On Graduation Day, Iraqi Teen Met A US Soldier Who Saved Her 18 Years Ago

At last, it was her graduation day, and she met one brave soldier who had saved her life about 18 years ago, according to mtv.

That was a brave and wise move, but for Mill Creek High School graduate, Lava Barwari, it was like a fairytale ending.

When Lava was a baby 18 years ago, her mother, Awaz, was in the Iraqi "kill list" in Iraq, as her family was Kurdish, and was being targeted by Saddam Hussein for genocide.

"In 1996, Saddam [Hussein] had this law that anybody who worked with Americans, befriended Americans, had anything to do with Americans, they'd be considered a spy and needed to be beheaded," Awaz told a local affiliate.

US Army soldier, Greg Peppin, was helping Americans on the kill list escape. Yet, he could not save everyone. The obstacle to getting Awaz and Lava out of the country was that Iraqi officials were preventing Lava from leaving, as she was still a baby who was just 36 days old, and not yet on the kill list.

"I told the man I was not leaving without my baby. He said I could leave her with other family in Iraq or not leave Iraqi. So I said I wasn't leaving," Barwari said told Fox5.

But Peppin was determined not to let the mother and daughter be split up and stepped in, according to dailymail.

Greg's quick and creative thinking saved the day. He instructed Awaz to explain to the Iraqi officials that Lava's name was Greg Pepin, gambling on the fact that they would let the baby leave if she was part of his family.

"I told them if the baby's name was 'Greg,' she could come with me under my passport," said Peppin. "They didn't understand what I was trying to do at first, but then they realized I was trying to help." So Baby Lava became 'Baby Greg'.

Awaz did not forget Greg's help, and told Lava about it as soon as the babygrew up. She searched for Greg in the Internet, and they began an email correspondence. Lava and Greg met merely a few hours before her graduation ended. It was a wonderful surprise. "It made my day. It made my year," she said.

"The day I got Lava's email was one of those signature days that kind of make your life worthwhile," Peppin said.

They met before the ceremony and hugged each other emotionally even as Lava's proud mother looked on. "I'm happy you tracked me down. I wouldn't miss this for the world," Peppin told Lava.