March of this year marked the two year anniversary of a horrible loss in the Denver refugee community. A woman was crossing the snow covered street with her two young sons when they were struck by a car. Both boys were killed, and their mother, Zama Bee, was left in a state of shock, grief, and physical brokenness.

She and her husband, Amed, entered a downward spiral of depression. He refused to leave the house, and was rarely seen outside of his bedroom. Zama Bee is still attempting to live a normal life. She has a few close friends, and faithfully takes care of their small apartment, but she still makes a point to show photos of her sons to whoever comes over. Every single time she says, “These are my sons. They were hit by a car. They are dead. The police still haven’t found the person who did it.”

Recently, their resettlement agency decided it would be best to help them return to Burma where they have family. It’s difficult for them to dream of a future in Denver that they can’t share with their sons. Every time they leave their apartment, they are haunted by the blue metal sign on Yosemite St. engraved with the names of their boys and a warning for people to drive carefully.

One day, Siri, one of our community navigators, and their family partner, Darcy Haar, were helping Zama and Amed secure their travel documents. With business out of the way, they decided to have some fun. They went to get pizza and ice cream and they stopped by the Cherry Creek Reservoir for some fresh air and sunshine. This was the first time Ahmed had left the apartment in months, and the change in him was like night and day. He could not stop smiling! For the first time in a long time, Amed and Zama were experiencing joy and laughter and FUN!

“If life in America was like this everyday,” Ahmed told Siri, “I would never want to leave!” One of the staff at the African Community Center said, “That is the power of a friend.” If you would like to be part of our community, contact us. We would love to partner you with a refugee family. There are many who are waiting for the opportunity to have a friend step into the fresh air and sunshine with them.