In his soft, hard to understand English he told us about his childhood that frankly couldn’t have been more different than mine.  On March 16th, 1988 Sadam Hussein decided he wanted to do a little chemical bombing “test”.  In the town of Halabja, Iraq over 5,000 people died and 10,000 more were injured as a result.  It was a part of his Enfal campaign to destroy all other ethnicities in Iraq.

Sarco was 6 years old when he was riding the school bus home on that day, and never made it.  The bombs destroyed the bus and he was one of the few survivors.  He never again saw his parents since he waved goodbye to them that morning, and three months later he recalls waking up at a hospital in Iran with several injuries and no legs.  Over the next 14 years he was aided by various agencies and moved to different areas in Iran, Turkey, and Jordan. At one point he received prosthetic legs, and was able to move on his own and in Jordan as a teenager he met an American missionary.  He remembers that he was intrigued by the character and attitude of the man and decided he wanted to go to church.  Sarco became a Christian at a conference and moved back to his home town where he began to see a great need in the community for someone to help disabled kids and their families.  Since his return he has been helping around 200 kids, giving them rides to school, praying for them, loving them.  He has helped the families have a new perspective about their children, given them a hope when they had none before.  He has a vision for a disabled childrens center where he can provide more aid to the families.  He says “I may not have a building for the center now, but the center is in my heart.”

Honestly, Sarco’s story amazes me. There doesn’t seem to be an ounce of self-help in him.  He’s devoted his life to the help of those who can’t help themselves. It’s hard to not compare what I’m living for and what he is.  Obviously we live different lives, but I want to be inspired by him and not forget.  When I was 6, one time I woke up and there were no more Fruity Pebbles. When he was 6, he woke up without legs.

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Sarco and his new wife.

At the Halabja Memorial for those who died as a result of Sadam's attack.

The names of the deceased are written on the wall in the memorial. The one with the green box around it was later found alive.

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