CHILD MISSION

Nimer is a 14-year-old boy whose life experiences have made him mature beyond his years.

Following their father’s death, their mother remarried, leaving her four children in the care of Nimer’s eldest sister, who was only 20 at the time. 

Despite being pressured into marrying an older man, Nimer’s sister bravely chose to leave her marriage to care for her younger siblings, including her 5-year-old son (Nimer’s nephew) moving back in with them for support.

In 2021, during the height of the Covid pandemic, when Nimer was 8 years old, he and his brother were struck by a speeding truck outside their home. The driver fled the scene, leaving Nimer with a broken femur and mangled foot, while his brother suffered a shattered pelvis.

Local community members rallied to raise funds for Nimer’s brother’s treatment, but by the time they reached Nimer’s less urgent needs, resources were depleted.

Nimer’s painful limp, which worsens as he grows older, has prevented him from working to support his family and has led to bullying at school, ultimately causing him to quit.

Nimer’s story came to the attention of Veterans Rebuilding Life when a social worker from our partner organization in Iraq, the Iraqi Institution for Development, met with Nimer’s sister, who pleaded for help on behalf of her brother.

Thanks to generous donations from the Christian Assyrian Iraqi community in California, facilitated by the nonprofit Without Borders and our veteran donor community, Nimer received the reconstructive surgery he desperately needed. This surgery has not only helped him walk again but has also restored his sense of normalcy.