On Saturday morning May 31st 2008 in Bagram it was not just another day for me. It was my birthday. And I had plans for having a wonderful day.  First, I slept in till about 6 am and watched I Love Lucy DVD's. I had enough time between the rush of people getting ready for work so it was a pleasant HOT shower just like I planed.  Then I was off to the local Army hospital ICU ward to visit with kids. I gave out lots of toys and blankets. Rommie is a three year old boy who has been burned on about fifty percent of his body. Another three year old, a girl, I visited with for a while was suffering from a serious onset of pneumonia. There are lots of Afghan children in the wards taken care of by our service men and women in the medical field. Theirs is a very difficult job.  Even I could not stay with Rommie as they started to change the dressings on his legs. It was too painful for me.

I met a young girl named Hamida there. With the assistance of one of our interpreters who often accompanies me on these visits I was able to have conversations with Hamida and her mother. I learned that she is about 13 years old but far more mature is her nature and is very humble and sweet. Six months ago she was burned so severely that even now she is challenged so many medical issues as a result of the trauma her body suffered. That Saturday she was not feeling too well. Physicians had to remove her ear because it would not heal. I have visited with Hamida everyday since then. I brought her snacks and a DVD player which she was so happy and thankful for.  Hamida is dealing with a lot and now and she has been released from the hospital to go home where she lives in Kabul. I asked her to make me a wish list. She was reluctant but I convinced her that I wanted to make her recovery a little easier to cope with.

If anyone is interested in helping me to fill her list of needs please contact me at selenaimpersonator@yahoo.com.  As always, I welcome any soft cuddly toys anyone wishes to send for the children at the hospital I regularly visit. And I would like to thank the many people whom have already sent things in the past to help me with my humanitarian efforts.

Well, needless to say, I truly enjoyed my birthday. I spent it doing exactly what I wanted to be doing on that day. Someone else has a birthday coming up on June 7th, 2008 that I would like to send a happy birthday message to. To Tom Jones: Thank you for your incredible musical contributions. For your wonderful voice which lulls me to sleep on a sleepless night and has given me peace on even the toughest days I have had to face on this deployment and a Happy birthday to you, Tom Jones. I hope you spend it doing exactly what you enjoy.  

On May 28th 2008 the Entertainment Network presented many of its members with various different performance awards.  I was greatly honored to receive the Peter Banks award for humanitarian efforts. Since I was not present to accept this wonderful award my mother, Ramona Galan, was asked to accept the award on my behalf.  And I would like to thank all the members of the Entertainment Network for nominating me for this very special award. It means more to me than most people would guess. In fact, the award was named in memory of Peter Banks due to his tremendous humanitarian efforts.  I visited a lot with Peter at his hospice up until a few hours before he died in his last week with us. Since then I have always felt a part of him will be in my heart. How very special to be the first to receive this award after his passing. It will be more than a fixture in my home but a reminder of why it is so important to ask the question "is there more that I could be doing for someone right now?"

My mailing address:

Deborah P. Galan

382nd Military Police Det Law & Order

Bagram, APO AE 09354