Hawra

Hawra — a little girl from Rashid, Iraq — suffered severe burns when she was caught in a cross-fire between terrorists and coalition forces. As she recuperates, her spirit motivates injured troops at the aid station.

From the 4th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, through Cool Blue Blog comes this touching story about Hawra and Sgt. Tracy Perfors, a medic assigned to C Company, 703rd Forward Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. An excerpt:

Perfors was the only female medic on shift that day, so she spent the afternoon with Hawra assisting with her medical care. She listened as the little girl told stories of life in Iraq since Saddam and of living with her 11 brothers and sisters. Hawra raved about the chance to eat cheeseburgers and macaroni and cheese when she visited the aid station — “it was the largest meal she ate all week,” Perfors said.

Hawra also told Perfors about her dream of going to school in the fall and maybe one day having a family of her own.

“Hawra had captivated me,” Perfors said. “I found it astonishing that a person with her medical problems and family history could remain so upbeat.”

As they say, read the whole thing. And poke around Cool Blue a bit; there's lots of good stuff there. Don't miss his picture galleries!