"My name is Jwan. This is the true story of my family and many others who suffered in Northern Iraq. "Hope to the Last Breath is dedicated to my family, who suffered so much and never gave up in the most difficult situations, and to all the families of Northern Iraq who suffered when our peaceful existence was stolen from us. "In 1991 the war between Iraq and Iran had been over for several years but we continued to suffer the consequences. We had not known peace for almost a decade and when the fighting ended the people were celebrating in the streets. But just when we believed that peace and tranquility were back, the conflict re-erupted, this time within Iraq as the central government sought to reestablish its control over the North. The poison gas bombing of Halabja marked the beginning of dangerous times in Northern Iraq and launched a million people on a desperate flight through the mountains, traveling on foot with few supplies, hoping to reach the Turkish border. A great many died along the way and tremendous suffering awaited us when hundreds of thousands were left stranded without resources on a muddy field on the Turkish border. But we never gave up on our dream to escape the chaos in our home country and find our way to America. "My family's story has many chapters. We tried again and again to escape the brutality of our home country and secure for ourselves a life of peace and contentment. Our story is one of endurance, of physical bravery, of danger and death, of great suffering, and survival. Sometimes we had to be reckless with our health and safety. I hope none of you will ever face the trials we did, but if such times ever come to you, I want you to know that in the end it was all worth it." May God always be with you. Jwan Al Brwe. JWAN AL BRWE was born in Duhok, Northern Iraq in a Christian Chaldean family. The Chaldeans are an ancient people of Mesopotamia dating back thousands of years before the time of Christ. To this day their language is Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus.