Zubaida was just nine years old when her world was turned upside down. Growing up in a nomadic family in Farah, Afghanistan, she was one of eight children. In August 2001, a tragic accident changed everything. While trying to fuel a household burner, the kerosene ignited, and Zubaida was engulfed in flames. She suffered life-threatening burns across her face, neck, chest, and arms.

With limited access to medical care in Afghanistan and Iran, local doctors eventually told her father there was nothing more they could do—he should take her home to die. But Zubaida didn’t give up. Though she survived, the burns left her severely disfigured and emotionally scarred.

Desperate for a miracle, her father reached out to the U.S. government in early 2002. American military doctors at a U.S. Army base in Kabul referred her case to the State Department. That’s when Dr. Peter Grossman, a renowned plastic surgeon in California, offered to help. Thanks to the Children’s Burn Foundation, Zubaida was flown to Los Angeles, where she underwent 12 major reconstructive surgeries at the Grossman Burn Center.

Her physical healing was extraordinary—but what came next was just as inspiring. Zubaida started school for the very first time, picked up English within a year, and began making close friends. In March 2003, she celebrated her 11th birthday at her first-ever sleepover—just one of many milestones on her journey of recovery.

Driven by gratitude and inspired by the doctors who helped her, Zubaida now dreams of becoming a pediatrician to help other children in need—especially those in her home country.

Everyone who meets her is moved by her strength, optimism, and unshakable spirit. Though she has since reunited with her family in Afghanistan, they continue to live in extreme poverty. Zubaida still needs financial support to continue her education and receive the ongoing care her recovery requires.

Her story is one of resilience, compassion, and the incredible power of hope.