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REACHING OUT
By Kim Anderson
FOR THREE MONTHS THIS YEAR, RAHIM LIVED
in a Coeur d’Alene neighborhood. Riding his bike, he
looked like any of the other neighborhood kids, burning
the energy of childhood as fast as his 11-year-old body
could produce it. Wildly alive, Rahim seemed without
a care in the world.
As it turns out, Rahim’s life has not been so carefree.
His stay in Idaho was with Tony and Jill Ledford, a Solace
for the Children host family. Solace for the Children is a
national nonprofit humanitarian organization deliver-
ing medical, dental, optical, emotional and education
assistance to the children of war-tornAfghanistan.
Rahim is the first child to come to our community
through the program.
During his time here, Rahim received care for
wounds no child should ever suffer. An encounter
with a land mine took Rahim’s leg below the knee
and severely damaged his eardrum. Fortunately
a group of American soldiers patrolling nearby
Healing and Hope
rushed him to a hospital where he received basic care.
Through Solace for the Children, northern Idaho provid-
ers repaired Rahim’s eardrum, removed shrapnel from
his leg, repaired scarring on his leg for better range of
motion and provided himwith two new prosthetic legs
(one to wear and a spare).
“The medical community here has been amazing,”
said host-mom Jill Ledford. “It is because of this com-
munity’s outstanding willingness to help children like
Rahim that Solace for the Children is able to fulfill their
mission of ‘building peace on a foundation of health.’”
As life-changing as the care Rahim received has been,
he is taking home something far more valuable.
“Rahim i s go ing
home with a new out-
look on America and
a new discovery of
hope,” said Ledford.
“The love, peace and
joy that have been so
amazingly modeled
to Rahim here will be
sharedwith his father,
mother, eight brothers
and sisters, and com-
munity. It is children
like Rahim that will
be the next leaders
and peacemakers in
Afghanistan.”
Rahimwith his host
family, Tony and Jill
Ledford.