The Story of Two Nurses - Asma & Abdullah
In the spirit of the new year, I share the following story I recently wrote in praise of two nurses, who are friends I greatly value and respect. Those of you who have nurses in your family, or who’ve benefited from the expertise of nurses during the pandemic, you already well know that nurses are defined by their caring spirits, passion for excellence, and unconditional love. I hope the Story of Asma & Abdullah will further uplift and inspire you, as it has me.
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Amidst the rubble and destruction of war in Syria, something unexpectedly beautiful is unfolding. Children with Down syndrome are walking, learning how to feed themselves, talking, and interacting with others again. Their success is thanks in large part to two nurses in Portland, Oregon and Idlib, Syria, who remain committed to these precious children despite ongoing shelling and a pandemic that overwhelmed health care providers.
The work of nurses Abdullah Mohammed and Asma Taha is part of the passionate, committed, and uniquely valuable educational outreach effort of team members of the Portland-based Child Development and Rehabilitation Center’s Down Syndrome Program, at the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).
Together…We Imagine, Inspire, Engage, Excel.
Across the globe in war-torn Idlib, Syria, this inspired guiding principle of Dr. Kurt A. Freeman, Director of the OHSU Institute on Development and Disability, Department of Pediatrics, is on full display. Masterfully deployed on a volunteer basis by the following team of world class OHSU Down syndrome educators and medical professionals in Pediatric, Speech, Physical, Feeding, and Occupational Therapy:
Margaret Wolf. Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, School of Medicine.
Asma Taha. Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Nursing Training Coordinator, LEND Program.
Joseph Pinter. Pediatric Neurologist, Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Development Pediatrics, School of Medicine.
Amy Constanza-Smith. Speech Language Pathology Discipline Director, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, School of Medicine.
Kerry Haugh. Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, School of Medicine.
Erin Cochran. Instructor of Pediatrics, School of Medicine.
Katherine Breithaupt. Occupational Therapist, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, School of Medicine.
This story spotlights how two caring nurses - a Jordanian in Portland, Oregon and a Syrian in Idlib, Syria - brought this esteemed team of OHSU educators and Idlib Center therapists together, on behalf of 40 beautiful children with Down syndrome. This effort unfolded during a month when ongoing shelling in northwest Idlib tragically cost the lives of 10 civilians, including four children, all while COVID-19 surged in northwest Syria and overwhelmed hospital facilities, medical personnel, and supplies.
Two Nurses: Rising to the Down Syndrome Challenge.
Prior to founding the Idlib Center, Abdullah Mohammed was a highly respected Nurse Practitioner, First Aid Lecturer, Instructor and Trainer in hospitals and universities in Saudi Arabia and Syria. He holds a Master’s Degree in Pediatric Nursing from Tishreen University in Syria.
Prior to becoming Associate Professor at the OHSU School of Nursing, Asma Taha received her B.S.N. in 1989, from Jordan University; her M.S.N. in 2004, from Azusa Pacific University; and her Ph.D. in 2009, also from Azusa Pacific University, in California. She practiced at Loma Linda University, and volunteered on more than 40 medical missions to hots spots in the Middle East, including Gaza, the West Bank, and Afghanistan.
OHSU’s Asma Taha and Margaret Wolf sprang into action after viewing Peabody and Emmy award-winning, Arwa Damon’s compelling story of Abdullah Mohammed and the children of Idlib Center on CNN (which can be viewed by clicking the Mobilecause link below). They soon learned from Friends of Idlib Center Steering Committee member - and Margaret’s sister - Kate Wolf, that Abdullah’s “Idlib Center Wishlist” included Down syndrome training for his volunteer therapists.
Dr. Freeman generously approved the design and delivery of five initial Down syndrome webinars to be created and delivered on a volunteer basis by OHSU’s world-class team of Occupational, Physical, and Speech Therapy training specialists, including one-on-one mentorship as needed.
“I am fortunate to lead a team that includes passionate, committed, and expert professionals such as those involved in this project,” said Dr. Freeman. “I was so thrilled to hear about this opportunity of international collaboration and it was simply easy to support. It is 100 percent consistent with the mission of the Institute on Development and Disability, which is to engage in work to improve the lives of those with disabilities and special health needs and their families.”
Lectures custom-designed by the OHSU team for the Idlib Center therapists, with full Arabic translation, have included:
Pediatrics (Joseph Pinter)
Speech Therapy (Amy Costanza-Smith)
Physical Therapy (Kerry Haugh)
Feeding (Erin Cochran)
Occupational Therapy (Katherine Breithaupt)
Passionate Pursuit of Nursing Excellence.
Additionally, Dr. Asma has generously volunteered her time to translate each of the Sunday morning presentations to the Idlib Center therapists from English to Arabic - including Arabic to English question and answer sessions that followed each session. Asma’s translation skills are United Nation-level quality. Her practical nursing expertise contributes invaluable empathy, uplift, and engagement to every presentation.
And just when you thought Asma couldn’t possibly deliver more:
She generously - and quietly - made a donation to our Friends of Idlib Center fundraiser on behalf of Abdullah’s Idlib Center children;
Graciously agreed to voluntarily mentor Abdullah, in pursuit of his PhD in Nursing, over the coming school year; and
While working on a recent 36-hour weekend hospital shift, made a humble reference to her 16 years of ground service missions to Gaza, East Jerusalem, and several cities in the West Bank, including Nablus, Ramallah, and Jericho, on behalf of the Palestinian Children Relief Fund (www.pcrf.net), to provide volunteer emergency medical care to Palestinian children in need.
Now that’s what passionate pursuit of nursing excellence is all about.
As Mother Teresa said “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love”. In your case, you are doing great things - with great love. Blessings on you, your extraordinary career, your caring, empathetic leadership, and transcendent love for the children of Syria and Palestine.
Abdullah & Friends of Idlib Center.
Children with Down syndrome must not be sentenced to a life in the shadows. They can - as they do in the West - thrive and reach their full potential. But they can’t do this in war torn Idlib - without the help of people like you.
In response, our Friends of Idlib Center has partnered with Washington DC-based SAMS Foundation with an interim goal to raise $100,000 for Idlib Center to expand their program, hire full time staff, and purchase the necessary equipment to help the children optimize their therapy to reach their full potential. SAMS, with its vast experience operating in Syria, is overseeing program implementation.
All donations to the children of Idlib Center are tax-deductible, when made through the following secure SAMS Foundation, 501c3 link: https://app.mobilecause.com/vf/Help4Kids.
To learn more, please click the CNN video on the Mobilecause site. I watched it on CNN Newsroom a few months ago, and was deeply moved by Arwa Damon’s eloquent story. I emailed Arwa the next morning, thanked her for informing the world of these vulnerable children in need of a helping hand, and then asked what I could do to help. That’s what led me to Abdullah, OHSU, Margaret, Asma, Kurt Freeman, and now you.
To view a collection of photos of the children of the Idlib Center, and the Down syndrome nursing care and therapies of Abdullah Mohammed, taken by CNN photographer Brice Laine, please click here: CNN photos – Idlib Center.
Jim Seidl
Friends of Idlib Center
Steering Committee Co-Chair
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