President Obama took to Facebook Wednesday night to comment on a story on the "Humans of New York" page about a Syrian refugee who is being relocated to the United States. "Welcome to your new home. You're part of what makes America great," Obama told the man.
The creator of the popular photography blog, Brandon Stanton, just returned from a trip to Turkey, where he interviewed a Syrian refugee who will soon come to the U.S. as part of Obama's refugee relocation program, in which 10,000 refugees will be resettled America, reported Fox San Francisco KTVU. The unnamed refugee, who is a scientist and inventor, told his life story to Stanton, explaining and the struggles he has faced in his home country, and Stanton posted the man's comments to Facebook.
"My ultimate goal was to become a great scientist and make a lasting contribution to humanity," the man is quoted as saying.
He explains how he got married, built a modern family and bought a house - but then the war came and destroyed his house and left much of his family dead.
"I was overseeing a project outside the city when the missile hit my house. Nobody was around to help, so my son had to carry the pieces of his mother and sister out of the house. He was fourteen at the time," he said. "Everything that wasn't destroyed in our house was stolen over the next two days. We left with nothing."
He has been living in Turkey for two years, but says he is "dead here. I have no life, no respect, and my children aren't going to school. I have a Ph.D. but I'm not allowed to work without a residence permit."
Worst of all, the man says he has developed stomach cancer since the bombing, which is spreading and causing internal bleeding. He has no insurance and five different hospitals have told him that there is nothing they can do, but he says that his "friend in America tells me that it's an easy surgery."
"I still think I have a chance to make a difference in the world. I have several inventions that I'm hoping to patent once I get to America," the man said. "I learned today that I'm going to Troy, Michigan. I know nothing about it. I just hope that it's safe and that it's a place where they respect science. I just want to get back to work. I want to be a person again. I don't want the world to think I'm over. I'm still here."
A White House official confirmed to ABC News that Obama himself responded to the post, saying: "As a husband and a father, I cannot even begin to imagine the loss you've endured. You and your family are an inspiration. I know that the great people of Michigan will embrace you with the compassion and support you deserve. Yes, you can still make a difference in the world, and we're proud that you'll pursue your dreams here. Welcome to your new home. You're part of what makes America great."
It's not the first time Obama has capitalized on social media to connect with constituents. Back in September, he commented on a story about a 10-year-old Iranian boy in the town of Tabriz who aspired to be a humanitarian in the wake of the Iranian nuclear deal, reported NPR.
"I hope this young man never loses his desire to help others. And I'm going to continue doing whatever I can to make this world a place where he and every young person like him can live up to their full potential," Obama wrote.
