It is not easy to tell the story of Salam and little Hanin. We were convinced by the Faith and Hope that she herself manages to transmit, despite all the difficulties that life has placed before her.
Salam is one of the trainers in the soap and wax making workshop of the project “Promotion and empowerment for women” (of the AMU Seeds of Hope Program and funded by Missio Aachen – Internationales Katholisches Missionswerk eV). In addition to her work, however, Salam is also one of the beneficiaries of the Homs health project “Socio-health support for the population of Homs and Kafarbo” which accompanies cancer patients in their treatment (of the AMU Seeds of Hope Program and also supported by the Italian Buddhist Union (UBI)). We have chosen to publish her story using her words to tell some dramatic situations of the protagonists of the projects of assistance to the population in Syria. Despite everything, Salam’s story is that of a woman who has not lost Faith and Hope.
“I am the mother of Rita who is 12 years old, Habib who is 10 years old and Hanin who was 8 years old.
When Hanin was born, she had a brain hemorrhage, complete quadriplegia, a hole in her heart, a defect in her spinal cord, and defects in her hands and feet. This also caused her to have trouble swallowing, which meant she could only take milk, liquids, and medicine through a tube that ran from her nose to her stomach.
Hanin was a very small baby, as if she had always been 6 months old, her body could not grow. The doctors told me that she would not live more than a year. Yet, on her first birthday we celebrated. I was afraid that she would leave us at any moment, but she continued to live! The doctors were surprised, but I knew that the love and care we gave her kept her among us. Despite all the difficulties I experienced with Hanin, I felt that she was the face of Jesus among us.
The journey of pain has not stopped.
I have had cancer for 4 years and I started to have pain, physical and psychological suffering, especially when I lost my hair. When it happened, my son Habib told me: “Mom, you are beautiful, with or without hair”. His words were enough for me to complete my treatment and be stronger for them and for all those who love me and have remained by my side.When I was so tired that I wanted to die, I heard someone say to me: “Arise, oh sleeper from the dead” , and this phrase strengthened me and resurrected me. I have now finished chemotherapy and radiation and am continuing with hormone therapy. I thank God for everything, I thank him because I can speak about myself without fear.
On the morning of January 10, I woke up, getting ready to go to work, I found Hanin a little tired and looking at me strangely as if telling me to stay. So, I stayed with her. During the day she began to wither and get tired, her health worsened, until she left us peacefully on the morning of January 11.
The feeling that her father and I felt was very difficult, and also for her brothers, who loved her so much. We accept what happened and put it in God’s hands; our angel is now with Him. I always repeat to myself: “At the end of the road the sun was shining…” And this is my hope in life.”
Salam is a strong woman, she continues to resist the disease for her children and lives peacefully with the memory of Hanin, with the constant accompaniment of the operators of “Seeds of Hope”.
“Despite all the pain and difficulties we live in, there is the love that I have experienced with you, you have always been there for me, I thank you with all my heart for what you have done for me and for Hanin, thank you for easing my pain, thank you for your free support and love, thank you for your work that always makes us feel that God is with us.”
