Matt Willingham 
I got word that our pig-tailed girl in the red coat left the ICU and was resting in her hospital room up on the sixth floor.
So I grabbed my translator-friend and made the climb to hear more of Zahraa’s story. Her father welcomed me into their room and we all sat down. He jumped right in and explained that his family had looked for a surgery for 3 years and spent over 17 million Iraqi dinar (nearly $15,000) on their search. Zahraa had even been scheduled for surgery 7 other times, but each resulted in cancellation. Sometimes Zahraa got sick, and other times the Iraqi doctors got cold feet. It was a lot of disappointment to stomach.
But the mood couldn’t stay sad, because Zahraa’s life had already been saved!
Her father beamed with joy and gratitude as he shared of his daughter’s dreams: “She begs me for sewing supplies. She wants to make dolls for herself and her friends.” He went on to explain that the recent surgery made her want to be a doctor. She still wants sewing supplies, but she can’t decide if she would rather use them to make dolls for her friends or to give her friends stitches!
Regardless, Zahraa now has this and many other choices ahead of her because of your generosity! Thank for saving the life of this precious little girl!
