UPDATE 12/22/12–Long Island Miracle for Shot Afghan Kid–Elissa and the Global Relief Medical Fund brings Marizeh to America from Afghanistan to get her face restored and to receive a permanent prosthetic eye.

Marzia

UPDATE After Hurricane Sandy By Elissa Montanti November 8,2012:

Hurricane Sandy affected so many along the East Coast and one of the hardest hit areas has been Staten Island where I was born and raised and where the Global Medical Relief Fund is based.  I am incredibly grateful that despite losing power, myself, the children and GMRF volunteers are all safe.

During the rough night of the storm 15-year-old Ahmed, who lost his sight and arm to a bomb explosion outside his home in Iraq, and 15-year-old Ngawang, a Tibetan boy who was accidentally electrocuted and lost both arms, prayed together in their languages.

Even with the strong wind that sounded like a freight train and the GMRF’s loss of power, their prayers must have worked because we got through it. It’s remarkable that in the midst of such a disaster, these kids from different corners of the world connected and became best friends. Sandy has brought us all closer together.

Soon Ahmed and Ngawang will be joined by two children from Indonesia, who have injuries from the 2004 Tsunami, as well as another child, who will be the first Syrian child brought to the U.S. for help.  All of us at GMRF would like to thank you for your support, especially at this time. Like so many of those around us, we are also in need of supplies and donations.

We are asking for clothes and shoes for the children as well as international phone cards so that they will be able to update their families abroad. We are also hoping to receive enough donations for a generator so the children who are recovering here will be able to stay warm in the event of future outages.

You can visit our website, Global Medical Relief Fund, for more information and how to donate. [Read more…]