I was living my life like everyone else
married to a wonderful man and have two
amazing young men I’m proud of who went
to look at a West I remember those days
when I used to take my kids to their
school on rainy days to their soccer
practices roller hockey and swimming
lessons
I’m a clinical pharmacists from a Syrian
descent I you work at a hospital in the
area and we’re and and and take care of
my patients and when I go back home I
take care of my family go out for
dinners visit my friends go on vacations
and travel every now and then I was
living my life like everyone else until
the Syrian crisis began in 2011 how is
it possible that people like you and I
minding our own lives peacefully are
being killed in cold blood it was
difficult to see family members and old
friends in Syria suffering at the hands
of their own government to see buildings
neighbourhoods streets I knew collapsing
to ruins by government airstrikes to see
families displays from their own homes
to see children crying it was hurting me
to see all that suffering and I’m here
in my home sitting on my couch and
trying to choose to choose which carpet
would work best and doing nothing about
the suffering as many people fled to –
the board is worth Turkey I decided to
go to Turkey and see what I could do I
found a medical relief organization that
was providing medical aid – to displace
Syria’s too
three G Syrians in in Turkey I stepped
in and didn’t hesitate for a minute and
helps in every way I could surely after
helping with pharmacy inventory I was
asked by the organization to leave their
medical mission in Syria and Turkey I
didn’t hesitate for a minute this became
my new mission in life but it was not
easy one of the memories engrained in my
mind is this young mother sobbing over
the body of her dead son I was inside a
tower emergency hospital in northern
Syria when suddenly I heard a strong
thud it was again one of those bombs
that hit nearby village suddenly cars
with wounded woman children and men were
flooding to the hospital and I was there
at the corner of the emergency
department watching what’s going on
I was watching nurses and doctors like
dr. Juma who has a vascular surgeon
rushing to the injury to help as much as
they could over 25 victims when the in
the ER on the beds on the floor blood
was everywhere and there I saw that
young mother sobbing and crying over her
four-year-old son he was dead and at the
same time she was trying to reach out to
her two-year-old daughter who was
severely injured and begging the doctors
to save her only girl I remember Haneen
a beautiful nine-year-old girl at our
post-op care center in Turkey a few
months back she was having breakfast
with her family at home when suddenly a
bomb struck their neighborhood she saw
her dead and younger brother dying in
front of her eyes but she couldn’t do
anything surely she figured
that she couldn’t move herself she was
hit badly I will never forget honey and
the look in her eyes honey
the young mother who lost her son and
many other victims I saw the
difficulties I faced and the traumas I
witnessed gave me the courage strength
and motivation to continue my mission
as days went and months elapsed
I continued volunteering for this great
organization you SSM supervising their
medical mission in Syria and Turkey this
mission that started from the basement
full of medications grew and became one
of the major medical relief
organizations working in Syria providing
medical aids and and and services to
over million victims I oversaw the
establishment of that emergency hospital
in northern Syria which now serves over
20,000 patients a month I had hundreds
of meetings with donors and
international aid organizations I was
doing things I would never imagine that
I could do in my entire life so focused
on helping the victims of war in Syria I
used to feel that I was not doing enough
for my family but I didn’t realize the
inspiration that my work gave them my
older son and your left abdur-rahman CC
accompanied me on my own several times
of my mission this inspired him to
change his career track and pursue his
degree in medicine he also established a
student organization at OSU that called
refuge
to help refugee students to integrate
easily into the education system at
which he later incorporated became a
nonprofit organization my younger son
mom Owen on your right he grew very
responsible and carrying at an early age
I remember when he cracked his phone and
that was after he went with me I think
early 2012 to Turkey and I wanted to buy
him a new phone like I always did but he
said mama my phone is working and when
it stops working I’ll get a new one
many people don’t even have a phone to
use he he grew very responsibilities at
home and school and as he entered
College in OSU he told me I want to have
a career in life that I could help other
peoples who aren’t what other people who
are in need and be part of their daily
lives as I started to pay more attention
I realized that the impact of my work
went far beyond the people I was
directly helping my colleagues at work
will come to me and ask me how they
could help my friends my neighbors will
check out my family when I was away many
people young men and women in my small
Muslim community at and at the community
at large would come to me and ask me
about the work I’m doing and many times
I don’t know I don’t even know their
names
many colleges asked me to give lectures
to their student about the Syrian crisis
in the medical relief work in Syria the
effect went beyond what I would ever
imagined and continued to ripple beyond
whatever whatever I would dream of one
day in 2015 I met Asma a beautiful young
lady at our at our post-op care center
in Turkey same one that I met honey
she she was severely injured after a
bomb that struck there her hometown in
northern Syria she told me her story and
how she lost everything in her life
because of the war in Syria including
her education she was supposed to be
graduating from high school that year
but she didn’t even finish her ninth
grade as she didn’t have access to any
school I remember a smell and the
beautiful smile on her face that masks
her deep sadness and misery she asked me
about my profession and what I do in
life and when I told her I’m a
pharmacist her smile dissipated quickly
and her tears ran down on her cheeks
I said I was supposed to graduate from
high school this year I wish I could
continue my education fulfill my dreams
but there’s nothing I could do after a
brief silence that I felt it will never
end
she asked me this question you have a
life a family and work as a pharmacist
back home what made you come here to
Turkey and leave everything behind you I
was speechless she didn’t know what to
say then I looked at her and said I am
here because of you because of people
like you who inspire me to do what I’m
doing who make my life and work
meaningful if I can’t share my life with
you what significance it has then I
followed one day you’re gonna be doing
what I’m doing today and even more and
you’ll be proud of yourself she looked
at me
with her eyes shining again and a big
smile on her face and said would I be
able to continue my education I said yes
but it’s up to you do your best and put
your heart into it and think of others
and not only yourself and you’ll see how
doors will open in front of your eyes
she smiled and hugged me and promised
that she will do her best and finish her
education whatever it takes and never
give up now it’s up to you to help Asma
and others like her fulfill their dreams
and lift to their potential it’s up to
you to think of others and not only
yourself it’s up to you to share your
talents your gifts and your abilities to
make this world a better place
now I sit down and think of how my life
was transformed of how my priorities
were changed and what it means to create
a change my intention was not to
establish a great organization nor
inspire my community or the people
around me my intention was to do my best
and put all my heart into it and what
comes from our hearts but it treats the
hearts of those around us and starts a
ripple that can break down walls save
lives and put a smile on the face of a
stranger halfway across the world thank
you [Applause]
married to a wonderful man and have two
amazing young men I’m proud of who went
to look at a West I remember those days
when I used to take my kids to their
school on rainy days to their soccer
practices roller hockey and swimming
lessons
I’m a clinical pharmacists from a Syrian
descent I you work at a hospital in the
area and we’re and and and take care of
my patients and when I go back home I
take care of my family go out for
dinners visit my friends go on vacations
and travel every now and then I was
living my life like everyone else until
the Syrian crisis began in 2011 how is
it possible that people like you and I
minding our own lives peacefully are
being killed in cold blood it was
difficult to see family members and old
friends in Syria suffering at the hands
of their own government to see buildings
neighbourhoods streets I knew collapsing
to ruins by government airstrikes to see
families displays from their own homes
to see children crying it was hurting me
to see all that suffering and I’m here
in my home sitting on my couch and
trying to choose to choose which carpet
would work best and doing nothing about
the suffering as many people fled to –
the board is worth Turkey I decided to
go to Turkey and see what I could do I
found a medical relief organization that
was providing medical aid – to displace
Syria’s too
three G Syrians in in Turkey I stepped
in and didn’t hesitate for a minute and
helps in every way I could surely after
helping with pharmacy inventory I was
asked by the organization to leave their
medical mission in Syria and Turkey I
didn’t hesitate for a minute this became
my new mission in life but it was not
easy one of the memories engrained in my
mind is this young mother sobbing over
the body of her dead son I was inside a
tower emergency hospital in northern
Syria when suddenly I heard a strong
thud it was again one of those bombs
that hit nearby village suddenly cars
with wounded woman children and men were
flooding to the hospital and I was there
at the corner of the emergency
department watching what’s going on
I was watching nurses and doctors like
dr. Juma who has a vascular surgeon
rushing to the injury to help as much as
they could over 25 victims when the in
the ER on the beds on the floor blood
was everywhere and there I saw that
young mother sobbing and crying over her
four-year-old son he was dead and at the
same time she was trying to reach out to
her two-year-old daughter who was
severely injured and begging the doctors
to save her only girl I remember Haneen
a beautiful nine-year-old girl at our
post-op care center in Turkey a few
months back she was having breakfast
with her family at home when suddenly a
bomb struck their neighborhood she saw
her dead and younger brother dying in
front of her eyes but she couldn’t do
anything surely she figured
that she couldn’t move herself she was
hit badly I will never forget honey and
the look in her eyes honey
the young mother who lost her son and
many other victims I saw the
difficulties I faced and the traumas I
witnessed gave me the courage strength
and motivation to continue my mission
as days went and months elapsed
I continued volunteering for this great
organization you SSM supervising their
medical mission in Syria and Turkey this
mission that started from the basement
full of medications grew and became one
of the major medical relief
organizations working in Syria providing
medical aids and and and services to
over million victims I oversaw the
establishment of that emergency hospital
in northern Syria which now serves over
20,000 patients a month I had hundreds
of meetings with donors and
international aid organizations I was
doing things I would never imagine that
I could do in my entire life so focused
on helping the victims of war in Syria I
used to feel that I was not doing enough
for my family but I didn’t realize the
inspiration that my work gave them my
older son and your left abdur-rahman CC
accompanied me on my own several times
of my mission this inspired him to
change his career track and pursue his
degree in medicine he also established a
student organization at OSU that called
refuge
to help refugee students to integrate
easily into the education system at
which he later incorporated became a
nonprofit organization my younger son
mom Owen on your right he grew very
responsible and carrying at an early age
I remember when he cracked his phone and
that was after he went with me I think
early 2012 to Turkey and I wanted to buy
him a new phone like I always did but he
said mama my phone is working and when
it stops working I’ll get a new one
many people don’t even have a phone to
use he he grew very responsibilities at
home and school and as he entered
College in OSU he told me I want to have
a career in life that I could help other
peoples who aren’t what other people who
are in need and be part of their daily
lives as I started to pay more attention
I realized that the impact of my work
went far beyond the people I was
directly helping my colleagues at work
will come to me and ask me how they
could help my friends my neighbors will
check out my family when I was away many
people young men and women in my small
Muslim community at and at the community
at large would come to me and ask me
about the work I’m doing and many times
I don’t know I don’t even know their
names
many colleges asked me to give lectures
to their student about the Syrian crisis
in the medical relief work in Syria the
effect went beyond what I would ever
imagined and continued to ripple beyond
whatever whatever I would dream of one
day in 2015 I met Asma a beautiful young
lady at our at our post-op care center
in Turkey same one that I met honey
she she was severely injured after a
bomb that struck there her hometown in
northern Syria she told me her story and
how she lost everything in her life
because of the war in Syria including
her education she was supposed to be
graduating from high school that year
but she didn’t even finish her ninth
grade as she didn’t have access to any
school I remember a smell and the
beautiful smile on her face that masks
her deep sadness and misery she asked me
about my profession and what I do in
life and when I told her I’m a
pharmacist her smile dissipated quickly
and her tears ran down on her cheeks
I said I was supposed to graduate from
high school this year I wish I could
continue my education fulfill my dreams
but there’s nothing I could do after a
brief silence that I felt it will never
end
she asked me this question you have a
life a family and work as a pharmacist
back home what made you come here to
Turkey and leave everything behind you I
was speechless she didn’t know what to
say then I looked at her and said I am
here because of you because of people
like you who inspire me to do what I’m
doing who make my life and work
meaningful if I can’t share my life with
you what significance it has then I
followed one day you’re gonna be doing
what I’m doing today and even more and
you’ll be proud of yourself she looked
at me
with her eyes shining again and a big
smile on her face and said would I be
able to continue my education I said yes
but it’s up to you do your best and put
your heart into it and think of others
and not only yourself and you’ll see how
doors will open in front of your eyes
she smiled and hugged me and promised
that she will do her best and finish her
education whatever it takes and never
give up now it’s up to you to help Asma
and others like her fulfill their dreams
and lift to their potential it’s up to
you to think of others and not only
yourself it’s up to you to share your
talents your gifts and your abilities to
make this world a better place
now I sit down and think of how my life
was transformed of how my priorities
were changed and what it means to create
a change my intention was not to
establish a great organization nor
inspire my community or the people
around me my intention was to do my best
and put all my heart into it and what
comes from our hearts but it treats the
hearts of those around us and starts a
ripple that can break down walls save
lives and put a smile on the face of a
stranger halfway across the world thank
you [Applause]
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