Introducing the Shad Faraydoon Memorial Fund: $50k to Fund 10 Infant Surgeries
June 29, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Shad Faraydoon always stood a chance of being healed. Unfortunately, every day that went by throughout his ten year life was a day that further diminished his heart’s capacity to function on its own and oxygenate his blood.
By the time the Preemptive Love Coalition met Shad he was ten years old. We marshaled all the resources we needed to help Shad and in less than a month he was admitted to surgery in May 2009. Unfortunately, Shad did not respond to the corrective measures of the surgeries as we had all hoped he would. Too many years of living with his heart defects had hindered his body’s ability to operate as it was intended. A series of blood clots finally contributed to Shad’s death a week after his surgery.
We established this memorial fund with Shad’s family in order to fund ten surgeries for infants who will benefit most from early intervention. Shad waited ten years for his chance and every day made him a less likely candidate for life-saving heart surgery. In honor of Shad’s struggle and in hopes of using his beautiful life to help others we have established this memorial fund so that infants - unlike Shad - do not have to wait for life-saving resources to become available to them.
$50,000 to fund surgeries for 10 infants.
A Glimpse of Things to Come
In May 2009 PLC set out to film the journey of three children to life-saving heart surgery with filmmaker Michael Dalton and photographer Foster (Matt) Addington. Shad Faraydoon was one of those children.
To our great sadness and surprise, Shad’s ending was much different than we had expected. Nonetheless, Shad and his father, Faraydoon, will feature prominently in the forthcoming full-length documentary. It is our hope that the anxiety and anticipation, the hope and hopelessness in Shad’s personal journey will be a compelling call to action so that children don’t have to wait in line ten years for surgeries that could otherwise save their lives.
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Ranu Giving Others Rides on Her Bike After Her Successful February Surgery
June 29, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Yesterday, PLC Family Advocates and Summer Interns visited Ranu, one of our heart surgery kids from February.
She looks so different, we almost didn’t recognize her! Not only does she have a new hair cut, but she looks much healthier. While we were there, she was running and playing, which she was unable to do before her surgery. Prior to her surgery, whenever she was tired, she just laid down wherever she was. Now, she is able to run and play like any other 5 year-old. In fact, she was so active, while we were there, she gave kids rides on her two-seater bike.
Bruska Ready for School in the Fall After Successful Heart Surgery Last January
June 27, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Yesterday, PLC Family Advocates and Summer Interns went to visit Bruska. Bruska was all smiles while we were there. She really wants to go to school next year with her older sister. You can tell she really loves her family and that she enjoys being around people. As our physical therapist, Ruth, worked a little with her, her face lit up - especially while playing with her doll.
She is doing well since her heart surgery in January.
Roshna Surprises All by Passing Her Classes In Spite of Many Absences Prior to Surgery
June 26, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Yesterday, PLC Family Advocates and Summer Interns visited Roshna, a sixteen year old girl who had heart surgery in February, who seems to be doing well.
When asked about how she now feels post-surgery, she says that her lips no longer turn blue from lack of oxygen and she is able breathe much easier. She is happy, making jokes and laughing during our visit.
Roshna had exciting news for us: She passed her school exams, which was quite an accomplishment because she had missed three months of school this year due to her heart condition. The school threatened to not allow her to take her exams because they said there would be no way she could pass them, but she proved them wrong! We are all very proud of her!
Now that she is on summer break, she enjoys drawing and watching TV. She showed us several of her recent drawing which she had copied free-handedly.
She’s excited about the future and looks forward to going to college and possibly being an engineer.
Heart surgeries for Iraqi kids is so much more than it often sounds. These life-saving heart surgeries are game changing, allowing kids to complete their school and aspire to the highest fields of work in the land.
Heran Full of Energy & Center of Attention Back in Iraq
June 17, 2009 by admin · 1 Comment
On Wednesday of last week PLC Family Advocates and our summer interns were blessed with the opportunity to see little Heran less than 24 hours after she arrived back in her home city.
She and her family were beaming with gratitude as she was passed from lap to lap of her four older sisters. As the youngest sibling, she is used to standing back and observing, and now she is not quite sure how to handle all of the attention. Even though her words were few, she sat by our sides and happily showed each of us every picture on the camera she took to Istanbul. She would smile shyly as her parents proudly talked about her improved overall health and new opportunities that are now before her.
Her energy was almost surprising after such an invasive surgery, quickly bouncing from the living room to the bedroom to the kitchen. Her family was so receptive and welcoming to the PLC staff; it is exciting to know that all of their hearts have been touched through this process, not just Heran’s.
Lawaran Rolling Over & Growing Significantly 3 Months Post-Op
June 16, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
After having one of the most difficult heart surgeries seen by PLC last March, one-year-old Lawaran is showing continual signs of improvement. He has grown significantly, has much more color in his skin and is finally developing the muscles and coordination to roll over. His big eyes and gleeful smiles lit up the room when PLC Family Advocates and some of our summer interns visited yesterday.
Lawaren played contently on the floor as his parents spoke of his growth. Lawaren will most likely receive another surgery in a few years, but until then, he and his family rejoice and celebrate the new life they now all share.
The Smile of a Life-Changed: Roman at Home with Dad
June 15, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
When some of PLC’s summer interns visited Roman he was riding around on his little bicycle and walking in and out of the room to see what was going on - just a little over two weeks after his life-saving heart surgery. His family was very hospitable!
Except for a slightly decreased appetite Roman has been recovering extremely well. His life has truly been changed for the better.
Shad Faraydoon’s Funeral
June 14, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
We attended the second day of Shad’s funeral on Thursday in two groups: men and women.
The men gathered in the mosque for about 5 hours straight as other men who knew the family gathered to pay their respects. Inside the mosque the male family members stood around the perimeter and greeted the male guests each time they entered the room. Meanwhile the cleric sang prayers for the child.
The women gathered under a large tent outside the family’s house and loudly mourned the loss of little Shad. Hundreds of women turned out over the course of the last few days. It was an understandably intense emotional experience - especially for those of us who are largely unaccustomed to Middle Eastern modes of mourning.
Shad’s family has remained very kind and open to us even in the midst of their great loss. We hope to continue on with them insofar as they will allow us in the coming months and years.
Airport…still
June 9, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
We were on the bus headed to the airplane when a Turkish flight attended came inside the bus and called for Faraydoon Hama - Shad’s father.
We both disembarked and began one of the most painful, maddening, frustrating discussions of our lives with the Turkish airline, the Turkish customs agents, the hired logistics company, and the hospital staff. We had all of 5 minutes to sort out the situation or be left behind.
The situation: Customs was requiring an obscure document from the Iraqi Consulate even though the Iraqi Consulate had assured us that everything we procured yesterday would suffice.
In the end, we were pulled off the plane and Shad’s body was held up in Customs another 5 hours. We’ve been rerouted to a different city in Iraq and are currently set to arrive at 1 a.m. this evening.
After all of that, we were informed that Shad’s body would not be on the flight with us. The logistics company ended up contracting a cargo company to transport the body.
All of this to say, Shad’s father and his family have seen insult upon insult added to great injury. I’m not sure there is much “fault” or “blame” to be cast here, but for a grieving father everything is seen in terms of fault and blame.
If all goes well they will meet their family outside the “gates” of their city at about 4 a.m. to begin the grieving process in earnest.
Shad & The Rest of Us Heading Home to Iraq
June 8, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
After immeasurable sadness and disappointment Shad’s father, Faraydoon; Faraydoon’s brother-in-law who made a special trip from Sweden to be with him in his loss; and PLC’s Jeremy Courtney are boarding a plane Tuesday morning at 11 a.m. in hopes that the logistics firm we hired will be able to complete all of the necessary procedures with Turkish Customs and our partners at Atlasjet airline so that Shad’s body will be able to travel home on the same flight.
We expect scores of people at the airport in Iraq tomorrow afternoon to receive Faraydoon and Shad’s body back and to formally begin the mourning process.
Shad’s life and Shad’s death have affected us each deeply… and it has clearly affected many of you as well. We are so grateful for the depth of your emails and condolences and encouragement that we not grow weary as a result of this horrendous set back but that we push forward for the sake of the thousands of other children in Iraq who - barring a lot of financial generosity and a miracle - could very easily meet a similar end.
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RECENT POSTS
- Media Coverage of PLC by Former CNN Anchor & Oprah Radio Host, Daryn Kagan
- Introducing the Shad Faraydoon Memorial Fund: $50k to Fund 10 Infant Surgeries
- Ranu Giving Others Rides on Her Bike After Her Successful February Surgery
- Bruska Ready for School in the Fall After Successful Heart Surgery Last January
- Roshna Surprises All by Passing Her Classes In Spite of Many Absences Prior to Surgery
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