Today I had the chance to meet President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, who came to visit the ORBIS DC-10! As a trained ophthalmologist, he took a great interest in ORBIS’ program and wanted to see first hand the training and lectures that were taking place aboard the plane.
When the President arrived, he sat in the front of the plane in the classroom along with the other local doctors to watch the surgery that was taking place by my dad, who was operating on 11-year-old Ibrahim Abadin to help restore his vision. A shy and quiet boy, Ibrahim shared with me that he was looking forward to being able to play soccer after his surgery.
Not only was it exciting to have the Syrian president visit the ORBIS DC-10 to help raise awareness about blindness prevention in the Middle East, but it was also rewarding to watch the surgery of Ibrahim, who will soon regain his sight so he can join his friends and play soccer.
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