Dear Omran

MS - 20 Aug 16

Dear Omran,

You don’t know me. But as of this week, I know you. As do millions of other people who have seen your brave face in the news.

We were told you were woken from your sleep by a really big bang and got covered in dust and something also hit your head. I’m sure it felt really sore. But you didn’t cry Omran – you were tired and shocked and confused while some very kind and brilliant people helped to clean you and take care of your wounds while looking after your family at the same time.

Omran, what we don’t know about you is what your favourite nursery rhyme is or your best friend’s name or your favourite toy or what you’d like to be when you grow up. These are the things that we’d love to know about you. You are five years old and that is such a wonderful age to be. And you can be anything you want to be Omran.

We’re going to do everything we can to make the big bangs stop. We want to hear you and your friends sing your favourite rhymes. We want to see you play with your favourite toys. We want you to be everything you can possibly dream of being Omran. And we want you to be safe and happy. You deserve to be safe and happy.

I also wanted to let you know that even though I and the millions of other people that have seen your face may be hundreds of miles from where you are now, we are looking up at the same sun in the day and the same moon and stars at night time. And we’re thinking of you and your friends Omran.

You are capable of amazing things Omran. And even though you’re just five years old, I hope you’ll grow to know the impact you’ve had on people’s hearts and minds.

Sending our love and wishes for happy thoughts to you, Omran.

***

Please make it stop. For the sake of Omran and the hundreds of other children for whom the big bangs are a daily reality.

I’ve felt so numb again at the news this week – sadly Omran’s case is the tip of a horrific iceberg – so writing to Omran as a five year old boy, rather than the victim of war and the worst humanitarian crisis of our time that his name will forever be juxtaposed with, was the only thing I could think of doing.

If anyone wants to do something to help, but like me doesn’t know where to start – I’ve listed links to just some of the charitable organisations that are helping with the humanitarian crisis at this time below.

“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” Albert Einstein

International Rescue Committee: https://www.rescue.org/

Save the Children: http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/

Unicef: http://www.unicef.org.uk/

Kos Kindness: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kos-Kindness/159755314181314

MS

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