 14 years old, the window of operability for Sara is narrowing. And if she had not experienced your kindness and received surgery, she would likely die during pregnancy or childbirth due to the extreme toll such changes take on the body.
Today, under the skill of Prof. Dr. Sertaç Çiçek, Sara will receive the valve repair she needs and - GOD willing - will be set free to enjoy her adolescent and adult life with much joy and little fear.
Sara is scheduled for surgery on Thursday. More to come…
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Special thanks to the college students of FWCM.org for their phenomenal $14,800+ two week fundraising campaign for Sara and one other child. Your passion and effectiveness in fundraising is a testament to the faith, values and lifestyle you profess. We’re looking for 12 other houses of worship, schools, and clubs to partner with us in 2010. For more on our 2010 Fifty Family Focus, click here. |
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.
*In accordance with PLC’s desire to lend a hand-up by avoiding strict hand-outs (when possible), Sara’s family contributed $6,500 towards PLC’s highly-discounted surgery prices.
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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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