13 May 2024, Baghdad, Iraq – On 12 May every year, we celebrate the remarkable contributions of nurses in Iraq and worldwide. Among them is Mushtaq Najm Addin, a paediatric nurse at Paediatric Haematology and Oncology Centre at Childre’s Welfare Teaching Hospital, Medical City, Baghdad.

Mushtaq lives in a small district about 30 km south of Baghdad. His early mornings involve a 2-hour commute to work, often on crowded roads and with occasional traffic jams. Despite these difficulties, he arrives at the hospital each day with a beaming smile, ready to care for the young patients in need of specialized attention. “I want to see hope reflected in their smiles when they look at me,” said Mushtaq. “Yes, I may arrive tired, but part of my job is to show them that recovery is possible.”