Nabil, injured in car bombing, needs medical care

In May of 2007, 14-year old Nabil left school and began walking home. The day was warm and sunny, and Nabil dreamed about a long summer vacation. Only 200 yards from the school grounds, a car bomb exploded, killing seven people, and injuring seventeen. Of those wounded, Nabil suffered the worst injuries.

The concussion threw Nabil three feet in the air and dropped him on his head.  Nabil was able to make his own way home, but it became clear over the course of the following weeks that he had suffered serious neurological damage. He began to have trouble with his memory, then with his balance, then with his speech. Today, he can’t bring a spoon to his mouth to feed himself, and he can’t control his bowels or his bladder. 

In Iraq, Nabil’s father worked as a taxi driver. Seeing that Nabil had to have better medical care than is available in Iraq, he sold his taxi and brought his family to the Jordanian border to obtain an entry visa. Jordanian authorities, however, turned Nabil’s mother and five siblings away: only Nabil and his father were allowed to enter the country. 

Alone in Jordan, Nabil’s father is overwhelmed by the work and the expense of trying to care for Nabil, distraught by the separation from his wife and other children, and worried about their health and safety. And without proper medical care, doctor’s say, Nabil’s condition will continue to deteriorate. Without physical therapy, for example, he may well lose his ability to stand and walk. 

Since entering Jordan, Nabil has not had proper medical care, because Nabil’s father cannot afford it. DAI plans to arrange a full medical examination for Nabil, to determine both his needs and a treatment plan. 

DAI will post an update after doctors examine Nabil.