Teen Syrian refugee who survived bombing of her home has long road to recovery in Winnipeg

A 13-year-old refugee who fled to Canada after surviving a bombingin Syria still has a long road to recovery and she's going through that recovery without her parents, who are still in her home country.

In some ways Maryam is like many typical teenage girls shelikes to wear pretty dresses, jewelleryand nail polish. But she often wears a scarf and long-sleeve shirts to hide the scars all over her body.

"I didn't remember anything.I just remember being in a hospitaland in shock," she said.

In January 2015,Maryam whodoesn't want herlast name revealed because she worriesabout the safety of her parents in Syria and her six-year-old sister, Diana, were sleeping in their bedroom when a bomb fell on their home in the city of Idlib.

Her sister died in the blast.

Maryam survived butshe sufferedburns to 80 per cent of her body. The blast also took out the fingernails on her left hand, and she has lost feeling in her thumb.

"The doctor came to take off my bandage and I cried, I just cried," she said.

The burns were so severe that doctors couldn't treat her in Syria, so she was sent to a hospital in Turkey, where she had 12 reconstructive plastic surgeries.

"I wake up and I just scream,"she said."I was just shocked. I didn't know what wasgoing on.I just wanted to see my dad and my sister."

But her parents couldn't make it to the hospital in Turkey to be with her,doctors told her later.They stayed behind in Syria to bury her sisterand care for her other siblings.

Maryam's auntSafaaand two little brothers were able to travel to Turkey to be with her. She stayed in the hospital for at least two months before she was well enough to leave.

Sheand her family members were able to claim refugee status in Turkey with the help ofUNICEF. In April 2016, along with her aunt and two little brothers, Maryamcame to Winnipeg as a government-sponsored refugee.

Herparents, though, weren't able to escape Syria with their otheryoung children. Maryamhas another four brothers and fivesisters back home with her parents in Syria.

She wasleftinthe care of her aunt Safaa, who has been dealing with her own struggles at home.

Baby cousin living with rare birth defect

Safaa has a five-month-old baby girl named Ebrar who was born in Winnipeg with a rare birth defect that left her brain growing outside her skull. Ebrar is still recovering in a Winnipeg hospital.

Safaasaid it's been tough trying to careforMaryamand her two brothers, while herown baby is fighting for her life in hospital.

"Like anybody, she misses her parents,"shesaid. "I do what I can do, but stillthey need their family around them."

Winnipeg surgeon Dr. LeifSigurdsonhas been treatingMaryamfor the last year andsaid she will need more reconstructive surgeries on both her arms and neck.

"She had burns to both of her armsand both her hands, as well as her shoulders and neck," he said.

"They weren't treated ideally at the time that she suffered them."

Even so, "she is very lucky to be alive," he said, adding that it's been a "treat"getting to know his patient.

"I really have been able to watch her personality come out. She's got great spirit and she's tough and she's very, very funny."

Struggles at school

Maryam said she's made some friends at school but she still struggles with her appearance.

"Yeah, but medifferent than other girls," she said. "Like, sometimes mecry because I'm different."

She said she hides her disfigured hands and fingers when she's playing at school.

"Girls can play any game they want butI can't play what I want.

"Like, sometimes all girls like to hold handswhen playing, but me, I don't want to hold their hands," she said, fightingback tears.

MarynaPrystaikosaid she's heartbroken by everything Maryam has endured.

She works for Hands of Hope, an organization that donates furniture to newcomers in Winnipeg.For the last year, Prystaiko has been helping the Syrian family settle in their apartment inWinnipeg.

"Maryamis a wonderful girl," saidPrystaiko.

"I couldn't believe that a small girl like that can go through all of those problems. Nobody is supposed to have all of that. She's alone here, without parents," Prystaiko said.

Maryamhasn'tseen her parents since the bombing in 2015, but she reconnected with them over the phone thispast winter. She now talks to them as oftenas she can.

Shesaid she sometimes feels lonely but still has hope her wholefamily will be together again one day.

In the meantime, Maryamsaid her focus is on school and continuing her medical treatment.She has another surgery scheduled for later this summer.

But despite all the challenges ahead for Maryamand her family, she saidshe'shappy and grateful to be in Canada.

"I want to say thank you for, like, all the people that have helped us, and take care about us."

Syrian refugee who survived bomb attack has long road to recovery in Winnipeg

7 years ago

Duration 6:17

A 13-year-old refugee who fled to Canada after a bombing in Syria still has a long road to recovery and she's unsure whether she will ever see her parents again.