1. Deqa Haji
- Sarah Hawkins
- Apr 25
- 2 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
When asked who we are, we share our identity. We can all easily express, in no uncertain terms, the most important things in our lives. We share who and what we love with pride. Did you know that doing so actually increases your "feel-good" hormones? This is why people believe in daily affirmations and practicing gratitude. Science tells us that thinking about your identity, your loved ones, and what you value will make you feel better.
Now, imagine if all of that were ripped from you. In the "land of the free" no less. The place where a woman called Deqa, calls home. Her home has forced her to be "brave" in ways no mother should ever have to be. Deqa is American. Ah, America; it gives you a manual on how to survive the place, written right into its anthem. The irony that being truly free should require no bravery at all is as lost in translation as the true meaning of the word "irony" itself.
But I digress.
Meet Deqa: a woman, a wife, and a mother to four beautiful children, including twins. She is a registered nurse, a friend, and a dedicated member of her community. She moves with grace, poise, and a smile. She loves each of her children equally and cares for her patients deeply, so deeply, in fact, that she started her own small nursing home where she and her husband work tirelessly to care for the sick and frail.
Look at all she is, all she loves, and all she works for. Now, know that over the last four years, there has been an attack on her entire identity, affecting everyone she loves. This happened simply because she advocated for herself and her child to receive the best care possible. They did not receive that care, and as a result, one of her children suffered catastrophic, lifelong injuries, leaving him unable to move or speak.
Her beautiful child, Mahad, is one of her identical twins. On the 12th of May, she may lose custody of him entirely. That would mean Mahad, loses the only family he has ever known: his twin, his mother, his father, and his siblings.
I will not give you too much more detail here, but you can find out more by following us and exploring our other spaces. For now, it felt important to introduce this story to raise awareness while we do everything in our power to help this family.
Trust us: we will help them. We will do whatever it takes to get justice for Deqa and her family. They have been through enough. There are various ways you can follow and support the cause while we work to keep this family together and secure the best care possible for a beautiful boy, a son, a brother, and a twin.
There are several ways you can support this cause through the links we will provide.
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