Catholic Charities Comes Through for Refugee with Rare Medical Condition

On Wednesday, November 28^th, Refugee Resettlement’s own Brendon Robar was the featured speaker at Catholic Charities Donor Recognition Luncheon.  As a Case Manager, Brendon has worked with refugees from all over the world, including Iraq, Iran, Burma, Bhutan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Somalia.  Below is the text of his talk, describing how a recent arrival, a refugee from Iraq, needed and received care for a serious medical condition. 

I began working with the Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement team 5 years ago as the donation coordinator. In that role I may have actually picked up furniture donations from some of you. Almost 3 years ago, I began working as a case manager. In this role I work with our refugee clients for a full 8 months, and sometimes longer. This gives me the blessing of getting to know them better. And I also get to do a whole lot more paperwork!

Refugee Resettlement officially began in 1951, when the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees established the definition of a refugee, which is someone who "is outside the country of his nationality because of a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of race, religion, nationality, or political opinion, and is unable to return to his country." That's a complicated way of saying that refugees are regular people who decided it was better to pack what they could carry on their backs and leave their own country than to risk what might happen to them if they stayed. It's hard to imagine a situation bad enough to force people to leave not just their homes and cities—but their countries! All the refugees we work with at Catholic Charities have their own reasons for why they left, but I'd like to share one story of a refugee who arrived to Portland three months ago.

Allow me to introduce you to Samer Ibrahim. Samer and I were actually born in the same year—but on opposite sides of the world. Samer was born in Iraq. Samer was also born with Hemophilia, a rare genetic disorder that prevents his blood from clotting. If Samer cuts himself a band-aid won't fix it. Like most people with Hemophilia, Samer didn't know he was different from any other kid until he was about 4 years old and had his first skinned knee. In Iraq, Samer couldn't get the specific medical care that's needed to treat Hemophilia. Without medication, his knee continued to bleed internally from that first playground accident destroying the cartilage and ligaments that hold the knee together.

If Hemophilia without medication wasn't bad enough, Samer lived in Bagdad. I've heard stories from people out of Bagdad that are surreal. A note is left on your door: it's a death threat from some militant faction. The note says you are friends with someone who is helping the US Army, and they will kill you and your family because of it. You may have a coworker who leaves from work to get lunch but never returns. Days later, his body is found on the side of the road. People can only take so much of this before they decide it's better to become a refugee. This tipping point came sooner for Samer than for others because of his Hemophilia. Samer fled Iraq when he was only twenty years old leaving his two brothers, sister and his parents behind. Many people fled Iraq because of war, but Samer might be the only refugee who fled because of war and Hemophilia. Samer had two reasons to flee, and so he has twice the hope for his new life.

Samer fled Iraq and made it to Lebanon where he was first scrutinized by the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the CIA to make sure he wasn't a terrorist. Then, he attended cultural orientation sessions, had several medical screenings and signed a promissory note acknowledging that his airfare is a loan. Finally, Samer boarded an airplane for Portland, Oregon. When I saw Samer walk off the airplane here in Portland, the pain from his knees was visible on his face.

When refugees arrive with serious medical conditions, we know beforehand so we can prepare. I called the clinic and was given instructions on what we needed to do from day one to care for Samer. Less than 24 hours after Samer landed in the US, we had an appointment at OHSU where he got that specific medication he couldn’t get his whole life in Iraq.  Samer is not yet 30, but the doctors tell him he has the knees of someone in his 90’s.

Within a few weeks Samer had a consultation at OHSU to see if he is a candidate for knee replacement surgery.  In my car after the appointment, Samer told me that this knee surgery is his dream.  It’s wonderful when we get to see the hope that our clients bring with them fulfilled; and in Samer’s case it’s all happening so quickly!  Samer will have knee replacement surgery within the next two months!

I want to thank you for giving to the work of Catholic Charities. Because of you, Catholic Charities helps almost 300 refugees every year to resettle in Portland.  It’s a privilege to join together with you to welcome the stranger to our table, as Jesus welcomes us.