Blessings for the blind

Editor's Note: In our Behind the Scenes series, CNN correspondents share their experiences covering news and analyze the stories behind events. CNN anchor Kyra Phillips writes about her experience visiting a school for the blind in Iraq.

Baghdad, IRAQ -- I have never in my life seen a grown man cry over receiving a dictionary. I have never in my life watched a child fumble with a pair of sunglasses because she didn't know what they were.

I have never met so many blind children with humble hearts.

I am talking about the students at Al Noor's Institute For the Blind in Baghdad, Iraq.

Just imagine living in a war zone. Now imagine being blind in a war zone. Al Noor's students, teachers and volunteers not only humbled me, they amazed me.

My mother taught deaf and blind kids. I wanted to find out what type of schools blind kids in Iraq attend and what kind of training they receive. They have a lot of love and dedicated teachers, but they needed more.

With the amazing help of the Perkins School for the Blind, where Helen Keller studied, and the charity International Relief Development, Al Noor has new paper, dictionaries in Braille, sunglasses and other supplies.

But it took six months! Why? Because any donation to Baghdad can be life threatening and it is a tremendous risk to help others in Iraq who are less fortunate than we are.

All About Iraq War • National Federation of the Blind