No More Victims

Mustafa Ghazwan

Mustafa Ghazwan

Mustafa's News Coverage | Bay Area Chapter

UPDATE: URGENT ACTION NEEDED for Mustafa Ghazwan. Click here to learn more.

Mustafa Ghazwan
On June 12 2007, a US jet fired a powerful missile into a building next door to the home where two-year-old Mustafa Ghazwan lived with his parents, brothers and sisters. The attack took place in the Al Mafraq neighborhood of Baqouba, in the Iraqi province of Diyala. His uncle Anmar was in the living room with Mustafa when the attack occurred. Anmar threw his body across Mustafa to protect him from flying debris, but the tremendous explosion completely destroyed Mustafa's ability to hear.

Though Mostafa could say words like mamma, baba, and "memma" (baby bottle in Arabic) before the attack, he has not been able to talk since the American airstrike caused his complete deafness. Mustafa's father, Ghazwan, says Mustafa is a bright boy who suffers intense frustration from his inability to communicate. At times the boy cries and pounds his head because he cannot express himself to his parents, siblings and playmates.

Amy Skewes-Cox, who lives in the Bay Area, contacted us after she was referred to No More Victims by Nina Berman, a photojournalist from New York and author of Purple Hearts: Back from Iraq. Amy then contacted the Ruth Group, and No More Victims was invited to make a presentation to the group. Virtually everyone in the audience signed up to participate in a project to help a war-injured Iraqi child. Dr. Daniel Lowenstein of the University of California - San Francisco Medical School suggested the project to the Iraq Action Group, which also became involved in the project.

No More Victims sent Mustafa's medical reports for review by specialists in the Bay Area who determined that Mustafa is an ideal candidate for a cochlear implant. Dr. Lowenstein helped secure a donated cochlear implant, and Dr. Laurence R. Lustig agreed to perform the surgery free of charge. Mustafa will receive the cochlear implant and several months of rehabilitative treatment from audiologists and speech therapists in San Francisco.

Mustafa will continue to need follow up rehabilitative treatment for a year or more after he returns home. We have arranged for him to receive these services, but funding will be needed to help pay the cost of his continuing care. He will need intensive work with an audiologist and speech therapist in order to maximize the benefit of the cochlear implant.