Coloow Posted June 3, 2003 Salaama calaykum, I found this story about Abdi, a young somali victim of mines. "Abdi Salan was kicking a soccer ball around with a couple friends. They were playing on a lawn near his house. Abdi was 7, and his two friends were a couple of years older. He was chasing them, running behind them, far enough back that, when they stepped on the mine and were blown up, Abdi was only maimed. It was 1993, and the war in Somalia had reached Abdi's home in Mogadishu. There wasn't a lot the doctors could do; they reassembled Abdi's left arm and, to a lesser extent, Abdi's left leg, then sent him home. Abdi Salan Photo/Rick Wood Abdi Salan, 17, has his leg examined by orthopedic doctors Michael Anderson and William Dicus, who inspects the X-rays, at the Blount Orthopaedic Clinic. Abdi's leg was maimed by a land mine 10 years ago in Somalia. Who would plant a mine in a field where children play? Abdi thinks they were people who wanted to kill his father, but what they did instead was break his father's heart. And his mother's heart. And the hearts of everyone who loved him. The mine killed two boys, maimed a third, and broke hearts as far away as Canada, where Abdi's uncle, Mohamed Fara Ali, listened in tears to Abdi's mother describe her son's mutilation. Abdi's wounds healed, but he was crippled. He could ambulate - walk really isn't the right word - but only by bending into a deep crouch. The other kids found Abdi's walk amusing. In Somalia, a slang term for a disabled person is Jeri. That became Abdi's nickname: "Jeri." Abdi grew older. The boys his age grew into young men and the girls into young women. Abdi remained Jeri. Abdi told girls that he would someday go to England or to America and that his leg and arm would be fixed. It was little more than a dream. Abdi's family could never afford such a thing. The girls told Abdi not to bother them until he got back. Abdi's uncle, Ali, had a friend whose badly injured leg had been treated by William Dicus, a surgeon at Blount Orthopaedic Clinic in Milwaukee. Ali, through his friend, contacted Dicus, and Dicus put together a team of people in Milwaukee willing to treat Abdi without charge. For political reasons, Abdi's visa was issued in Kenya, from the American Embassy in Nairobi. Abdi had to leave immediately. He wanted his mother to come, but he wasn't allowed to take anyone with him. He arrived in Milwaukee on May 18 with $50 in his wallet and a single bag containing some clothes, a photo album and, for Dicus, carvings of a lion and an elephant. For now, Abdi is living with Dicus' neighbors in Shorewood. Decisions about his treatments are still being made. He still has a ways to go. With his uncle translating, Abdi says that as a child, "I felt fated to be unhappy and to be my whole life sad." He is sitting at a kitchen table in Shorewood, with the ordinary sun coming through the windows on an ordinary day. Some people are having some work done on their house across the street, and you can hear hammering and the voices of men. A little boy is playing with plastic guys on the kitchen floor. Abdi's host, Susan Hagstrom, has made coffee, and the smell of it fills the air. He says, "Now I have hope." From the June 3, 2003 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shyhem Posted June 3, 2003 I'm really in tears considering i'm about to order my younger brother to airlift my dad to a mojar hospital coz he is in critical condition.May Allah bless us all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MD Posted June 3, 2003 Sad story, it happens everywhere afgansitan, somalia, iraq..u name it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NoVa Posted June 3, 2003 Entrepenuer Yarxamakulah' i hope his surgery' goes all well. That's one shattered lil boy's dream...at 7, losing parts of his body at that tender age is really horrifying...not to mention his childhood innocent was taken away....that's just sad and scary...why would any1 put mines in a playground? Only ALlah knows the best....I hope everything goes well for the brotha, insha allah...he'll be alright. Shyhem Sorry to hear that walaalkiis. I hope his condition's gets better. Keep him in ur prayers and read as much quran as'u can...Only Allah knows the best 4 every1...insha allah tacalaa, everything will be alright my brotha.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Iffah Posted June 3, 2003 Shyhem: Ya allah! I'm really sorry to hear that. May Allah make your father better and help you get through this difficult time. Insha allah I'll keep him in my prayers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rudy-Diiriye Posted June 3, 2003 same hear walaalayaal! may he look after all of us! please show unity/love to those effected. thx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silent-sistah Posted June 5, 2003 walaahi,,,that story mad me cry.... may Allah help him, and make life better for him, and reward him for his patience and strive---Amiin. shyme....may Allah give cafimaad to your old man--Amiin. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coloow Posted June 6, 2003 Salaama calaykum, Shuju: May allah have mercy and help him with speedy recovery. To the others: Following the recent Iraq war, there has been numerous articles and TV-footages about Ali, the young Iraqi boy whose life was devastated by the war. What is not brought to the attention of the world is the many thousands of somali kids who are suffering as a result of the so called civil war. Cabdi's story was really an exception. How do we bring to the forefront the suffering of somali kids? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shyhem Posted June 7, 2003 Nova-03,ilhaam,silent sista,enterpreneur,rudynad hijabified sista. Thanks alot and I appreciate u'r help.I'm glad that we still have somalis who define decency and simplicity. All power belongs to Allah and its allah who knows what best for us. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
