All alone with Edin
Edin is a very affectionate 13-year-old boy who lives with his mother in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. He was born six months after his father was killed, at the start of the war.
His mother, Adila delivered Edin to the sound of gunshots - one of the first sounds he heard.
Health
Edin has had a number of health complications since birth and is often in hospital. He has a heart murmur and fluid in his lungs, possibly due to Down’s Syndrome.
After just a few minutes of activity he begins to hyperventilate. It is very frustrating for Edin, who loves football and wants to play like the other children.
Missing
For Adila, her son is her whole world. Her eldest son lives abroad, so Edin is her only companion.
Two of her sons went missing in Srebrenica, trying to escape the horrific 1992 massacre in which 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed. Adila has given DNA samples, hoping to recover her children’s bodies one day.
Debts
Adila struggles to care for Edin on her small widow’s pension. Most of her income goes towards repayments on the loan she used to buy their small apartment. Before the war she lived comfortably in a newly-built family house in Srebrenica.
“I had a wonderful life and a wonderful marriage,” she says. “My husband earned a good salary working in a zinc factory and we had two cows and 40 sheep.”
When Adila fled Srebrenica her house was taken over and left uninhabitable. Grief for her missing children has left her unable to return to a town made notorious by the massacre.
Alone
We;re alone now. We have to love each other,” Adila said kissing her son. She tried hard to get Edin into school but most schools will not accept him. “They say his heart is weak and they cannot take responsibility if something happens to him,” she explained.
Schools that provide specialist care are too expensive. Adila has no choice but to stay at home with Edin, who is approaching puberty and becoming increasingly frustrated with his condition.
Sponsorship
Edin joined Islamic Relief’s Orphan Sponsorship programme in 2003. Sponsorship helps pay for household expenses as well as Edin’s medical fees and diapers - easing their financial burdens.
A trip to the hospital costs over ten euros, and Edin is regularly admitted. Adila is also on medication for diabetes, arthritis and kidney inflammation, all of which are costly.
“I seem to spend my days visiting doctors and getting treatment for Edin and myself,” said Adila. “I cannot sleep at night. I sit silently wondering why all this has happened. I’ve lost my husband, I long for my children and I’m all alone with my son.
I thank God who has helped me raise him, and my prayers are with those who are thinking of me and my son. The only conversations I have are with this child. He is all my joy and happiness and he makes my life brighter.”
