The incredible story of Waleed Khan

[Bill Ryan]

Waleed Khan was just 12 when, miraculously — the only word to use — he survived a terrorist attack in Peshawar, Pakistan which killed 135 of his school friends and 20 teachers.

Waleed was shot 8 times: 6 times in the face and head. Rescuers and emergency medics assumed he was dead.

Indeed, it seems impossible he could have survived. Even one of the terrorists, seeing he was somehow still alive, had come back to shoot him in the face yet again.

But now, 4 years later and fully recovered after years of surgery, he's a sporting talent, now at school in Birmingham where he excels at cricket, handball, swimming and hockey.

In this podcast he told his story to BBC's usually cheery cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew, who was so lost for words he barely knew what to say. It's an almost unbelievable and extremely moving, inspiring story.

Do listen. At 55 mins, it may be a little overlong. But just the first section of it is enough to be astonished at what he endured — and the life decisions he made.


http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download-low/proto/http/vpid/p068xvr4.mp3

[onawah]

Waleed reading from his diary:
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[Foxie Loxie]

:heart::heart::heart:

[Valerie Villars]

What a little angel. An extraordinary spirit. Thanks so much Bill. Listening to him makes me want to strive harder.

I am reminded of an extraordinary story which had great impact on me.

After the Idonesian tsunami, they found a man floating on some wreckage, for about two weeks if I remember correctly. It was an AP story.

The reporter remarked how terrible it must have been for the man to have gone through that ordeal.

The man replied, and I will never forget it or the impact it had on me, "No, it's all good because it all comes from God."

[Bill Ryan]

What a little angel. An extraordinary spirit. Thanks so much Bill. Listening to him makes me want to strive harder.

I am reminded of an extraordinary story which had great impact on me.

After the Idonesian tsunami, they found a man floating on some wreckage, for about two weeks if I remember correctly. It was an AP story.

The reporter remarked how terrible it must have been for the man to have gone through that ordeal.

The man replied, and I will never forget it or the impact it had on me, "No, it's all good because it all comes from God."

Yes. Here's the story, that of tsunami survivor Ari Afrizal.

https://cbsnews.com/news/tsunami-survivors-15-days-at-sea

"I never got angry," Afrizal said. "I was grateful to be alive. The heat comes from God. The cold comes from God. Death and life also come from God."

At one point, he saw six shark fins piercing the water.

"The sea belongs to them," he said. "I was not afraid because I did not do them any harm."

[Valerie Villars]

I really love the kids. This kid is so wise and so pure. Well worth the listen.