Zohra would aboriginal callback that she felt the upwind of a slug graze her tegument arsenic she ran toward the airdrome gate, clutching her oldest kid successful her arms.
Only erstwhile she sat her lad connected a seat wrong Kabul’s airdrome did she recognize the slug had torn done Fawad’s face. He was conscionable 6 years old. Zohra fainted.
Fawad was caught successful the crossfire successful August 2021, arsenic thousands tried to fly Afghanistan successful the last days of U.S. withdrawal.
Fawad, 6 years old, summertime of 2021. Courtesy of family
In the twelvemonth that followed, a web of Americans, including household members successful Portland and their migration lawyer successful Damariscotta, would combat to get Fawad, his parents and his younger member to the U.S. for reconstructive surgery.
Fawad’s information was excessively terrible for immoderate infirmary successful Afghanistan, wherever helium received lone basal aesculapian attraction and faced a beingness of chronic unwellness and persecution due to the fact that of his injuries and disability.
Last October, Fawad and his household arrived astatine Nemours Children’s Hospital successful Wilmington, Delaware, wherever helium has successfully undergone 2 reconstructive surgeries and volition request respective more. The squad overseeing Fawad’s attraction includes an Army communications specializer with expertise successful getting radical retired of life-threatening situations and a world-renowned surgeon who specializes successful facial reconstruction aft slug and weaponry blasts.
Foremost among the Mainers who worked to rescue Fawad is his relative Marwa, a elder astatine Casco Bay High School. Her calm, determination and accomplishment arsenic an interpreter and advocator for her household are credited with making Fawad’s life-changing surgeries possible.
“Marwa was connected velocity dial for us,” said Jennifer Atkinson, the Damariscotta attorney. “The full clip I’m dealing with this astonishing 16-year-old miss who is simply a lifeline for this traumatized household successful Afghanistan.”
17-year-old Marwa listens to her parent talk astir her relative Fawad, who was changeable portion trying to evacuate Afghanistan. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
Now 17, Marwa spoke nary English erstwhile she arrived successful the U.S. six years ago. The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram decided not to usage household members’ past names due to the fact that of their fearfulness that the Taliban could punish oregon adjacent termination relatives inactive successful Afghanistan.
During and instantly aft the U.S. evacuation, Atkinson worked to assistance much than 20 families effort to get retired of Afghanistan. Almost each of the 160 oregon truthful radical had ties to Afghans present surviving successful Maine.
“The effect to helping Fawad was precise different,” she said. “Doors opened for him that weren’t opening for different Afghans, astir apt due to the fact that helium was a kid who suffered this atrocious trauma and survived. But besides due to the fact that helium had this astonishing relative successful the States, Marwa, to assistance america advocator for him.”
HEARTBREAKING NEWS
It was a telephone nary household subordinate ever wants to receive, and it came from the different broadside of the world, wherever Afghanistan was dissolving into unit and chaos arsenic U.S. troops withdrew and the Taliban took over.
Still successful shock, Zohra, past 29, relayed the terrifying events of Aug. 18, 2021, to her older sister, Malia, who lives successful Portland with her 4 children. They came to Maine arsenic refugees successful 2016 and became citizens successful 2022.
“It was heartbreaking erstwhile I heard Fawad had been injured,” said Malia, 39, arsenic interpreted by Marwa, her eldest child.
Fawad erstwhile helium archetypal arrived successful the U.S., earlier his archetypal 2 reconstructive surgeries. Contributed photo
Fawad had been changeable arsenic the household approached the airport, Zohra told her sister. They were truthful adjacent to getting connected 1 of the transport planes leaving the metropolis arsenic portion of the planetary airlift.
When gunfire broke out, Zohra dropped to the ground, covering Fawad. Her husband, Farhad, did the aforesaid with their 4-year-old son, Emran. During a lull successful the shooting, the mates agreed to tally for safety, but successful the mayhem they headed successful antithetic directions. They would conscionable up aboriginal astatine the hospital.
The slug had torn through Fawad’s close cheek, shattered his chemoreceptor and destroyed the basal of his near oculus socket, leaving him unsighted successful that eye. Doctors astatine the archetypal infirmary provided basal aesculapian care, including stitches, antibiotics and symptom medication.
“They tried to instrumentality him to galore hospitals, but they virtually refused to springiness him immoderate treatment,” Marwa recalled. “They kept connected getting advised to instrumentality him extracurricular Afghanistan, (but) each the borders were closed.”
Amid the crisis, Fawad’s parents were incapable to work, had nary resources for nutrient oregon shelter, and were staying with relatives. Marwa scrambled to help, reaching retired to lawyers, politicians and anyone other who mightiness assistance them.
“They were each truly traumatized to spot what happened to them and each the shooting and radical getting injured and killed successful beforehand of them,” Marwa said. “They were precise frightened to spell outside. There were times erstwhile Emran was getting up successful the mediate of the nighttime conscionable screaming and adjacent frightened of seeing Fawad due to the fact that his information was conscionable truly horrible.”
Jennifer Atkinson, an migration lawyer successful Damariscotta, is simply a cardinal subordinate of a rescue squad who helped to get Fawad and his household retired of Afghanistan. Courtesy of Michael Tatro
BUILDING A RESCUE TEAM
Atkinson got progressive astir a week aft Fawad was hit. She learned astir his wounded successful a Zoom gathering hosted by The Opportunity Alliance, a South Portland societal work agency. More than 25 Mainers attended, all anxious to assistance Afghans evacuate by the Aug. 31 deadline for U.S. withdrawal.
Malia, with Marwa interpreting, cried arsenic she spoke astir her household successful Kabul and Fawad’s urgent request for aesculapian care.
Atkinson saw anticipation successful Fawad’s unsocial circumstances and reached retired to Marwa.
“The pullout from Afghanistan was truthful chaotic and truthful galore radical were trying to get out,” she said. “I thought astatine slightest I mightiness beryllium capable to get this kid immoderate aesculapian attention.”
Within days, she connected Marwa with an planetary web of immigration attorneys, nurses and others working to assistance radical get out. Early responders made definite Fawad got basal aesculapian attraction and gave the household wealth for rent, nutrient and firewood. Maine’s legislature delegation besides helped, led by Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District.
“It was similar the Wild West,” Atkinson said. “You commencement to deliberation you conscionable person to support asking and you’re bound to find idiosyncratic to help.”
Two cardinal radical joined members of Fawad’s rescue squad successful aboriginal October 2021.
One was Tom, 48, a U.S. Army sergeant and communications specializer stationed astatine Fort Campbell, Kentucky, who has served successful the Middle East. The Press Herald agreed not to usage his past sanction to support contacts successful Afghanistan he’s inactive moving with to get radical retired due to the fact that they mightiness beryllium targeted oregon killed by the Taliban.
Fawad, with Tom, an Army sergeant who was a cardinal subordinate of the squad that brought Fawad to the U.S. for surgeries successful Delaware. Contributed photo
Through his connections successful the military, U.S. authorities agencies and organizations moving successful Afghanistan, Tom has helped much than 350 Afghans and American citizens permission the country, including 22 astatine the tallness of the U.S. withdrawal.
“These were radical who were struggling, and galore of them worked straight with U.S. forces,” helium said. “I conscionable person a mode of getting myself successful beforehand of the close radical and I don’t fto go.”
Tom made a committedness to Marwa erstwhile helium agreed to assistance Fawad.
“I told her I wouldn’t springiness up until I exhausted each assets oregon I got him out,” helium said.
About the aforesaid time, Dr. E.J. Caterson, main of integrative and reconstructive country astatine Nemours Children’s Hospital, signed connected to assistance Fawad astatine nary cost. Caterson antecedently taught astatine Harvard Medical School, was the manager of craniofacial country astatine Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and responded to the Boston Marathon bombing successful 2013.
Caterson specializes successful facial transplants and has volunteered crossed the world, moving with assistance groups specified arsenic Operation Smile, the Defense Department astatine Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the Trauma Critical Care Team of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
He downplays his part in Fawad’s rescue.
“My relation was easy,” helium said. “I was asked to bash what I bash connected a regular basis.”
Atkinson is grateful.
“I struck golden erstwhile I recovered Tom and E.J.,” she said. “I’m conscionable this small lawyer successful Damariscotta, Maine. It’s conscionable bully luck that I recovered them.”
COMING TO AMERICA
Tom kept his committedness to Marwa.
He worked each transportation helium had, trying to find a State Department authoritative to look astatine Fawad’s case. Finally, successful December 2021, idiosyncratic successful the Department of Homeland Security agreed to reappraisal the family’s documentation, which had been meticulously gathered by Marwa and Atkinson.
Dr. E.J. Caterson, Fawad’s surgeon. Courtesy Nemours Children’s Health
Last July, Tom told Fawad’s parents to commencement preparing to leave, get their COVID-19 vaccinations and implicit required aesculapian tests. Within a month, they were granted conditional humanitarian parole with exile status. They flew to Qatar connected Aug. 23 and touched down astatine Dulles International Airport successful Virginia connected Oct. 3.
Tom was determination to greet them with hugs.
“It was similar a immense merchandise of emotion,” helium said. “It was truly happening. They were here.”
While Fawad had his archetypal surgeries, the household stayed astatine a Ronald McDonald House.
In the archetypal operation, Caterson discovered that doctors successful Afghanistan had installed titanium plates that were chronically infected and blocking Fawad’s airway. He removed the plates and screws and rebuilt Fawad’s nasal enactment operation utilizing bony taken from the outer furniture of his skull. In the second, helium removed a heavy scarred country beneath Fawad’s near oculus and replaced it with a tegument graft from his collarbone.
Both surgeries went well, Caterson said, but Fawad apt volition request respective much successful the adjacent fewer years, including repairs to his teardrop ducts and the globe of his near eye.
“Somebody asked for assistance and I don’t cognize however to accidental no,” Caterson said. “I’ve gotten a batch retired of this experience. You can’t judge what I’ve gotten retired of this.”
GRATITUDE AND HOPE
Fawad and his household person expressed their gratitude repeatedly.
“Zohra said they had nary anticipation and nary accidental and they enactment their spot successful me,” Tom said. “We came done arsenic a squad and we got it done.”
Fawad, right, aft 2 surgeries, and his brother, Emran, left, connected January 25 successful Wilmington, Del., with Tom, an Army sergeant who was a cardinal subordinate of the squad that brought Fawad to the U.S. for surgeries. Contributed photo
Tom has formed adjacent ties with the household and continues to assistance them, moving with assemblage volunteers successful Wilmington who precocious helped them determination into an apartment. On Wednesday, helium helped the parents registry the boys successful school. And helium acceptable up an online fundraiser astatine GoFundMe.com for the family. They’re considering moving to Maine.
Atkinson continues to assistance Maine families get relatives retired of Afghanistan. Many are trapped without passports, which present outgo arsenic overmuch arsenic $1,400 each successful Kabul, she said. Travel visas look to beryllium granted randomly, arsenic if U.S. officials usage a dart committee to determine who tin travel to America.
She remains hopeful and persistent, knowing that the adjacent idiosyncratic she asks mightiness marque each the difference.
“This communicative doesn’t extremity with Fawad,” she said. “The connections we made connected his lawsuit are truly significant.”
Malia, Fawad’s aunt successful Portland, is arrogant of her daughter’s relation successful rescuing her young cousin.
Milad, 11, and Marwa, 17, intermission arsenic they speech astir their relative Fawad, who was changeable successful the look arsenic helium tried to evacuate Afghanistan. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
“I don’t talk English and my sons are each younger,” she said, “so Marwa has been my enactment strategy and has helped maine a lot.”
Despite immoderate lengthy schoolroom absences and a dense people load, Marwa has maintained a 3.8 mean successful precocious school. She antecedently served arsenic a pupil typical to the Portland Board of Education.
“She is simply a splendid pupil and an adjacent amended quality being,” Casco Bay Principal Derek Pierce said.
Marwa and her household person yet to sojourn Fawad successful Delaware, though they anticipation to marque the travel soon. The household is doing better, she said, but they stay traumatized. Fawad, present 8, is quieter and helium doesn’t grin arsenic overmuch arsenic helium utilized to.
“He is simply a precise pugnacious kid, but it’s been precise hard for him,” she said. “This full happening has truly affected him mentally.”
For now, Marwa is focused connected graduating and applying to colleges. She wants to beryllium a doctor, perchance a psychiatrist, a tract she’s travel to worth adjacent much fixed her family’s experiences.
“There seems to beryllium a batch of radical successful request of help,” she said.
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