Refugee Family of Seven

*Please see the ABC11 link in the update section.*

October 25th, 2021 – It was a cold and rainy night as a family of seven Afghan refugees arrived in the Raleigh, NC area. As it unfolded, the scene looked as if it were out of a movie. The rain was falling heavily, and lightning illuminated the night sky. A yellow cab pulled in front of my neighbor’s house, followed by two other vehicles. My neighbor, Dicla, walked outside on the front porch to welcome the family. The refugee family hoped to find a safe haven in this stranger’s home.

The family left Afghanistan recently, fleeing from the now Taliban-controlled country. Upon their arrival to North Carolina, the family arrived with nothing more than the clothes on their back. They left their home, their belongings, and their friends behind. The family consists of Mom, Dad, a 15-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl, an eight-year-old boy, a six-year-old girl, and a two-year-old girl. Prior to their arrival, the host was given the age and gender of the kids. It was not until the next morning that the host discovered Mom is approximately six months pregnant. The pregnancy timeline is just an estimate because Mom has not received any prenatal care. As a new father, I cannot imagine the stress and anxiety of my wife not receiving care during her pregnancy.

Now, it has been 72 hours since they arrived in our community. I deployed to Afghanistan in 2011-2012, and I know the hearts of the Afghan people. The Afghan people have hearts of gold. This family risked their lives for our troops and their family, and I hope to give back to them.

The funds raised in this GoFundMe will go directly to the family. The family is currently living in a house that is shared by a host. As mentioned above, Mom is pregnant and needs to be seen. Our hope is to raise funds to take care of this beautiful family by securing housing, providing medical care, and buying the basic necessities which are needed to survive.

Thank you for considering this family. In the past three days, I have seen a mix of emotions from each one of them. They are in dire need of help. The funds will bless their lives more than we can imagine. Given their service to their country and ours, I have no doubts they will continue to give back to the community in ways more significant than you or I could dream of.