From War-Torn Iraq to Healthcare Heroes: How One Mother's Sacrifice Shaped Her Children's Future in London

From left to right: Waseem Shahatto, Ban's son-in-law; Hanein Madlol, Ghadeir Madlol, Ban Abood, Mustafah Madlol, and Yusar Madlol; Absent was son Muntdr, who was recently accepted at University of California, Berkeley.

When Ban Abood arrived in Canada in 2008, following the death of her husband and escaping the devastation caused by the war in Iraq, she made a decision that her five children say made them the adults they are today.

A chemist by training, Ban didn’t seek to validate her education and credentials here in Canada. Instead, she decided to focus on raising her children, working multiple part-time jobs at the same time, but always ensuring they had all the support they needed in their new life in Canada, they say.

“In all of our stories, you will hear that our mom sat us down, and made sure that we got our work done,” said Mustfah Madlol, 22, who is now in dental school.

“She made sure that we were always trying to do our best because if we didn't, then everything that she had done was for nothing. She put in a lot of time, a lot of effort, and we have to make sure that it was for a good reason.”

Abood is humble in her assessment. She says everything that’s been achieved by her children, all of whom are pursuing careers or working in the healthcare sector, has been because of their own work.

But they are quick to disagree.

Hanein Madlol, who arrived in London when she was only 12, is now a pharmacist. She vividly remembers the struggles she experienced during her first years in Canada, and how difficult school was for her at the beginning because she didn’t speak the language.

“It was honestly very hard,” she said. “I was super excited to be here, but when I went to school it was difficult because I didn’t know any English. I remember coming back home, and my mom would help me translate my entire homework to Arabic, memorize it in Arabic and then back to English.

“All the degrees that I hold even though they only have my name on them, are really a testament to all the hard work that she put into me,” she added.

It was an opinion echoed by Yusar Madlol, 20, the youngest of Ban’s daughters.

My mom “did a lot to make sure I didn’t see the hardships we were going through,” said Yusar, who is pursuing her degree in Medical Science at Western University. “Even though she was working several part-time jobs, she would still make sure that I learned my multiplication tables.

“She inspired me to work hard, seeing what she went through; it’s not easy to raise one kid, let alone five by yourself in a new country.”

Today Ban works as a settlement worker for the London Cross Cultural Learner Centre. But for many years she couldn't count on the security that a full-time position offered.

Instead, after earning a degree from Western University and becoming a fitness instructor, she had to juggle multiple jobs, some of which were only casual in nature or part-time.

But her dedication to her family and hard work have served as an inspiration to her children, said Ghadeir Madlol, who is also in dental school.

Ghadeir said being the best possible version of themselves and finding ways to give back to the community is “the littlest thing we can do,” adding that their own experiences have also been a big motivation for them to pursue careers in healthcare.

“We grew up in Iraq; we experienced the war and our dad died because of lack of healthcare there,” she said. “So we all saw the big impact of not having access to care, so when we came here we all sort of chose a career path that would allow us to help people and fill the voids that exist today.”