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!”

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)

Remember Yahya? His Wait For A New Heart Ends Today!

March 3, 2011 by Cody · 1 Comment 

Remember this boy?

When we first met Yahya he was five years old and we were trying to send him overseas for his lifesaving operation.

The doctors told us that he needed a valved conduit – so we went in search for the piece that could save his life. We found it. The only problem was that the Turkish government was revising their import laws and the local supplier was out of stock.

Because we couldn’t bring Yahya and the device together to Turkey, we were forced to cancel his surgery.

Now Yahya is nearly six years old and he has still been waiting for his heart surgery.

Everything changed when Dr. William Novick told us that he could fix Yahya’s heart without depending on a valved conduit that was half way across the world.

Today he will create the piece that we hope will save Yahya’s life!

The best part (from a macro perspective) is that this is something he’s going to introduce to the local surgeons so that Yahya and all the other children in Iraq waiting in line for $7,000 devices don’t have to go overseas. Furthermore, whereas current devices certainly need replacement, there is a good chance this technique will allow the piece to grow with Yahya’s body. Best case scenario: Yahya may not need a re-operation like he would have from the expensive name brand.

Eventually, they might be able to insert valved conduits by the hands of their local doctors here in Iraq!

We’ve loved our journey with Yahya and today is a milestone for all of us. And all 38 of you who gave to his surgery!

It’s a milestone for Yahya because he’ll be given the surgery his parents have been waiting six years for.

It’s a milestone for the local surgeons because they will begin to learn a groundbreaking, life-changing technique.

It’s a milestone for you because you’re helping us create local long-term solutions to local problems.

Follow Yahya as he get his new heart TODAY!

If you’re on Twitter this week be sure to use the #RemedyMission hashtag to describe all the good news coming out of Iraq this week via @preemptivelove.



With help from our friends:

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.

Alawi Receives His Much Needed Heart Surgery!

February 21, 2011 by Cody · Leave a Comment 

This morning Alawi got the heart surgery we’ve all been waiting for!

Local doctors and nurses – alongside the ICHF team – took a minimalistic approach to his repair, seeking to do as little “trauma” to his heart as possible. Unfortunately, after surgery, it seemed the minimalist approach wasn’t holding as well as they hoped. They decided to perform an even more robust correction that would make Alawi even stronger than he already was.

So Alawi went yet again into the operating room just as bravely as he went into his first operation.

Alawi’s a reminder of what we’re committed to – we will do whatever it takes to make each child and each Iraqi doctor and nurse into the healthiest child and most-skilled doctor or nurse they can be.

Hoping for the best still never makes it easy to watch a child go in for surgery.

We could not do this without you! You are our heroes and you inspire us to keep going so much! Stay tuned to get the latest update on Alawi from the ICU via our Facebook Page!

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.

Photo of the (Yester)Day: Nivar Recovers in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit

July 22, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment 

While the risk of death and attendant complication associated with Nivar’s open heart surgery was estimated to be just 5%, there is still something that inside of us that say the human body should not be opened up and closed again; something that says that is excessively dangerous and causes us to hold our breath in anticipation of good news.

And that’s why this photo is so poignant. There is nothing as satisfying as hearing that your little one is out of surgery and that all went well and there is nothing like seeing her alive and well – all put back together again. Well, nothing except hearing that she’s being taken off of all the machinery and living entirely on her own… but that story is yet to come!

This little boy, Yahya, still needs a few thousand dollars to cover the costs of surgery and travel from Iraq to Istanbul so he can experience the same life-change you’ve given Nivar. To take Yahya out of line and get him to Istanbul for surgery, please enter the amount of your choice below and click “Donate Now!”.

Follow Nivar on Twitter: @NivarMohammed. Subscribe to Nivar’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Nivar’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.

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.

Yahya – One Week Before Surgery

July 12, 2010 by Sophia · Leave a Comment 

The hot desert sun beams down upon wreckage from the days of Saddam’s rule; and big houses, now broken down into cement blocks, line the dusty streets.

A modest white home is nestled in the midst of the rubble. And coming from the house were the sounds of dishes clanking in the kitchen, a TV blaring, a little boy’s laughter.

That little boy is 5 year-old Yahya, one of my favorites who is about to make the trip to Istanbul this Saturday for heart surgery. Much awaits Yahya. He is getting a new valve put into his heart, a new lease on his young life.

But for now, he is at home. While visiting him and his family in their home last week, I noticed Yahya in the living room playing a soccer-themed video game and giggling with his best friend, Ahmed.

Yahya loves video games. Normally very shy and reserved, his demeanor was relaxed and comfortable when he pretended to be the famous Argentinian soccer player, Lionel Messi. Yahya told his father that when he grows up, he wants to be Messi.

Yahya’s upcoming surgery gives us hope that one day he will overcome his disease and put aside his soccer video games in order to play like a real soccer star outside under the Iraqi sun.

Sophia Pappas, a PLC summer intern ('10), is passionate about living, loving and saving lives. While in Iraq, Sophie enjoys wandering the bazaar, trying local foods and playing with the kids.

Yahya’s Playtime with a Preemptive Love Family Advocate

June 5, 2010 by Sophia · 1 Comment 

The first time I wandered onto the Preemptive Love Coalition website, I was drawn to the images. The poignant photos of sick children laughing and playing made their personalities come to life. Delicately illustrated stories depicted the reality of their conditions and the urgency to help them. Already a very maternal person, I instantly wanted to pick them up, talk to them, play with them, comfort them, and ultimately help save their lives. Before this summer, I could only imagine how beautiful an encounter with one of these children would be.

Just the other day, I experienced the first of what I hope to be many encounters with PLC kids. Shy and nestled under the skirt of his mother’s headscarf, five year-old Yahya came into the PLC office. His sweet smile was masked by a veil of bashfulness and uncertainty, and I was eager to make him giggle. Bouncing balls, coloring pictures and shooting a rubber band gun helped me break the ice. I was essentially making myself look like a fool in order to get him to laugh, but it was all worth it to see the look on his face when he realized that he could relax; that he could play.

I didn’t speak the unique Kurdish-Arabic blend of his family when I played with Yahya, but I didn’t need to in order to communicate with him. Sharing the qualities of just about every child I have ever met, Yahya wanted nothing more than to feel comfortable and at ease so that he could goof around and enjoy himself. It takes few language skills to have playtime with a preschooler.

At five years old, Yahya’s short life has been filled with little playtime. Born with some of the most complex heart problems, Yahya’s grave condition set him on a path filled with physical malformations and potential social setbacks. But while we were playing, he was just a normal little boy waiting for a lifesaving surgery.

I can honestly say that my short time with Yahya is one of the most rewarding things I have done since coming to Iraq. Yahya is a very ill little boy, and I know that my loving him cannot save him. But playtime can do wonderful things for a child!

Our goal for Yahya today is to raise an additional $1,500 for airfare, food, housing, translation services, remaining surgery expenses and additional contingencies. Whether you’ve seen Yahya around before or this is your first time, help us go beyond meaningful play times to get Yahya the surgical therapy through which he will benefit so much.

Sophia Pappas, a PLC summer intern ('10), is passionate about living, loving and saving lives. While in Iraq, Sophie enjoys wandering the bazaar, trying local foods and playing with the kids.

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

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! Email cody@preemptivelove.org or call us at (805) 245-4870 to discuss your group adopting a child for surgery.

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.

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.

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.

Sara’s Valve Surgery is a Complete Success!

March 5, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment 

Drs. Sertaç & Ahmet Corrected a Life-threatening Problem w/ Sara’s Valve in a 4 hr. Surgery

Sara’s surgery was a complete success! And for a child living with a congenital heart disease for 14 years, that is no small celebration! Not every condition or child is the same, but generally speaking, congenital heart defects are best addressed at a young age. Years of damage and overcompensation often render a child inoperable or create attendant problems such as pulmonary hypertension.

It’s a joy to see Sara come through surgery with the exact corrective procedure that the doctors had planned on performing prior to surgery.

Yesterday it was virtually out of the question for Sara to marry and have children - her heart condition simply wouldn’t allow that sort of additional stress to her body.

Today, doctors estimate that they have extended her life by up to twenty years before she’s likely to need any additional procedures. At that point, the field of cardiac surgery will be more advanced, and it’s hard to even speculate what options may be available to her at that time. In any case, her heart is healed and her body is healing.

And if she wants to, she can even dream about having kids someday! It’s amazing what you’ve done!

To make a small donation to the next child in Iraq waiting for a surgery similar to Sara’s, please enter the amount of your choice below and press “Donate.”

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.

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.

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…

We have sent six kids down this hallway this week. And we can only do it because of you. And if you’re the parent left standing there, for all the fear and anxiety, you’re still thrilled to see your child going to surgery. All that is required to get the next child down this hallway is: - Enter an amount of your choice below - Press “Donate Now the Amount of Your Choice” - Spend 2 minutes entering your credit card information 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.

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.

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.

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.

Next Page »

SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTER






Get our good news stories straight into your reader or inbox for free!


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.

• Popular Tags

  Amman Arab Baghdad BSSL Buy Shoes. Save Lives. buyshoessavelives CHD children Congenital Heart Disease Development echocardiogram God heart heart disease heart surgeries Heart Surgery hope hospital Hussein ICHF ICU Internship Iraq Iraqi children Istanbul Jeremy Courtney Jordan Klash Kurd Kurdish Kurdistan nasiriyah peace Peacemaking PLC remedy Remedy Mission Rezhin saddam hussein Southern Iraq sulaymaniyah Surgery Tarza Turkey Wordless Wednesday

• Archives

  • 2012
  • 2011
  • 2010
  • 2009
  • 2008
  • 2007

• Contributors

  • Adam Brandt (4)
  • Alex Phillips (10)
  • Anton Warkenton (1)
  • Awara Hassan (6)
  • Behar Godani (1)
  • Benjamin Chasnov (1)
  • Cayla Willingham (3)
  • Claire Baker (1)
  • Cody Fisher (102)
  • Esther Perez (6)
  • Jeremy Courtney (88)
  • Jessica Courtney (20)
  • Joshua Gigliotti (23)
  • Lauren Sawyer (2)
  • Liz Jones (1)
  • Lydia Bullock (52)
  • Matt Willingham (78)
  • Preston Wright (4)
  • Ruth Simpson (16)
  • Ryan Rosenberry (2)
  • Sophia Pappas (6)
  • Ted Harrison (3)
  • Tim Mason (1)