Ahmed is a teenage boy from Iraq.  He is an innocent victim of senseless violence and, unfortunately, he is only one of many injured children of Iraq that need help.  The Global Medical Relief Fund was lucky enough to find Ahmed while on a mission to help another child in desperate need of a pediatric prosthetic. 

More than 5 years ago, Ahmed was walking home from school with a friend when his life was changed forever.  He doesn’t remember much from the accident, but he was struck by a high powered military rocket causing massive damage to his face and costing him his right arm and his eyesight.  Fortunately, Ahmed’s brother Saad was able to meet an American soldier in Iraq who knew about the GMRF.  The connection has remained strong ever since. 

The GMRF has helped Ahmed in many ways; his radiant smile is evidence.  Thanks to the generous doctor’s at the Shriners Childrens Hospital in Philadelphia, Ahmed was fitted for prosthetic eyes as well as a new right arm.  He is truly grateful, but the greatest gift anyone has given Ahmed has been friendship.  While in America receiving treatment he has met Ngawang, a teenage Tibetan boy who shares a love of music and soccer.  They have both lost a lot (Ngawang is a double amputee; he lost both of his arms in a terrible accident in India) and are helping one another heal immensely.  At the moment, Ngawang is Ahmed’s eyes, but the Shriners Childrens Hospital hopes to one day change that through experimental retinal surgery to possibly restore his vision.

Ahmed continues his physical therapy, education, and mastery of the piano daily.  He’s become a hard working young man and an important member of the GMRF family.