Iragi refugee to plan charity run

A perfect fit.

Iraqi refugee Hayder Kharalla says his new prosthetic legs launch him another step forward in his life in America.

Kharalla says, “I’m really happy and so excited I’m out of words to be honest with you because I’ve been waiting for this moment since a long time, and it’s finally come.”

“Virginia Prosthetics’“ made it possible for Kharalla to receive both walking *and* running prostheses.

The nearly $40,000 artificial limbs are made with the latest technology, unlike Kharalla’s old one which caused him great pain.

Kharalla lost his leg while trying to save a U.S. Sergeant from crossfire.

At the time, he was an interpreter for U.S. troops in Baghdad.

Becky Stewart saw Kharalla’s story on “WSLS 10 On Your Side,“ and it moved her so much that she asked her bosses if they could help.

Stewart told us, “I know what these guys can do for patients, and I knew if I could get it ok’d, they could get him where he needed to be.”

Hayder will need physical therapy to get used to his running leg.  Lucas Therapies in Roanoke will provide Kharalla the physical therapy he needs, at no charge.  Once Hayder gets his gait, he’ll organize a community run that will benefit the children of fallen U.S. soldiers.

That includes the U.S. sergeant Kharalla tried to save, who left behind a family.

“We laughed together, we sing together, and sometimes we cry together. So it’s a family to me they were like brothers,“ says Kharalla.

Kharalla says he’s happy to call America home and is grateful for his new American friends, like Stewart.

A symbol of his patriotism proudly worn on his new limbs.  A part of him, with every step he takes.

We will continue to follow Kharalla’s story, and when he organizes the charity run, we’ll be sure to pass that information on to you.