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?"


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 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)

Intro To Followthrough: How Mothers Will Change The Tide In Iraq

April 8, 2011 by Cody · 1 Comment 

We’re all about providing surgeries to children – I think we’ve made that pretty clear – but we’re also passionate about getting the rest of the family involved.

That means we aren’t standing by an entire generation of children with CHD but also the communities, the support groups, and the leaders who play a crucial role in improving local healthcare throughout the country.

Without a doubt, some of Iraq’s strongest leaders are the mothers.

They’re leading the way by asking real questions about proper nutrition, pre-natal care, post-op rehabilitation for their children, the causes of heart defects, and how they can be a part of the solution. They aren’t content to be bystanders.

And these questions are encouraging, because they prove that mothers here see that something’s wrong, and they want to do something about it.

That’s why our Followthrough program is seeking to unite mothers all over Iraq and give them the tools they need to be the remedy. Then, once they’ve been equipped, we set them loose to pass it on to the next mother.

‘Equipping’ here means educating them on the value of healthcare, what robust nutrition looks like here with the available foods in Iraq, how to look after children with heart disease, and how all of this will help lower the rate of children born with heart defects each year.

Educating and empowering mothers to better care for their children is the first step toward attacking this CHD problem at the source.

We want them to know that it doesn’t take a PhD to fight heart disease. We all can play a role.

Imagine women all over Iraq, representing multiple ethnicities, faiths, and tribes, all united together with the common goal – to create a better future for their children!

Stick with us during the coming weeks to see how moms are changing the tide in Iraq!

Surgery, the “Neglected Stepchild” of Global Health

April 3, 2011 by Alex · 2 Comments 

In preparing for my 2nd internship with PLC this summer I came across an article written by two well-known global health advocates and physicians (a prof at Harvard and the current president of Dartmouth, if you’re into credentials) on the topic of surgery in the global health movement. [Paul E. Farmer and Jim Y. Kim. 2008. "Surgery and Global Health: a View from Beyond the OR." World Journal of Surgery 32:533-536].

After discussing this article with one of the directors at PLC and thinking about our current model for surgical aid in Iraq, a few points stood out:

The authors’ first argument is that surgery is the “neglected stepchild of global healthcare.” The fact is, although surgical diseases (CHD being one of the most prevalent) are a major cause of death and disability in much of the world, the vast majority of healthcare programs don’t address surgical needs.

Why? Because surgical interventions are usually complicated and require a larger investment than other kinds of health interventions, and treating surgical diseases requires a more advanced infrastructure and the involvement of more professionals than treating, for instance, malnutrition or malaria.

There is also the fact that surgical diseases have lacked the same kind of advocacy and exposure that have led to funding and programs for “high-profile” diseases like tuberculosis or AIDS.

The other major issue addressed by Farmer and Kim is that countries that actually have the surgical services often only have them in just a few locales, and the treatment is usually too expensive to be accessible by most of the population.

The question then arises: how do we make this treatment available in settings where infrastructure is poor, trained professionals are scarce, equipment is needed, and “the only thing not needed is disease, which exists abundantly.”

Remedy Missions are our answer to that question.

As you know, we recently moved from sending children abroad for surgery to a model that provides more surgeries at less cost while simultaneously training local professionals.

These Remedy Missions specifically address the impediments to surgery in global health described by Farmer and Kim.

They provide treatment of CHD for families that would never be able to afford traveling abroad for surgery. Our work also means we’re freeing surgeons up to focus on surgery, because, as Farmer and Kim write, “clearly we don’t want surgeons to be dragged out of the operating room to manage logistics, supply chains…and financing.”

Remedy Missions provide crucial training for all the different health professionals that are required for a surgery to be successful (surgeons, cardiologists, nurses, etc.).

This process of providing surgery and training is also an exercise in infrastructure building as we work toward the development of heart centers in northern and southern Iraq. The fact that we can count both regional and national governments as partners addresses the need for surgical care in the public sector in Iraq, and it bodes especially well for poor families who will need to receive treatment in the future.

Lastly, the partnership and advocacy of our supporters (that’s YOU) is helping to raise awareness of the burden of CHD and other surgical diseases in places like Iraq.

With well-planned, structured interventions that take into account the needs and problems associated with surgical disease globally, and the support and advocacy of a Coalition of concerned individuals and communities (that’d be you again), problems like CHD can cease to be a “neglected stepchild” of global health and instead serve as a model for building health systems and effecting powerful change in global contexts.

Big Love Little Hearts Founder: “We Will Not Stop!”

March 28, 2011 by matt · Leave a Comment 

Estrella’s commitment to saving the lives of children is inspirational, and we’re incredibly fortunate to know and work alongside her in the battle against CHD. We aren’t stopping either!

To see more of her contagious compassion for children (and her slick new website!), check out big-love.org.

Matt Willingham is the Press Secretary for the Preemptive Love Coalition. He’s been happily nuptualized to the excellent Cayla Willingham since December 2008 and enjoys his wife’s delicious cooking, making up words like nuptualized, globe-trotting, and spicy food. Follow Matt on Twitter: @mehtin.

Parzheen Receives Total Correction; For Discharge from ICU Tomorrow

March 7, 2011 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment 

Parzheen went in yesterday for a total correction of four different heart problems and came through with spectacular results! She had her breathing tube removed within a few hours and her chest tube removed just shortly after that. She will likely be sent out of the critical care unit tomorrow where we will have a few more days in the ward to enjoy her amazing smile thanks to you!

Parzheen’s lifesaving surgery was made possible because of so many of you who have partnered with us through our Monthly Lifesaver program. We love our campaigns and fundraising pushes, but we benefit tremendously from those of you who quietly and faithfully invest every month into children like Parzheen.

We cannot always pre-select children in time to run massive fundraising campaigns in their names. We do not always have the capacity to create videos in advance of surgery. And not every child is your typical “poster child” mold.

Our community of Monthly Lifesavers gives us a steady budget each month that we can rely on to plan for future training and surgery Iraq.

Will you join our community of Monthly Lifesavers? Every bit helps. It’s the faithfulness of your monthly gift that makes this such a high-impact act of love for the children of Iraq.
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MONTHLY SPONSORSHIP Choose this option to give life to children every month for the amount of your choice (entered below). Your credit card will be billed each month without any additional work on your part.

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:

We’re Kicking Off Our Third Remedy Mission!

February 14, 2011 by Cody · Leave a Comment 

Today we were welcomed back to southern Iraq by the entire team of local doctors!

As they were welcoming back their teachers and mentors from the first Remedy Mission, one doctor said, “We are trying to give you honorary Iraqi citizenship so you never have to leave again!”

It’s a fun thought to think about them staying here but what’s more exciting is thinking about the day when foreign medical teams are no longer needed to come alongside the pediatric heart centers of Iraq.

All we know is that we may be just one Remedy Mission closer to that reality!

Valentine’s Day may not be the most romantic in Iraq but today it couldn’t have been more meaningful. No chocolate hearts or cupids, instead what was being passed around the room were medical reports as the ICHF surgical team sat down with local doctors and cardiologists and mapped out the next two weeks of surgeries!

The children on the top of the list were the ones they had to turn away from our first Remedy Mission in southern Iraq, simply because they ran out of hours in the day.

We’re all eagerly awaiting these next two weeks as tomorrow we will witness the first of over 20 life-saving operations and the first of thousands of hours of training given to the local Iraqi medical team.

Stay with us as we start our third Remedy Mission!

Our Partners

Better Februarys

February 5, 2011 by matt · Leave a Comment 

I’ve honestly never been big on the month of February.

I mean, it’s the hardest month to pronounce (is the “r” silent!?), there’s all the V-Day drama/expectations, and then, of course, February is when they bring out the sweetened little heartshaped Altoids with all the stalker-ish messages on them.

But allow me to introduce you to something that will forever improve your Februarys: CHD Awareness Week!

Thousands of people from all over the world are spending the 7th through the 14th spreading awareness about the world’s most common birth defect, and we’re joining them! If you’re new to our site and don’t know what we do, the Preemptive Love Coalition seeks to eradicate the 30,000+ backlog of Iraqi children with congenital heart defects.

So take a minute to read up on CHD in Iraq, and make sure to add CHD Awareness Week on Facebook or check out their website.

Here’s to a better February and healthier children!

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Gifting Justice To One Family At A Time: Zahran Goes to Surgery

December 14, 2010 by Cody · Leave a Comment 

“I can’t even imagine what it would be like to live in a country with good healthcare.”

Those were the words of a mother of two. Both were born with holes in their hearts. Her youngest, pictured above, is Zahran.

Zahran was diagnosed with heart disease when she was seven months old. A bleak diagnosis is all the doctor could offer them. That and the hope of treatment overseas.

Zahran’s mother kept repeating, “We could not find a remedy here in Iraq.”

What would be harder to hear as a parent? The fact that your child has an incurable disease or that there is a cure but it’s just out of your reach?

When there is a remedy and when it’s within reach of some and out of reach for others, just based on where they’re born, then it becomes an issue of justice, doesn’t it?

Like all issues of injustice, it requires people to come running and take action.

It requires people to do justice.

Today marks the 6th day of operations and Zahran’s set to be the 16th child to be given what could be a life-saving surgery!

Because of YOU, Zahran’s mother can start to imagine what it’s going to be like to live in a country where the healthcare is strong enough to save her children.

What better gift could you give this Christmas than justice?

Hassan’s Surgery Was A Success!

December 13, 2010 by Cody · Leave a Comment 

Hassan’s surgery was a success!

When the doctors first looked at Hassan’s heart, he had multiple defects. When they were done with the operation, they had corrected each one of those defects and could only describe his heart as whole and complete!

Now Hassan is resting in the ICU, next to Ahmed, where the nurses continue to monitor how the rest of his body responds to his new and fully functioning heart.

Hassan’s wait for his surgery is finally over. Now all we’re waiting for is his return to his family.

 

Stay tuned…

One Family’s Longing For Remedy – Hassan’s Shot at Surgery

December 11, 2010 by Cody · Comments Off 

Meet Hassan.

Each time I sit down with the families, I share with them why we’re doing what we’re doing and why their stories matter. I tell them that the more people who hear their stories, the more who will begin to care, and the more who begin to care, the more who will begin to act. And GOD-willing, soon every child in Iraq will have access to the healthcare they justly deserve.

Hassan’s story matters to us.

Hassan is just 7 months old. When he was just 13 days old he came down with a high fever which led him to the doctor who diagnosed his heart defect. He has an enlarged heart among other defects. They traveled five hours to Baghdad to have another doctor look at him but the doctor could only recommend him to doctors in other countries. The doctor told them, “Not even in the tribes, do they have this extreme of a heart defect.”

They knew they couldn’t afford to go to another country so they never gave up visiting doctors inside Iraq, certain that there must be one who could save their son.

At last, an Iraqi doctor told them he knew how to fix Hassan. That week they traveled back to Baghdad to have the doctor operate on him but the doctor turned them away, telling them to come back the following week. They returned but were turned away again.

This happened nine straight weeks in a row.

Finally the doctor left the country, dashing all hopes they had for Hassan.

Hassan’s mother never gave up waiting for his return.

 She continued to look after Hassan full time, quitting her job as a teacher. Hassan’s father served in the Iraqi military under Saddam Hussein but when he refused to take a man’s life, he was forced to find a way out. When the opportunity presented itself, he fled.

Soon after, he was caught and thrown in prison.

He was released after a year, only after being tortured until the point where he became mentally disabled.

His wife told us that he can’t even play with his children anymore.

This doesn’t take away the love his children have for him and Hassan can’t wait to be back home with his Dad.

Until then, Hassan knows there’s something in his heart that needs to be fixed and that day’s only hours away.

Stay tuned…

Just “A Little Longer” For Anwar

December 9, 2010 by Cody · Leave a Comment 

This is Anwar. He’s homeless. He was also born with a congenital heart defect.

If you spend any time with Anwar and his mother, you quickly learn that they wouldn’t want any of those things to define them. Anwar would rather be known for his love for soccer. He’s in 1st grade but he can’t stand school, mainly because it takes him away from his father.

His father is a skilled farmer. They used to live down by the Kuwait-Iraq border and work on a farm where Anwar loved nothing else but to spend the whole day working alongside his dad.

Then the land ran out of water and they were forced to move further north.

When Anwar was one month old they found out about his heart defect. They traveled to Basra to see local doctors but they told them that they didn’t have the equipment they needed to save Anwar’s life. Even if they were able to buy the equipment, they still needed to be trained on how to use it. Regardless, they told them to just “wait a little longer”.

They went back every month to see if the machines arrived but for 6 years they were continually turned away.

Anwar’s only choice was to go overseas to a country that had the right machines and the doctors who knew how to use them. But it was a choice his family couldn’t even consider because of the cost.

Whatever savings they had was continually being put towards staying warm in the winter. If Anwar gets cold, his body begins to shake and his heart condition worsens. Because of that, all their money goes towards buying kerosene to keep the heaters burning.

This winter that kerosene bill may just be a little less because Anwar heads into surgery within the next hour! The doctors have the machines they’ve been waiting for and now they’re receiving the training they need to use the machines for the very first time!

Now, Anwar truly only has to wait “a little longer.”

Stay tuned…

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