Greenville: Rusul’s Amazing Progress
September 2nd, 2008 | Posted by Ann Cothran
Well, Rusul continues to be amazing! She’s cheerful and kind, laughing and loving. She came through her amputation with flying colors and “no ouch,” and her incision has now fully healed. She should have a new foot in ten days! And, anyone who’s seen how FAST she is hopping around without a foot (most of the time now, she just shoves her walker to the side), can’t imagine how speedy she’ll be WITH a foot! It’ll be hard to keep up with her!
Abu Ali continues to be the most loving and compassionate father. And, a good friend to everyone he meets.
So many wonderful folks from both the Greenville and Asheville areas have tended to their needs, extended warm bonds of friendship, and visited and played with both of them. Rusul’s discovered that she LOVES putt-putt, big blow-up slides, merry-go-rounds, spaghetti, making jewelry with beads, and of course, “potatoes with ketchup” (french fries). As soon as she woke from surgery, she demanded “potatoes with ketchup”; she had to be satisfied with “crackers” with ketchup (Saltines) for a while to keep from getting nauseated, but I think the ketchup was the main draw so she was a trooper as long as the ketchup kept flowing.
Abu Ali has made many friends, too, and he and Rusul both have made incredible strides with their English! They both amaze me every time I see them with their new words and the ease of communicating with them. Rusul is filled with new exclamations like, “Oh my GOSH!” and “Geez Louise!” Abu Ali is enjoying his trips to the mosque, playing billiards with a friend, and loves the mountains of Asheville!
Both of them miss their friends Nora and Afef (and Doug and Susi who care for Nora and Afef in Maine), but have had chances to talk with them on the phone. Nora’s doing well, but Rusul was concerned that Nora’s surgery had “big ouch” while Rusul’s amputation was “no ouch”. Abu Ali misses his sweet wife and other children at home, but they talk to them frequently.
In fact, some of us have talked to Salee, and she sounds her usual joyful self and can’t wait to come back and see everyone! She asked me if “Rusul emchee good?” which if you know Salee, most likely meant, “I still walk better than my sister, don’t I?” and I assured her that they BOTH “emchee good”! Rusul just loved the fact that her big sister asked how she was walking though; she told everyone who saw her, “Salee say Rusul emchee good!” Siblings!
And, many wonderful fundraisers have been planned by so many good people. Car washes, tea parties, house parties, church donations, and concerts. What wonderful communities and compassionate folks!
I continue to feel so blessed by the lives of our Iraqi friends. And, I still have trouble telling their story without tears. They truly know the meaning of faith, forgiveness, and unconditional love, and exhibit those values in their daily lives. They live them, and don’t just “talk the talk”.
Please continue to pray for their continued safety and the safety of their loved ones back home. And pray that soon they’ll truly have the Peace in their country that they so deserve.
[...] friend (whom she lived with in Jordan while they waited for their visas), is reported to be doing beautifully with her new prosthetic foot. If all goes well with her PT, she will possibly be leaving for home [...]
September 7th, 2008 at 9:34 pm