OPERATION NAJLAA

She fled her hometown of  Mosul in a hurry leaving everything behind in 2014, fearing for the safety of her son and daughter, in their twenties when the terrorist organization ISIS invaded.

Once a bank teller in Mosul, living a comfortable middle-income life, Najlaa struggled to make ends meet with limited job prospect due to language barriers and difficulty obtaining work permits. 

Najlaa’s daughter, Dalal, now in her 30s is the sole provider for the family earning $500 a month, cash in hand, as a hairdresser, barely enough to cover rent and living expenses for the 3 of them.

One year ago, Najlaa was rushed to the hospital after she suffered from a brain aneurysm. Dala sold their belongings, their furniture and borrowed money from friends to round up $5,000 for the hospital bills.

While the doctors succeeded in saving Najlaa’s life, the surgery still resulted in complications including an infection that caused Najlaa to lose one eye. Desperate with nothing left to sell, Dalal turned to social media to try help her mother, where do-gooders directed Dalal to our partner in Mosul, the Iraqi Institution For Development.

A joint committee from IID and Veterans Rebuilding Life (VRL) and Without Borders (WB) our partner in California, assessed her medical records and finances and decided to fly her to Erbil, where she underwent a successful surgery after nearly two painful years.

The VRL team in New York had a video call with Najlaa while still recovering at a hospital in Erbil. Najlaa appeared in good spirits smiling at the team and extending prayers and gratitude for her new lease on life.