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Survivor Stories
 Majdi Salem - Jordan
Majdi Salem was a truck driver in Jordan for a food manufacturing company. In 1991, he was driving from Iraq to Jordan on a delivery. It was a typical day until his truck ran over a landmine. He had two surgeries in seven days. "I don't remember much, except the weather was very cold, about minus five degrees, and there was no electricity at the hospital."
Salem’s father and brothers took him home to Jordan. He remembers the trip as very painful. "I was not supposed to move, but the roads were very rough. I bounced around a lot."
In Jordan, they discovered Salem had developed a severe infection. This required additional surgery, ultimately resulting in an above-the-knee-amputation.
"After I woke up, I was very depressed. I felt useless. I thought I could never resume my life from before. I had ten more operations. I was in Hussein Medical Center for seven months."
A friend came to visit Salem. The man, a double amputee, showed Salem that life could go on. It was Salem’s first exposure to peer support. “He taught me a lot. It was the moment I started to recover. But, I did not have health insurance and could not get a prosthesis.” He did, however, have a friend in his former employer, the owner of the food company. He stepped in to pay Salem’s medical expenses and made sure he got a prosthesis.
But still, there was no work for him. “I stayed at home for seven years.”
Salem found out about LSN in June, 2000, through an advertisement for an Outreach Worker for the Amman area. “I was very happy when Adnan Al Aboudi hired me to work for LSN. I visit many survivors. They respect LSN and appreciate our services. I try my best to support the people I visit by linking or referring them to get health insurance or other services.”
“Since I have worked at LSN, I have not taken one day off. I love my work, especially when I inspire other survivors to resume their lives.” Salem stated, “I will always be available to help any survivors. Any of us can do anything.”
View the next profile: Younes Wardat
Less than 10 percent of landmine survivors have access to proper medical care and rehabilitation. Please visit our Donate Now section and see what you can do to help landmine survivors around the world.
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