The Strength, Courage, Determination of a Child

My name is Tom, and last year, during the chaotic evacuation of Afghanistan, I began to help a seven-year-old boy named Fawad. I have been part of an ad hoc team working on getting him to a hospital in the United States where he can receive the advanced medical care he needs and deserves. This last year has been filled with ups and downs, but finally, there is a good news story everyone can be proud of.

Fawad was only six when the Taliban invaded Kabul last summer. Like so many others in those first few days, his family tried to flee the country in hopes of a better, more stable life. They were entering the terminal at Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) when a single gunshot struck Fawad, ripping open the left side of his face.

His family instantly abandoned their hopes of escape. Saving Fawad was all that mattered. Yet that morning and afternoon, despite his parents’ pleas, he was refused help at one hospital after another. Fawad survived at home for nine days without medical attention as his parents, grandparents, younger brother and uncle feared for his life.

On day ten, after individuals in the U.S. and Canada learned about Fawad, they worked together to get him to a hospital. That night he received antibiotics, painkillers and bandaging for his face, but there was little more the doctor could do. Fawad’s injuries were too extensive and severe to treat in Kabul. So, he was sent home with a very uncertain prognosis.

I believe Fawad to be one of the strongest children I have ever encountered. Despite the odds, Fawad survived this event with minimal medical intervention. A year later, he is finally on his way to the United States to receive the complex surgeries and medical care he deserves.

Like many other Afghans seeking refuge abroad, Fawad’s family has had to leave almost everything behind. They could only travel with a backpack containing clothes, documents, and a few valuables. After enduring more than any family should ever have to, they are preparing to relocate to a new country with different values, cultures, traditions, language, and laws.

Funds are being raised to support Fawad and his family to ease their long transition and ensure stability throughout it all. All donations received will go towards helping them to address the many needs they would not otherwise be able to meet. These include not only Fawad’s future medical bills but also decent housing, transportation, furniture and clothes, educational expenses, and even a soccer ball or two.

This seven-year-old boy deserves access to a future that was almost denied him on the morning of August 16th. Yet, by some miracle, he and his family have survived. Through the help and determination of so many, Fawad is actually getting a chance to recover. And with your help, he and his family will eventually be able to thrive.