We are honored to have Dr. Amani Ballour join us as a panelist for “Crowning Women Warriors”
Join Dr. Amani Ballour, author of The Cave memoir and subject of the Oscar®-nominated documentary, as she shares her powerful story of leading an underground hospital in war-torn Syria. A pediatrician and advocate for women’s and children’s rights, Dr. Ballour’s journey is a testament to courage and resilience. Her insights offer a compelling look into the realities of war, the strength of the human spirit, and the ongoing fight for justice. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from a true hero and humanitarian.
Joining us for an insightful panel discussion, moderated by Joanne Farina, SHRM-CP, Dr. Amani Ballour, and four other panelists will share their unique experiences and perspectives on their work that serves as an inspiration to many who strive to make a difference.
Don’t miss the opportunity to hear Dr. Ballour’s thoughts at our upcoming event.
For more information and to register for the event, please visit: Crowning Women Warriors
BIO
Dr. Amani Ballour, a pediatrician and an advocate of women’s and children’s rights. Dr. Ballour was born and grew up in the east of Ghouta Syria. She is the youngest among two brothers and three sisters. Her sisters married and became homemakers at a young age; the eldest was 15. Ballour, on the other hand, wanted to do more. She persisted on completing her education.
Dr. Ballour had always wanted to be an Engineer, so she took up Mechanical Engineering at Damascus University despite experiencing gossip from others and receiving opposition from her family due to gender- based expectations. Her family, particularly her father, refused to support her until she eventually shifted to pediatrics. In 2012, she finished her general medical studies at the same university. She began studying pediatrics until at 24, Dr. Ballour was triggered to abandon her studies when she was summoned by neighbors to treat a 12-year-old wounded boy. The boy was a victim of the government’s attempt to crush rallies. He was a bystander during the protest and was shot with a bullet in his head. The boy’s family was worried that the authorities would seize them if they went to the hospital, so they came to Ballour instead. When they arrived, the boy was already dead. At that point she began to help the casualties of the Syrian Civil War.
Dr. Ballour started as a volunteer in a nearby, rebel stronghold hospital in Ghouta. There were only a few doctors, and there were only two full-time physicians like her. The hospital was intended to be a big, six- story medical center, and it was under construction during that time. The hospital operated despite frequent attacks from the government, until authorities successfully seized the area. With thirteen other doctors, Ballour decided to continue operating underground, beneath the unfinished building. The subterranean clinic was eventually known as the Cave; as its popularity grew, more medical volunteers appeared. The hospital thrived despite the siege. At times, they were able to use smuggled medical stocks paid by international and local NGOs, and equipment taken from other destroyed hospitals.
In 2016, at 29 years old, Ballour was elected and promoted as the hospital director. She became the first and only woman to manage a hospital in Syria. She ran the hospital until the Assad regime quelled the last resistance in 2018. Dr. Ballour treated victims with missing limbs, and victims of chemical attacks who were suffocating in the subterranean hospital. The government bombed the hospital many times. She kept detailed journals about the days and the attacks. After the last resistance, Dr. Ballour was exiled and forced to flee Syria. She lived in a refugee camp in Turkey before eventually coming to the US. Dr. Ballour has appeared before the UN Security Council via teleconference in 2021 and many other influential places in her fight for human rights.
Dr. Ballour’s story is portrayed by the Oscar-nominated documentary The Cave, which tells of the struggles of running an underground hospital during the Syrian civil war where she shielded children from Sarin gas attacks and is the only woman to have ever run a wartime hospital solely by herself. She saved peers from the atrocities of war while trying to contend with the patriarchal regime and civil war all around her.
Links:
Her memoir, The Cave: A Secret Underground Hospital and One Woman’s Survival in Syria was published earlier this year and is available on AMAZON.
“The Cave” is an Oscar®-Nominated for best Documentary feature on AppleTV!
Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amani_ballour/
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Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from Dr. Amani Ballour, a true hero and humanitarian.
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