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?"


----------

 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!”

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Three Ways Our Vision Was Too Small—And How It Has Matured (Part 1 of 2)

March 27, 2012 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment 

A few weeks ago we ran a short series on cultivating vision… these posts were not perfunctory. They were, in fact, my own practice of establishing the Preemptive Love Coalition with my wife, Jessica, and Cody Fisher.

In our earliest days we said our mission as an organization was to “eradicate the backlog of children in Iraq waiting in line for lifesaving heart surgery.” But the best visions and missions are dynamic, almost alive; they mature. And we are excited to bring you along in our vision as it has matured in recent months.

We have learned a lot more about this field in which we work than we knew when we started out. Additionally, the country and the individual regions of Iraq have changed drastically since we arrived. There were numerous occasions in which we said, “Does our mission still fit?”

Below are three ways in which we realized our vision was “off”:

#1: The Math—How We Saw the Problem

The math does not add up for us to “eradicate the backlog” on our own. Indeed, our vision in 2007 had largely to do with 700 known children in one Kurdish province who were in need of surgery; we now know about thousands waiting in nearly every one of Iraq’s 18 provinces. And we estimate 6,000-11,000 new children annually are born in Iraq with congenital heart defects.

How we see the problem determines how we shape our vision for the future. A problem with 700 localized constituents might warrant one vision. A nationwide problem with perpetuity and tens of thousands of constituents likely calls for a different vision altogether.

#2: The Method—How We Addressed the Problem

Local doctors set the stage by telling families there were no solutions in Iraq for their children who needed heart surgery. That was true. So families, local development experts, political figures and doctors all asked us to assist by sending children outside the country. 

On the one hand, we met a real need. On the other hand, we lacked imagination and delayed the development of long-term local solutions.

 It took us almost three years to imagine and implement our Remedy Missions—a far better use of resources to create local-led solutions for this local problem.

#3: The Message—How We Talked About Solutions

Because we began by exporting the Iraqi congenital heart disease problem to others countries, we largely failed to factor local healthcare experts into our vision for the future. We worked with one local cardiologist, but when we talked about our solution for “eradicating the backlog”, we largely talked about you—the donor—and how you were the solution to all the ills facing these dear families. 

We set up web pages and called on you to save the lives of children like Aras, Shad and Nivar.

 We still call on you to help save lives—but we feel much more keenly today that our message has matured, because our methods are finally dependent on locals. And that has happened because both statistics and ethics compelled us to see the problem differently.

###

In part two of this post we’ll actually articulate our vision as it has matured. Come back next Tuesday to read more. In the mean-time, why don’t you contact me with your own thoughts and stories about vision? Please email me at your convenience. I would love to hear from you.

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.

Meet Hussain!

March 13, 2012 by Cody · Leave a Comment 

On our last Remedy Mission inside Iraq, we were able to save the lives of seventeen Iraqi children! We also gave thousands of hours of training to Iraqi heart surgeons and nurses. But we ran out of time to save Hussain.

According to Iraqi doctors, it was illegal to help children with Down Syndrome under Saddam Hussein’s regime. Saddam viewed children like Hussain as a “waste of resources.”

But Downs children are God’s children, and they are important members of society. Today Iraqi doctors are ready to help save Hussain and so many more beautiful children with Down Syndrome. And we’re ready to help give them the training they need to do exactly that.

By giving Hussain his shot at lifesaving heart surgery, you will be telling him and so many others that they matter; telling them that we value them and that we’re in this together; telling them we care.

So, in honor of World Down Syndrome Day on March 21st, will you help us save Hussain and his friends by giving to our next Remedy Mission today?

Hussain is waiting! Give today to show that he and other Downs children aren’t a “waste of resources.”

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.

Hugs And Handshakes All Around—Zahraa Is Going Home!

February 25, 2012 by matt · Leave a Comment 

After passing her pre-release check-up with flying colors, the little girl in the red coat is scheduled to pack up her dollies and head home.

My sadness at visiting their hospital room for the last time was eclipsed by their excitement. They can finally go home!

Zahraa’s father beamed as he went around the room giving out hugs and handshakes. After seventeen million Dinar, three years of searching, and innumerable sleepless nights, his daughter is finally well and able to live a normal life—thank you for saving this precious little girl’s life!

As PLC's Press Secretary, Matt Willingham writes, reads, edits, tweets, updates, and works with a camera so as to connect hearts and minds to Iraqi children in need. On the side, he likes reading stories, devouring the great food his wife cooks up and exploring DSLR work. He's also mildly obsessed with Twitter: @mehtin.

Doctor Or Doll-Maker?—A Six Year-Old’s Dream Dilemma!

February 23, 2012 by matt · Leave a Comment 

I got word that our pig-tailed girl in the red coat left the ICU and was resting in her hospital room up on the sixth floor. So I grabbed my translator-friend and made the climb to hear more of Zahraa’s story.

Her father welcomed me into their room and we all sat down. He jumped right in and explained that his family had looked for a surgery for 3 years and spent over 17 million Iraqi dinar (nearly $15,000) on their search.

Zahraa had even been scheduled for surgery 7 other times, but each resulted in cancelation. Sometimes Zahraa got sick, and other times the Iraqi doctors got cold feet. It was a lot of disappointment to stomach.

But the mood couldn’t stay sad, because Zahraa’s life had already been saved! Her father beamed with joy and gratitude as he shared of his daughter’s dreams: “She begs me for sewing supplies. She wants to make dolls for herself and her friends.”

He went on to explain that the recent surgery made her want to be a doctor. She still wants sewing supplies, but she can’t decide if she would rather use them to make dolls for her friends or to give her friends stitches!

Regardless, Zahraa now has this and many other choices ahead of her because of your generosity! Thank for saving the life of this precious little girl!

As PLC's Press Secretary, Matt Willingham writes, reads, edits, tweets, updates, and works with a camera so as to connect hearts and minds to Iraqi children in need. On the side, he likes reading stories, devouring the great food his wife cooks up and exploring DSLR work. He's also mildly obsessed with Twitter: @mehtin.

Grab Your Backpack, Let’s Go—Zahraa Is Leaving The ICU!

February 20, 2012 by matt · Leave a Comment 

Good news! Zahraa (AKA the girl in the red coat) made it through surgery and is now in the ICU resting up.

In an effort to cheer her up, the ICU nurses gave her Dora the Explorer stickers and have been singing the theme song with her. It was a sweet moment, but now I can’t get that song out of my head!

Zahraa’s operation went so well that they are releasing her from the ICU soon. She will then spend a day or two in the ward, and after that she goes home!

I plan to visit the family’s hospital room after Zahraa is released, so come back tomorrow to hear more about this precious little girl and her trek toward recovery.

Come on, vamanos!

As PLC's Press Secretary, Matt Willingham writes, reads, edits, tweets, updates, and works with a camera so as to connect hearts and minds to Iraqi children in need. On the side, he likes reading stories, devouring the great food his wife cooks up and exploring DSLR work. He's also mildly obsessed with Twitter: @mehtin.

Her Name Is Zahraa, And She Probably Loves You

February 20, 2012 by matt · Leave a Comment 

We passed the midway point of Remedy Mission IX, and, for me, everything seemed to be moving in slow-motion.

It was the best problem any hospital could hope for: boredom.

When the alternatives are problems like drama between medical staff, complications in the ICU, or even death, I’ll take boredom any day!

I had already completed my morning rounds of photos and family meet-’n-greets, and I was back dozing in the break room, debating whether or not to eat an extremely unripe banana.

Then the break room door opened and in walked the little girl in the red coat. She was hugging a doll and squeaking something at me in Arabic.

Her dad poked his head into the room, apparently glad to have found her. He seemed embarrassed by her intrusion, but we invited them to sit and share their story.

I learned that the girl’s name is Zahraa, she is 6 years old, she has a beyond-your-typical-little-girl obsession with dolls, and she needs an urgent heart surgery.

While talking with her father, Zahraa leaned toward me from her dad’s arms and whispered something to me in Arabic.

“She says she loves you,” a translator explained.

Initiating heart meltdown.

As if that wasn’t enough, she proceeded to grab my head and kiss me on the cheek and then to tell everyone else in the room that she loved them, too. Her malformed heart certainly has no trouble expressing love! But she still needs an operation and, according to her father, it is scheduled to happen soon.

Come back tomorrow and I’ll tell you more about the little girl in the red coat and her (hopefully) lifesaving operation!

As PLC's Press Secretary, Matt Willingham writes, reads, edits, tweets, updates, and works with a camera so as to connect hearts and minds to Iraqi children in need. On the side, he likes reading stories, devouring the great food his wife cooks up and exploring DSLR work. He's also mildly obsessed with Twitter: @mehtin.

No More Crying—Hamma Is Going Home!

February 12, 2012 by matt · Leave a Comment 

I was a little worried when Hamma had to be carried from the ICU into the children’s ward. But the doctors said he is doing well and should be able to go home in a few hours. Then, sure enough, he perked up and now he’s walking all over the place!

After a sick heart, a smashed nose, and a surgery, I finally got what seems to be a smile out of this little boy. Isn’t he cute?

And he has reason to smile! His surgery was a complete success, and he is going home. Thank you for making Hamma’s surgery possible, and thank you for putting his best days ahead of him!

As PLC's Press Secretary, Matt Willingham writes, reads, edits, tweets, updates, and works with a camera so as to connect hearts and minds to Iraqi children in need. On the side, he likes reading stories, devouring the great food his wife cooks up and exploring DSLR work. He's also mildly obsessed with Twitter: @mehtin.

Hamma Is In Surgery!

February 11, 2012 by matt · Leave a Comment 

Remember super-sad-faced Hamma?! He’s getting surgery now!

I spent much of the day running in and out of the operating room to check on him. His father kept poking his head in from the hallway and whispering, “Psst! Mister! Photo Hamma?”

I felt like an image delivery boy with all the running back-and-forth, but letting Hamma’s dad ‘watch’ his son’s progress through surgery was extremely rewarding—at one point he even side-hugged me!

Here are a few of the photos I showed dad throughout the day:

(The boy isn’t alone here, the nurse just stepped away from the window)

As you can imagine, each picture I showed them brought on strong emotions, and by the end of the day his parent’s eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep and crying. But the doctors report that the surgery is going well.

More to come…

As PLC's Press Secretary, Matt Willingham writes, reads, edits, tweets, updates, and works with a camera so as to connect hearts and minds to Iraqi children in need. On the side, he likes reading stories, devouring the great food his wife cooks up and exploring DSLR work. He's also mildly obsessed with Twitter: @mehtin.

Believe It Or Not, Things Are Looking Up For Hamma!

February 10, 2012 by matt · Leave a Comment 

This little guy is having a rough day.

And we’ve all been here, haven’t we? Sitting on some cold table with a bunch of strange people poking and prodding. It’s not the kind of photo we show you a lot, but faces like this aren’t uncommon to our work.

With a few exceptions, kids generally hate hospitals—this little guy even more than most. His name is Hamma, and his problems started about a year ago when doctors told his parents of Hamma’s need for heart surgery.

As if that weren’t enough, Hamma fell down the stairs a couple weeks ago while chasing his sister and broke his nose. I’m not sure which was more painful: the shame of being bested by your little sister or actually smashing your face in, but add his oxygen-deprived blood and the fact that he hadn’t eaten all day and this is the kind of face you get.

But there is a light at the end of Hamma’s tunnel! In fact, I think his best days are ahead of him, but he needs surgery first.

I sat with his parents in their hospital room and told them why we’re here, I told them about you, and I explained that the doctors have high hopes for Hamma’s surgery.

He is in line for surgery—come back tomorrow and I’ll let you know how it goes!

As PLC's Press Secretary, Matt Willingham writes, reads, edits, tweets, updates, and works with a camera so as to connect hearts and minds to Iraqi children in need. On the side, he likes reading stories, devouring the great food his wife cooks up and exploring DSLR work. He's also mildly obsessed with Twitter: @mehtin.

Reflections On Remedy Mission VIII And The Vision You’re Living Out

January 22, 2012 by Cody · Leave a Comment 

As I write this, I’m driving away from Remedy Mission VIII. Just hours ago, we were in the hospital waiting for our 16th child to come out of the operating room.

This mission’s last child was a little baby boy named Younis.

Younis came 400 miles to get to Remedy, but the drive took it’s toll and Younis—just 2 months old—came down with a fever. Every day we put him on the schedule for surgery, but every day we had to cancel because his fever wouldn’t break. Some days it would break in the middle of the night, but by the time we could rush to the hospital to operate the fever had returned. This continued until the very last day of the mission. This time his fever broke for good, giving us just enough time to give Younis the lifesaving surgery for which he had traveled so far.

These are the stories of Remedy.

I also had the privilege of telling Ali’s story this mission, but it wasn’t just Ali who you helped us save this mission. You saved Amjed, Zainab, Alawi, Zain, and so many more.

###

This past week I’ve been reflecting more on the lives of these children and the life and vision of Martin Luther King Jr. In between surgical days I re-listened to some of his sermons, trying to once again stir my heart for the things that stirred his.

I was humbled by the devotion and the vision that he carried throughout his life, right up until his assassination. He maintained an astounding vision of God and his fellow man, one that led to his unparalleled passion for justice and peace.

King reminded me once again that there comes a point when silence is betrayal.

And so he shouted out for justice, equality and love. He spoke up for the broken, the poor, the ones affected by unjust war and the ones who had no voice of their own.

And people listened. We’re still listening.

This week I’m profoundly grateful for the life of Martin Luther King Jr. And I’m also profoundly grateful for you.

You see, these Remedy Missions can’t happen without you. In our writings we use the word “I” and “we” a lot but truth-be-told, I can’t think of one thing “I’ or “we” have done apart from you.

Because of that, together we’re breaking the silence. You’re bringing Remedy Missions to cities all over Iraq and because of that you’re saying to the people of Iraq “You are not alone. We are in this together.”

And they’re listening.

Thank you for not reducing the vision and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. to a yearly quote, but for committing to live it out by saving the lives of children like Ali and Younis. Thank you for Remedy Mission VIII!

We’re just two weeks away from our next Remedy Mission….stick with us!

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.

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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 kids in pursuit of peace between communities at odds. We offer the 30,000 Iraqi children 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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