Iraq, War

What I learned from a girl in Iraq: Human being first, journalist second

Iraqi girl born with spina bifida survived the war and now has hope for the future
Noor’s father, Haider, embraces his daughter before brain surgery at a hospital in Uganda.

A few months ago, I traveled to a place I’d never visited before: Mbale, Uganda. I wasn’t there to marvel at the vastness of Lake Victoria or spend a day at a safari park, though I wished I’d had time to see mountain gorillas. I was there to Meet Noor, a girl I met 11 years ago in the midst of the Iraq war. She came to America once and melted a thousand hearts. Everyone wanted to help “Baby Noor.” I have followed her story since then.

You can read my 2013 CNN.com story here: “Baby Noor: An unfinished miracle.”

This photo was taken in 2013, when I went with Noor to the special school she attends in Baghdad. Her best friend is Hajar, who lost a leg in the war.

It was a trip that surprised in so many ways. Noor and her family had never dreamed in they would end up in a place like Mbale for critical surgery. They only had one dream in their hearts. You will have to read my upcoming story on CNN.com to find out what that is and whether it was fulfilled.

But at a time when refugees and immigrants are under fire in the United States, I saw Noor and her father, Haider, as Iraqis who exuded the best of humankind.

Their daily lives are laced with the horror that still unfolds in Iraq, where nearly 7,000 people were killed in attacks last year. They struggle just to survive; never mind address the challenges of a girl growing up with severe disabilities.

Noor and me, a few days after her neurosurgery in Uganda. It was tough to say goodbye. I don’t know when I will be able to see her again.

Noor made me stop and think — again — about the privileged life I lead, about how lucky I am.

I suppose many of us reporters feel that way after a difficult reporting trip. But as you will learn from my CNN story, Noor is no longer a subject of my stories. She has become so much more.