Below is the email i sent out last year, to which many of you so generously responded with donations to pay for Jawad’s ongoing therapy. As you may know, Jawad has sever Spastic Cerebral Palsy, possibly caused by the chemical warfare Russia unleashed on Syria. Many babies have been born with sever disabilities. As a result of your generous donations, Jawad is making great progress! I was moved to tears to see the most recent videos of him. Remember, last year he wouldn’t sit up by himself for more than a minute, talk, hold his head up and so on. Now look at this cutie pie! The doctors are hoping that with another year of therapy (3 days a week), he will be able to stand and possibly take steps with a walker. Because i know the world is focused on helping with the dire situation in Ukraine and the Ukrainian refugees, I paid for another year of therapy plus transportation to the clinic in Irbid, without asking for help. And I will send money for more Omega 3 tablets, which they say help as well. But please keep Jawad in mind for future help, as i’m sure he will need continued intensive therapy for several more years. Maybe if you are inclined, start a little monthly savings jar so that next year you can contribute to his ongoing therapy. I just sent the clinic $2K which will cover the therapy and the transport for a year, starting April 1. The Omega 3s will cost around $300 for the year. Thank you immensely. And Jawad’s family is eternally grateful. Best, Leesteffy
Email from 03/21: As many of you know, I run a small charity that had been focused on helping refuges. We haven’t tried to fundraise in almost 2 years because we’ve been focused on funding a woman-owned community Vermiculture business in one of the poorest areas in India where agriculture is the primary source of income. Our funding came from a previous generous donation/grant and an ongoing pledge. This project is on track, albeit delayed because of the pandemic. At the same time a Syrian refugee family living in Jordan, whom we helped a number of years ago start a small micro-enterprise (Dad is a welder) reached out to us because their young son was diagnosed with Spastic Cerebral Palsy.
We paid for some therapy, but because we don’t normally fund medical cases, we found a charity in Jordan to help them pay for continued therapy. But then the pandemic happened, and Jordan has been particularly hard hit, and the charity could no longer pay for the therapy. So we stepped back in last year and have been paying for physical therapy 3 days a week, plus transportation to the clinic as the family lives 40 minute away by bus. We’ve also been helping the family with diapers and basics as Dad hasn’t been able to work much. Jawad, now 4, couldn’t sit, stand, hold anything or speak before this therapy. After more than a year of therapy, he can sit for a few minutes, stand with assistance, and is speaking a few words. 
We are committed to funding another year of his therapy because it is unlikely in the next year than any charities in Jordan will be able to help, and this child desperately needs this therapy to achieve basic milestones. The cost of a year’s worth of therapy 3 days a week plus transportation is 1300 Jordanian Dinar if we pay all at once. It is almost double that to pay as you go. 1300 dinar is about US $1900, which we would again pay directly to the clinic.
We are committed to funding another year of his therapy because it is unlikely in the next year than any charities in Jordan will be able to help, and this child desperately needs this therapy to achieve basic milestones. The cost of a year’s worth of therapy 3 days a week plus transportation is 1300 Jordanian Dinar if we pay all at once. It is almost double that to pay as you go. 1300 dinar is about US $1900, which we would again pay directly to the clinic.If you can help this family and child by making a tax deductible contribution we would appreciate it, as all of our remaining funds are allocated to the India project. Please note “For Jawad therapy” in the project line. https://americansforrefugees.org/donate/ Thank you for your generosity. It is MUCH appreciated.
