"Aban"

"Aban" answered the door and patted me on the back as he repeatedly said, "You're welcome, you're welcome" as I walked inside his condo where he lives with his wife and kids. After working alongside the U.S. military in Baghdad, he and his family were targeted in a series of murder attempts. On the porch he lifted his shirt to show one of 4 bullett wounds that nearly killed him. The scars are slowly healing but the mental consequences of his ordeal remain with the family. He was a very warm person, with a translucent skin that did a poor job of hiding the battles he continues to mentally fight. Being nearly completely disabled necessitates his wife having to work in a foreign country while he stays at home. This burden has added to the PTSD and led to several suicide attempts. With the funding for the remaining government agency that provides mental counseling and care for refugees drying up next month, the future of himself and the family are as unclear as they appear to be unstable. To read Elizabeth Stuart's story click HERE.