Part 3 The Shero Family
3.1 Introduction to the Shero family
Lucy Shinners
Family genogram
Introduction to family and community
This part provides case studies about an Iraqi refugee family of 4, Medya and her 3 children, Hedjar, Arin and Fero. The United Nations resettled them in the seaside town of Coffs Harbour after they escaped from Iraq, making a very difficult journey to Lebanon for safety. They took some time to settle into their new surroundings after the family was rescued. Still, they have now learned the language and have begun rebuilding their lives. They have developed a deep connection to the Coffs community and continue to heal and recover from the trauma they witnessed. This part illustrates how one family experiences life as refugees in Australia, the challenges they face navigating the healthcare system with English as a second language, and their journey of recovery from trauma. The part begins with a section that outlines the family’s background, history and relationships, followed by a brief overview of their lifestyles. The part describes 2 case studies: 1) Medya develops ulcerative colitis, and 2) Medya has a temporary stoma.
The Shero family
Medya and her family are refugees from Baghdad, Iraq. They live in the beautiful seaside town of Coffs Harbour on the mid-North Coast of New South Wales.
Six years earlier, this family’s village was attacked by the militant groups Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Medya, who was pregnant at the time, lost 6 family members, including her sister (pictured in the family photo) and 2 children, her daughter Denah, aged 3, and her son Rojan, aged 15. As their village was destroyed during the fighting, the family was forced to live in a run-down flat with limited electricity and access to drinkable water. They had to rely on food aid from international volunteer agencies. When Medya’s husband joined the army to fight on behalf of their people, the Yazidis, living and supporting her remaining 2 children became very difficult on her own. They lived in extreme poverty. Medya had to work long hours, carting dangerous building rubble to the rubbish site, to provide enough money to buy food or medicine. The United Nations supported the family by ensuring the village had clean drinking water, blankets and basic food supplies. However, Medya’s family lived in a small room with barely enough food to share. If her kids became unwell, she had to risk her life to seek medical help.
The situation worsened when her son Hedjar was attacked and shot 3 times in the leg and arm while he was praying. While he survived the attack, he was left with an acute brain injury with intermittent seizures and this event forced Medya and her children to leave her husband and escape through the mountains into Lebanon as refugees to seek medical support.
The walk through the mountains was extremely difficult. Medya often had to wrap her children’s feet with clothes to help them walk, or hide them when they could