Actually, you will. After her neighborhood turned into a war zone, she fled along with her parents. They became refugees, scavenging for food and dodging gun fire. They became sick, and their diseases went untreated. The family was split up, the father forcibly separated from his wife and child at a checkpoint. The little girl's hair began to fall out. Confusion and fear painted her face.
Who is this little girl? She's the star of the charity group Save the Children's latest video campaign. That video depicts what would happen to a little girl if London were to be engulfed in a civil war, using a series of snapshots to chronicle her life over the year that passed between one of her birthday's and the next.
"Just because it isn't happening here, doesn't mean it isn't happening," the video's closing caption declares. It packs an undeniable emotional punch:
The video appeal is part of an effort by the organization to highlight the plight of children affected by the Syrian civil war, many of whom have had similar experiences to the one documented here. "Since the beginning of the conflict, children have been the forgotten victims of Syria's horrific war," the group writes on its website. "Today, over 5 million children are in need of assistance, including over 1 million children who have sought refuge in neighboring countries. These children are at risk of becoming a 'lost generation' and cannot be ignored."
This video seems certain to go viral. Less than 24 hours after its release, the video has already racked up more than 700,000 views on YouTube. Its emotional message and gutwrenching story arc are built for the social web. It's hard not to watch this video and not immediately think, "Oh, I know who needs to see this." That's how a viral campaign is built.
Will this video alleviate the plight of Syria's children? Doubtful. Save the Children is using it to raise considerable amounts of money, and the group has a proven track record of success. Unfortunately for the little girl's real life counterparts, a war that has killed some 7,000 children rages on.