Four years ago, Iranian Adel Jalali and his son looked for a better life in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). They had to stop their journey to the countries of the European Union (EU) after Adel’s son fell ill. Thanks to the help of the local population, Adel and his son found accommodation in the village of Vikici near Bihac – not realizing that this place would become their new home.
”A man came – he says, look, Sejad has a fever, he is sick. Come to us, and the next day where you plan, go your own way,” Adel says.
And he didn’t leave, but a new life started right here. After being granted asylum, he got a job and worked for CWS as a cultural mediator for more than a year. In addition to that job, Adel, who has a master’s degree in agriculture, also works hard in the garden behind the house.
”I have one and a half dunam of potatoes, garlic, red onion, tomato, cucumber. We also have bees. I always work at home when I come home from work, but Emira works more,” Adel adds.
And he met Emira Susic in a hair salon where he had his hair cut regularly.
”He can’t talk, but we understand each other. And so we got closer to each other … We made a decision, we stayed together,”Emira says.
Despite many differences, they soon found a common language and got married. Emira has been a dialysis patient for the last 20 years and needs a kidney. Adel found out and he wants to be a donor.
”Every other day an ambulance comes, I don’t know why, I don’t understand, I don’t know Bosnian. I ask – Emira, why are you going and why is the ambulance coming? Then she later told me – I don’t have a kidney and I’m going on dialysis. It’s been 20 years now. I sincerely plan, inshallah, to give a kidney as a gift,” Adel sincerely says.
”No one ever jokingly told me that, to help me or to save me, it’s something big. I haven’t been with him for thirty years, I don’t even have children so he wants to help me. It is simply from the heart. I say, this man is good, merciful, honest, just the way he is,” Emira adds through tears.
People of good intentions, along with Emira, provided Adel and his son with peaceful sleep and a roof over their heads. And the two of them will do their best to repay them, and even a new life.
”No kidney, 20 years of dialysis, maybe that’s the kidney I’m waiting for from Iran to come and to be good for me, to save me from dialysis and everything,” Emira concludes with a laugh.
