Mina Meman

About me:

Who Am I? My name is Mina S. Meman and I am 19 years old. I am currently studying under the Pre-med program at Portland State University for Microbiology, Health Sciences/Research, and Journalism. I am dedicating my life to become a Cardiothoracic Surgeon and finding the cure for Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy. What Is This Cause? My passion for the world of medicine and power of healing has grown drastically over the last few years and it has intensified as I have studied under the Pre-med program at Portland State University. Until I reach my ultimate goal of becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon, I have decided to dedicate my time to the progression of Kurdish medical methods and efforts. I will begin this journey with a documentary I will be filming in June of 2010. This will be a three-month long trip that I will record daily as I trek from hospitals and clinics, to government offices across the Kurdistan region. What Is The Purpose of This Profile? The purpose of this profile is to raise awareness, and funding, for my journey. I feel that this journey requires two main components: 1) Passion & Drive-I am motivated and I am blessed to have support from family and friends. I have obtained as much knowledge as possible to prepare for this trip. I will continue to further my knowledge of the Kurdish Health Crisis and the Kurdish Conflict in general. I have done all I can to bring the Kurdish Conflict to the Portland State University curriculum and I am awaiting a response from the board. It is almost guaranteed that I will be teaching this class in the Spring Term of 2010. If all falls through, I highly encourage you all to take this course. I also speak the Kurdish language fluently, and have assistance from many resources to stay up-to-date with the Kurdish language (as it is difficult to do when I reside in a country where almost everyone speaks either English or Spanish). Furthermore, I have unlimited connections with many hospitals, clinics, and government officials in Kurdistan, Iraq and the United States. I am communicating with multiple organizations for possible sponsorships as well. I feel so blessed to have the support and connections that I do---This will make my journey 1000 times easier and necessary funds have drastically decreased because of it. 2) Funding-I am very dedicated to this mission. I am funding as much of it as I possibly can on my own. However, there's only so much that one person can do (as you've probably heard before. I can appreciate any and all help and support. What Can You Do? It's simple and easy. You can spread the word, help by being part of organized events, organizing events to raise money, and by donating. All of these are equally appreciated and will all have a huge impact on this causes progression Your efforts to help raise awareness for the Kurdish people is incredibly appreciated. Thank you so much, your awareness alone makes all the difference. I may not have the power to achieve this alone, but I am continuously amazed at how quick people are to unite for worthy causes and I am confident that this is one of them. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! Mina S. Meman I will post progress on my journey as I go, as well as more information as it is made available.