When I first saw the picture of Omran Daqneesh, the 5-year-old Syrian boy pulled from the rubble of a bombed Aleppo, my heart shattered. I was left speechless by a gaze that said everything and nothing.

With his long, brown hair; Nickelodeon CatDog T-shirt; and plump cheeks, he should have been playing and giggling. Instead, he was covered with the dust of destroyed buldings, in shock at the loss of dreams, peace, freedom–the childhood he deserved to have.  

But there are many Omrans. An estimated 4,500 Syrian children have been killed, and the others who are living now know the worst thing humans can witness: war. 

Published August 19, 2016