How One Hero Combats the Trauma of War In A War Zone

If you talk with a soldier long enough, you see it in their eyes. That tightly kept horrible secret in the glassy shine of their eyes that some how grabs your heart with dread and squeezes just a little bit.

Or a lot.

The same goes for emergency workers, the first responders to disasters like car accidents, floods.

And war.

Most of us lack the courage to ask for details, too afraid to unlock the visual horrors or maybe they are already flashing, remnants of what we’ve seen in the media.

So we remain quiet in order to make those images go away.

Or maybe we’re afraid to even upset the person. They might cry. And then we would, too.

So we remain quiet to keep the tears from falling.

That lump is hard to swallow.

Nowadays we hear about therapy dogs or horses, used to help adults and children reduce their anxiety. Any pet would help. The silent comfort from animals can do wonders to the human psyche. Science has established as much. Play therapy, art therapy, and other types of therapy are available to some, but not all. Many go without proper support.

Too many in Syria are without things we take for granted in our daily lives, with no support for emotional needs. They have lost part or all of their family since the beginning of the war in 2011. They stand isolated in a country still being torn by war. There are no psychiatrists there. No mental health clinic for help with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (known as PTSD) or depression. Financial resources are bare or nonexistent and basic necessities are at risk of disappearing all together. Water, food, heat, electricity. You’ve heard of some of the horrors there regarding this already.

There’s constant fear as planes fly overhead since, even in a truce, not all is calm. Many children have post traumatic stress from being survivors, sometimes being the only one in the family to survive, and they are still living in war zones.

How can anyone explain war to a child who’s seen her baby brother die without it grabbing your heart with panicked fingers and squeezing, choking you just a little bit? Or maybe it makes you heat up with anger at the injustice. As a mother, my empathy is great.

Yes, many have fled out of the country, but that hasn’t been easy either, leaving behind practically everything but what they have on in some cases. Jobs, homes, even family and pets were left behind. Why? It’s not an easy decision to make. The elderly or disabled have no way to make the long, uncertain trek to the border or further into a welcoming country. Many more are still in Syria, both adults and children and the emergency crews bravely volunteering to stay, risking their lives just the same.

Orphanages, schools, hospitals, the elderly, the disabled all struggle on a daily basis to get food and water while living with the dread that their area could be hit next. The animals both stray and former pets, have suffered along with the people, without home, without food.

One man, Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel, formally an electrician, has stayed as an ambulance driver to rescue the injured and has saved countless lives. But he hasn’t stopped there. He also rescues the abandoned animals, mostly cats, from his area. He, with the help of a group on Facebook called Il gattaro D’aleppo, has made a home for the cats, now over 100. Its the first animal shelter in Syria. Also with the help of the group, he and others in the area have made a playground for the kids.

Unknowingly, he has begun the therapy.

It’s just a drop in the bucket. Remember, there are no psychiatrists there. No one has training in therapy for PTSD or depression. But often, as humans, we cling, sometimes desperately, to those things that brought us good memories and make us feel happy when we are stressed. Family, friends, pets.

Support, the emotional kind, is needed throughout any difficulty in life. Alaa is doing that with the playground and animals as well as providing other necessities. With the help of the group, he has been able to provide a generator for a school that was using flashlights in the classroom. He’s been able to supply a wheelchair for a disabled girl. Food was taken to a monastery with elderly residents who had close to no food. Alaa has been able to feed the cats every day. But there’s still a risk the food will stop coming for all of them. To him, and me as well, the animals deserve to live just the same as anyone.

Research says those who mistreat animals will continue to mistreat animals and are more likely to cause harm to humans. The F.B.I. now collect data on animal cruelty cases. Then what of the ones who are rescuing and caring for animals? And people? Surely, they would continue as well.

Its not everyday we see someone so involved in helping the community. Its even rarer to see the brave working through disasters. They really stand out from the crowd. Are they not true heroes?

CNN recognizes a few heroes that are nominated throughout the year. But Alaa probably won’t be among those heroes. I don’t think CNN judges solely on the content of a person’s character.

Alaa should be recognized as a hero. For the kids. For the animals. For setting up the first animal shelter in Syria despite the war and limited resources. For the needy and injured.

For his bravery and humanitarian efforts.

Mister (Fred) Rogers was a very kind man, so understanding of kids. I like his quote seen often in memes:

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

Many of us feel just as helpless as victims of disasters when we have no reasonable way to help. But the helpers, the heroes, are there without names or recognition in many cases. We silently praise them for the content of their character, their bravery, don’t we? Without knowing their names, religion or much else.

Despite the horrific times that Alaa has seen, whether or not he gets recognition, he’ll keep on going, helping, providing what is needed as best he can to children, adults, and animals.

In a war zone.

I’m not sure I could do that.

When I asked if the cats were good therapy for him, the kids, and everyone there, Alaa said, “Definitely.” I asked him if it was his idea to make a playground. He said yes and proceeded to tell me this:

“I had dreams that have come true with the help of the group. The first dream was to help the poor and needy. The second was to buy an ambulance. This was the biggest dream I had since I was a kid. And the third dream is to make a zoo and a place for stray cats. The forth dream is to make a fun place for kids to play.”

This reminded me of someone else who had a dream. Martin Luther King’s famous speech mentions his dreams. He spoke of brotherhood and an oasis of freedom and justice. And of being judged not by our skin color but by the content of our character.

We are still dreaming.

Update: On May 2, 2016, his ambulance was hit.

He and his brother who was with him, are fine, merely dusted with debris. But his ambulance is ruined and cannot be fixed.

If you are interested in donating to help buy another one, please join the group on Facebook for more information.

Photos by: Aiman Kabayih, with an addition of the group’s name by Felicia Ruiz