A clarity of vision: Giving displaced Syrian children the ability to see a world full of possibilities

Medical Mission to Jordan: After more than a decade of Civil War in Syria, and continuing conflicts like the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine that further displaced millions of civilians, understanding the longterm conditions that war refugees face remains relevant. But as public attention fades, such topics do not capture headlines today, even as the impact continues to be felt here in Milwaukee. mkeind.com/jordanmedicalmission

Medical professionals spend many years learning, growing, and accomplishing work in their field. For those who were not born in the United States, or are from immigrant families, the path to medical school is often an adventure story in itself. In preparing introductions of the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) volunteers who were interviewed for the “Medical Mission to Jordan” series, the depth of what each individual has achieved in their career literally requires a separate article to detail. Being chief of a department, or professor, or research leader, or board chair, are all in addition to the root vocation of their dedicated medical care of adults and pediatric patients. In this context, regardless of position or occupation, all the volunteers of the SAMS Medical Mission arrived in Amman with one purpose, to offer crisis relief to refugees affected by the Syrian Civil War. Exploration of medical backgrounds was explained within each interview to the extent necessary by the participant. While each layer of their medical career and position of responsibility were essential to their mission work in Jordan, those detailed descriptions were actually a distraction in being able to share their story. Who they were “in person” was why they were interviewed. Not who they were “on paper,” which was still immensely impressive but simply too much to unpack in this context.

An interview with Dr. Naureen Mirza-George, MD

Hi, my name is Noreen Mirza George, I am a pediatric ophthalmologist based out of the San Francisco Bay Area in California in the United States. And I am on my first family’s mission joining an American Medical Society mission here in Amman, Jordan.

I first heard about SAMS several years ago when the war in Syria broke out. We all heard of the great work that SAMS was doing. I knew that they were active in several different locations, but more recently learned a Medical Mission was coming to Jordan in January 2023.

I have always wanted to do a mission. SAMS seems like a great organization to join for this, so I jumped on board. I have just been pleasantly surprised at how well organized this mission has gone from the very beginning.

I spoke with Dr. Bassel Atassi, the Mission leader, and he walked me through the process and explained what the Mission wanted to accomplish. I was very nervous about coming by myself. I did not know anyone else who was participating on this mission prior to arriving. I was concerned that I was going to show up, and it was going to be chaotic.

My fear was that the children I would see as a pediatric ophthalmologist would not be screened. And I would just be seeing hundreds of children who did not have any actual pathology, and my time would be not well spent. But when I got here, the patients had been pre-screened. Almost every patient that I saw, I could offer them some intervention that would help.

So, the experience has been amazing. The facilities that were setup for us here were also beyond my expectations. I was expecting to have minimal equipment and resources, but we were actually working at a state of the art Medical Hospital, one of the best private hospitals in Amman.

Again, I was so skeptical when they said I did not need to bring anything. But they delivered all the equipment I needed, and more. As for the support staff that I had in the eye hospital, from technicians all the way to my scrub nurse, to the anesthesiologists, I wish I could take some of them back with me to California.

One of the best parts of the experience has been just the people who I have met here. I think beyond all the reward that I have gotten interacting with patients and helping the most vulnerable population of refugees in the world, are the people who I have met. I actually called my family and said the SAMS volunteers, these are my people. They believe in the same things I believe in and want to give back.

And that is what everyone has been doing. They have taken time out of their busy schedules to be here. I have gotten so much out of this mission trip, from the work I have done and the relationships I have made. It has been super rewarding and my patients, these children have been able to benefit so much.

I really hope that other medical professionals, and students, can take the opportunity to join a SAMS mission in the future. I would encourage all my colleagues in ophthalmology and subspecialties to really look into coming on a Medical Mission. It will be the best experience of your life. This is a place where you can come and feel that you have done some good work.

An interview with Dr. Asmaa Zidan, MD

Milwaukee Independent: How were you inspired to follow a career in the medical field?

Asmaa Zidan: I came from a humble background with no physicians in the family. I wanted to help my family. I wanted to ease their pain whenever possible. Then, I knew about Doctors Without Borders organization and how they are helping Palestinians and that is when I knew that this is what I want to do with my life.

Milwaukee Independent: How did you become involved with the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS)?

Asmaa Zidan: I was attending the American Academy of Ophthalmology conference last year, when I got to know Dr Arif Rifae, the organizer of the ophthalmology mission. Once he mentioned that they are going on a mission, I felt like this is the reason that I even headed to that conference. It was meant to be.

Milwaukee Independent: What were you surprised to learn about yourself after your first SAMS mission?

Asmaa Zidan: I always wanted to volunteer in the medical missions to help refugees, but I was always worried that I won’t be able to handle people sufferings. I was surprised that I am stronger than I thought. I was able to empathize with them and yet separate my personal feelings and help them. I learned that I am blessed with everything I have as long as I feel safe in my house at the end of the day.

Milwaukee Independent: What was the hardest experience of your working with Syrian refugees?

Asmaa Zidan: I worked with Dr. Naureen Mirza, the Pediatric ophthalmologist, to help her with the communications with the patients and their family. I think the hardest part was knowing that what we have here for guarantee is more like a dream for them. A pair of glasses, that can prevent amblyopia (a medical condition where the brain chooses to cancel the visual input from one eye) in a child, can be too much to ask for, and the kid ends with loss of vision in one eye! One Syrian grandmother has said something, I will never forget. Her grandson, who lost his parents, was exposed to sexual abuse. When I asked her about her nationality, she said, this stuff can only happen to Syrians. Being a vulnerable human being just because you were born in a certain part of the world, is such a sad thing to face. Yet, the hardest thing is knowing we weren’t able to help everyone.

Milwaukee Independent: What would you like the public to know about conditions in refugee camps?

Asmaa Zidan: Syrians are strong people. I have not heard a single one of them complaining, despite their conditions. However, they need help. Medical missions are their only access to medical help. When we were leaving, the parents were asking, please come again. One parent wanted to push his kid into the surgery now, because he was worried, what if, we dont come back.

Milwaukee Independent: Where do you still find hope?

Asmaa Zidan: Nothing can make you feel incapable as seeing your kid suffering without being able to afford help.So, feeling that we helped a family feels relieved by the end of the day is what kept us going through. I still find hope in the smiles of the kids that don’t care about all the sufferings, that want to play and laugh and just be kids! I still find hope in the physicians who left their life, their practices behind to go and help. I still find hope in the medical students, that god knows what they sacrificed to afford this trip, just to come and help translating or telling one dad that his kid will be fine. I believe there is still good left in the world.

This editorial feature is one of a multi-part explanatory series about the “Dr. Majdi Omar” SAMS Jordan January 2023 Medical Mission. The journalism project embedded a Milwaukee Independent photojournalist, from January 21 to 26, 2023, with a group of Syrian American doctors from Milwaukee and Chicago. It documented their trip to Jordan and the medical work done at clinic locations like Za’atari Camp, Salt, Jerash, En Albasha and Marej in Amman, and Basma in Ma’adab. Medical Mission to Jordan: A journey from Milwaukee to help Syrian Refugees, shares the personal voices, stories, images, and conditions around those involved in the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) mission to Jordan. It also explores the refugee experience, and the intimate connections of local medical professionals, who put their work on hold and left their families behind for a couple weeks to provide healing to others who have endured a generation of trauma.