HOPE FOR HURMIJA
by WO2(SQMS) Vic Ferguson
The war in Bosnia Herzegovina raged from April 1992, until the Dayton Peace Agreement was signed on the 14 December 1995. During those years thousands of people have lost their lives and thousands more will carry the horrors experienced and the injuries received for the rest of their lives. Many of the soldiers currently serving as part of the Implementation Force in Bosnia Herzegovina are shocked by the devastation they see around them, many want to do more to ease the suffering experienced by so many. I am one of those soldiers, like many of my comrades I have left a wife and family at home. I arrived in Sarajevo on 22 November 1995, having been given 48 hours to deploy as Staff Assistant to Colonel John Smedley, Commander ACE Rapid Reaction Corps’ Liaison Officer to Commander United Nations Protection Force. The endless stream of haunted faces can be depressing, especially those of the children, you want to help but just don’t know where to start.
On 29 November 1995 I found my starting point. I met Hurmija Mijuc, a 12 year old girl from Srebrenica, who is paralysed from the waist down having been injured by shell fragments on 5 October 1994. I have visited Hurmija almost every day since we first met. She is a normal young girl who has suffered more than enough for a whole life time in just 12 years. Her father and two of her older brothers were killed in Srebrenica. Her mother, twin sister and younger sister live here in Sarajevo in a refugee camp in appalling conditions. Her older brother and sister live in a refugee camp in Tuzla: Hurmija has not seen them since she was injured some 15 months ago.
During the past 6 weeks I have raised about £ 2,000 from soldiers based here in Sarajevo, members of my own family, and friends in Germany. On 15 January 1996 The Sun newspaper agreed to publish a Nation-wide appeal for help. The aim, to raise £ 20,000 to facilitate Hurmija’s evacuation and subsequent treatment to achieve my dream; for Hurmija to walk again: or, at least, to improve her quality of life.
On 17 January I recruited the help and advice of Sir Jimmy Saville. We discussed the possibility of evacuating Hurmija to the Stoke Mandeville hospital for admission into the Spinal Injuries Clinic, reputed to the be the best in the world. After discussing the fine detail I soon realised, to my horror, that I would in fact need to raise around £ 150,000 if, after her initial assessment, Hurmija is eventually admitted for full rehabilitation treatment, which may take over 7 months: I can only pray that this will be the case.
I still need:
Air ambulance facilities from Sarajevo to UK
A wheelchair
Accommodation for myself and an interpreter for approximately 2 weeks at the end of February/beginning of March – the period of initial assessment (not yet firm)
Around £ 148,000!!
If this story has touched your heart, let’s hope it will also touch your wallet. One pound from each person reading this article may help a wonderful little girl walk again. If you have any ideas for fund-raising, please put them into practice, contact me and let me know what you intend to do and I’ll try to publicise it as widely as possible. Thank you for your attention.
Cheques should be made payable to:
WO2(SQMS) V A Ferguson
and sent to:
Supt Clerk
CPIC Sarajevo
HQ ARRC
BFPO 543
If you would like to help, Vic Ferguson can also be contacted in Sarajevo on: (00387) 71 447-617 or
Fax: (00387) 71 447-600