~ Hisham Mohammed

In 2006, at age 8 Hisham Mohammed became paralyzed from the neck down by a bomb that went off just outside of his home in Iraq. In a moment, young Hisham became a victim of a war he never chose to be part of, as shrapnel ripped through his spinal cord, also killing a 12-year-old friend.

After the blast, Hisham's parents, both physicians in Iraq, shifted their entire focus from living and raising their family in a country they loved, to embarking on an around-the-world journey of survival and discovery, trying to save their youngest son. Hisham says, "Never in our wildest dreams did we think something like this would happen and we would we come to live in America"--the very country with which Iraq was at war.

What followed is a young man's extraordinary story of hope and healing, as Hisham committed his life to listening to others, raising awareness about the devastation of war and disability, and turning to education to inform and inspire everyone he meets.

Here at Brilliantly Resilient, we believe in the power of listening. Only by being open to others' views can we hope to understand and find common ground in our shared humanity. As Hisham reminds us, we all need to "be stong, respect others and have faith."

Tune in to hear more of Hisham's brilliance on this episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast and pick up your copy of The Deadly Silence here.

Listen for these additional bits of brilliance:

• We have to stop making things so complex. Formal education doesn't have to take place. The key is listening. Active listening.
• Ask questions to learn about other people and cultures. Then listen to their answers.

Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together!

XO,

Mary Fran