Hana, Iraq: “I’m scared for my daughter

Hana is sitting on the floor holding two of her three children in her arms. Nearly two years old, Sinat is deep asleep. Next to her, her four-month-old brother watches Handicap International’s team enter the family’s tent.

Mohamad, physical therapist, and Diana, social worker, introduce themselves to Hana. The team was made aware of Sinat’s condition by neighbors and they have come to see if they can help. Hana accepts the team’s offer and invites them to sit on the mattresses laid out on the floor, next to a wooden cradle.

Sinat wakes up and Mohamad takes her in his arms. “I only learned about my daughter’s condition recently,” Hana tells the physical therapist.

“The day she was born, she didn’t cry and I instantly knew something was wrong. The doctors told me she had difficulties breathing but that everything would be okay. They operated on her and explained that her next health check would be in a year’s time. I only was informed that she suffers from cerebral palsy two months ago,” she adds.

Mohamad makes an initial assessment of Sinat’s health. “Her spine and hip are severely deformed. She can’t do without physical therapy and she needs it straightaway, otherwise it will get worse very quickly,” he explains as he does exercises with the baby.

He talks through each movement with Hana, so she can do the same from now on. Sinat’s mother concentrates hard, asks questions and follows the physical therapist’s movements very carefully.

Two years of worry, executions, threats and explosions

“I’m really scared for her,” Hanna admits to Mohamad. “We’ve been through two years of worry, executions, threats and explosions of all kinds. I can’t complain about life in the camp, thank God, but I’m still really worried about my children’s future. Sinat worries me most because of her illness. I really want her to grow up like other little girls her age.”

As the session draws to a close, Hana takes Sinat in her arms. “You know what’s so ironic about all this?” she asks calmly. “We’re originally from Khazer. Two years ago, when the Islamic State group captured our village, we fled to Mosul. I never thought they’d take control of such a big city.”

“We’re back in our old village again. But we live in a camp. I hope it won’t be long before we can go back to the house we left two years ago. It’s easier to turn the page when you’re in your own home and I’ll worry less about my children.”