Selena Frank and I contacted No More Victims back in 2005 looking for a way for our interfaith youth group to help a war-injured Iraqi child. They were already doing wonderful work with the homeless and hungry in our local area but we wanted them to reach out to a child affected by our actions in Iraq and perhaps, to gain an awareness for civilian casualties. Cole Miller e-mailed me back immediately with the name of a little girl who’d been blinded by a cluster bomb outside of her home. Ayat was beyond medical intervention, but we were able to show our youth photos of her and tell them her story and they were very anxious to help, holding car washes and barbeques, talking to our local school for the blind, and eventually sending a package of things a young blind child might be able to use to brighten her day.Unfortunately, Ayat’s family was displaced before we were able to make contact but the experience was something our youth would never forget.

Selena and I, however, decided that we wanted to do more and I contacted Cole and told him that we’d like to bring a child to our area for medical help. We began giving presentations about No More Victims and soon had the interest of some amazing and dedicated people – Lisa Hall, Greg Williams, and Kathryn McDeed. Together with Selena and I, we began the Upstate Coalition of Compassion to work in partnership with No More Victims.

With our newly formed Core group, we began holding fundraisers, speaking more about NMV and awaiting medical records from Cole. When he sent us the story of Salee Allawe, a 9 year old Iraqi child who’d lost her legs (and her brother and best friend) to a US air strike in November of 2006, we knew in our hearts that we’d found “our child”. Shriners Hospital of Greenville agreed to provide pro bono medical care for Salee, the local Ronald McDonald House offered housing for Salee and her father, and many dedicated volunteers, interprerters, and contributors made it possible for Salee to accompany Cole to Upstate South Carolina on July 8th 2007.

Today, Salee is learning to walk on prosthetic legs and our community has fallen in love with this brave, beautiful and charismatic little girl and her loving father. Our heartfelt thanks for this incredible blessing go to Cole Miller and No More Victims for this opportunity.

Salee’s visit here will not only help her to walk again. It will surely soften hearts and open minds. When Salee leaves to go back home to Iraq, none of us will ever look at the war and bombing on the evening news in the same dispassionate way again.

Because a little girl we love will be there.

- Ann Oliver Cothran