Yes, recovery is possible!

These are photos of Salee and her dad in Los Angeles this month. Salee is being fitted for new prosthetic legs. It is clear from her smile and how she stands, that she is moving on from the horrific injuries she suffered less than three years ago.

Youth!

Given half a chance, she will have a great life.

Here is the report from Ann Miller, who is with No More Victims. This organization brought Salee and her sister Rusul to the US for treatment.

Just wanted to give you an update on our little Salee. She's finished her first week of care at Shriners with appts on both Monday and Friday of last week. By Friday, the prostheticist at LA's Shriners had fashioned a clear plastic mold of her legs. One wasn't fitting properly and he was going to make some adjustments and he'll see her again this Friday.

She and Abu Ali are happily settled in to the Ronald McDonald House here in LA. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that it's just a mile from our apartment (esp since Salee calls first thing every morning, "Ann, this is Salee. When you & Cole come? I love you." She's a sweetheart and growing up; very sweet and loving, LOVES shopping (after shopping with her yesterday her mantra for the evening was "I love this day! I love this day!") I, however, am not a shopper and that will be the onlly shopping day I can afford, but there are lots of other things to do! She's been to the beach, ridden the ferris wheel at the Santa Monica pier, and spent lots of time just seeing the sights of LA. The RMH is very nice and there are a couple other Iraqi families staying there so they have people to talk with.

Abu Ali asks every day about everyone in the Carolinas. Rest assured that each of you who's e-mailed and sent them your good wishes has had them passed on. He just LOVES to hear who has asked about him and every time I mention someone's name he says how much he misses everyone.

Salee is enjoying school in Iraq. The girls cover their heads in school now and she says that's good as she makes the sign of the cross to indicate to me that it's a religious thing (Muslim, of course.) Her fourth grade class was moved to the second floor of the building to the first floor to accomodate her and the principal instructed all of the children at the beginning of the year not to make fun of her. She had some trouble with a little boy staring at her legs but she said to him, "What are you looking at?" and stared him down. Now Abu Ali says that she's frightened the kid so much that he walks an extra block to circle their house so as not to encounter Salee! One teacher threatened to fail her for not paying attention in class and Salee responded, "Fail me then". The teacher explained that she'd have to repeat fourth grade if she did and Salee said, "Fine". Then, when exam time came, Salee got the highest score in the class. The teacher asked how that happened and Salee replied, "You challenged me." Does that not sound like tough little Salee? (I got this story through a translator - though Salee's English is vasly improving I wouldn't have understood all that!) She takes English in school and it's her favorite subject.

Abu Ali says that Rusul is doing very well! She runs and plays on her new foot and little Rusul lugs both her and Salee's backpacks to school every day. Though Salee walks very well and without crutches, it's difficult for her to carry things while walking.

Thank you to each of you for all you've done for Salee, Rusul, NMV and the children of Iraq! Please continue sending your good wishes, and if anyone's going to be out LA-way in the next couple of weeks, we'd all love to see you!

Please contribute to No More Victims if you can.