'He has a big heart': cross-continent kindness could save Syrian man from blindness

It's a race against time fora Syrian family who isstruggling tobring to Canada theirbrother, who has been told he will go blind without medical intervention.

Thanks to help from an unlikely source, their struggle may end.

Hayfa Schichmouseand her sister Serinarrived in Canada two years ago. They're originally from the town ofAl-Hasakahin Syria. Since they arrived, they'vebeen trying to bring over their 26-year-old brotherAnais.

AnasSchichmousefled Syria's war and is living in Erbil, in northern Iraq.

According to a medical document written by a Swedish doctor working in Iraq,Schichmouse, who has been suffering from severe visual impairments since childhood,is in need of a corneal transplant after his eye rejected one performed 11 years ago.

Theoperation is not currently availablein Erbil, andSchichmouse said his eyesight worsens each day.

The Sehmusfamily's efforts tobring their brotherto Canada may soon be realized thanks to a man on the other side of the continent.

Florida residentTom Smith first began trying to help people fleeing the Middle Eastwhen he wasinspired by footage of Syrian refugee camps.

Smith hoping to donate funds to help bring refugees to the United States first turned to his local churchesand rescue organizations. However, he had little success finding a sponsorship program that would help settle Syrian refugees in theUnited States.

He said he became frustrated with the lack of initiativesavailable in the U.S.

'Wasting your time'

"We thought it would be easy to give money to bring people over here ... but we found that our current administration has a lack of compassion for helpingpeoplefrom Syria," said Smith, noting that31 American state governors said they would not accept Syrian refugees.

"None of them gave us any hope that we could ever do anything in the U.S. They said 'you are wasting your time.'"

When Smith read a New York Times article detailing private refugee sponsorship programs in Canada,he decided to take a different approach.

Smith contacted the Refugee Council in New York. The organization's executive directorhad recently attended a conference in Geneva, Switzerlandand had met ChrisFriesen, the director of settlement services for Vancouver'sImmigrant Services Society of B.C.

Smith obtainedFriesen's phone number, connected with him, and now they are working together.

A big heart

With Friesen's help, Smith and a family friend have arranged to help privately sponsor Schichmouse and another Syrian family. Smith agreed to donate close to$60,000 to Vancouver's Immigrant Services for the sponsorship.

"It was arandom act of kindness thatreinforcedmy faith inhumanity," said Friesen.

"We were very excited and thought'Whoa, this is cool. Maybe there is a silver lining to Trump's election outcome.'"

Schichmouse, speaking through a translator and over the phone from Iraq, said he has been given new hope by this act of kindness from a total stranger.

"Irespect him very much," said Schichmouse.

"When Ifinish my education, when my vision gets better, that person will be part of my family. He has a big heart."

Schichmouse' refugeeapplication was approved by the Canadian government in July. Now, his family waits forword of when he might arrive,which can take months or even years. The government wasnot able comment on his case for privacy reasonsbut did saypeople with medical conditions can be prioritized.

Once Schichmousearrives, Smith hopes to come to Vancouver to meet him.

With files fromSusana da Silvaand Michelle Ghoussoub