Farmington Hills Pharmacist Provides Medical Aid to Children, Families in Iraq

Nidhal Garmo emigrated to the U.S. from Baghdad 30 years ago, but her heart is still very much in her homeland of Iraq. 

A successful pharmacist and entrepreneuer, Garmo owns in Farmington Hills. But her true passion is helping the Iraqi people recover from the devastation caused by decades of war, especially now that U.S. forces have withdrawn from the country.

"Unfortunately, the Army has left, so the worst has not yet come," Garmo said. "It does not look good in Iraq."

As she spoke with Farmington Rotary Club members last month, a television crew from Iraq recorded her visit as part of a profile for Iraqi television. Garmo is well known there for her philanthropic efforts, which began quietly in 1992 as she sent medicine, funds and other supplies to help a few families in need. 

In 2003, she expanded her efforts, collaborating with international organizations to send $4 million in medical, hospital and other supplies to Iraq. Five years later, Garmo founded For Victims of War & Poverty, an organization that provides medical assistance and care for families in Iraq and Iraqi refugees in the U.S. 

The more time she spends in Iraq, the more need Garmo sees. Videos she has taken on her visits show children horribly burned and missing limbs, as well as people of all ages receiving cancer treatment. The Iraqi people have many other needs, she said, but she has focused her attention on health, specifically leukemia/blood cancers, cerebral palsy, hepatitis C and blindness.

While traditional war has taken its toll, Garmo says another battle looms. 

"People are talking about civil war, religious war," she said. "There's a bigger war: expired and fake medications." 

As a pharmacist, Garmo knows those medications can cause illness, birth defects and even death. While Americans pay as little as $4 for a prescription, she said, Iraqi people pay much more for medication that won't work, and might even harm them. 

"A pregnant woman takes medication, and her baby is poisoned," Garmo said. "Babies are being born with the worst congenital diseases, from war and also from medication." 

She said the government is trying very hard to institute quality controls and media is playing a key role in spreading information about the danger. 

Garmo also has a heart for local people in need and has partnered with World Medical Relief, formed nearly 60 years ago in Detroit. In addition to helping children around the world, that organization provides a prescription program available to people with low incomes and gives out thousands of blankets to take the chill off the Michigan winter for needy Detroit residents. 

"It's about helping anybody in need," Garmo said. "We just trust God, and it will happen." 

Garmo's next big dream is to build a medical center in Iraq. She is planning another trip to her home country, taking supplies and a team of doctors. While she knows the country is not secure, Garmo said, "I believe in God, so I'm not afraid."

To learn more about For Victims of War & Poverty, visit fvwp.org