Deirdre Newman They are known as the...

Deirdre Newman

They are known as the “lost boys.”

They are teenagers from Sudan forced to leave their country

because of a brutal civil war.

In the past few years, many of them have resettled in the United

States so they can live in a safer environment than their homeland

and get an education.

For the past week and a half, four of them have been the guests of

Newport Coast resident Paul Curry and his family.

The Currys have been ferrying the teenagers around Southern

California, taking them to famous locales like Hollywood, Staples

Center and UCLA, and simply showing them the California way of life

-- one dramatically different from their own beginnings.

“Meeting them, you can’t help but love them,” Curry said. “They’re

so honest and courageous. They take nothing for granted.”

Curry, who works as an anesthesiologist at Hoag Hospital, was

introduced to the four teenagers two months ago when he took his

family to Boston to visit a former college professor who was his

mentor. The professor adopted the four teens when he heard of their

plight.

The Sudanese civil war started in 1983, when one of the teens,

John Kuol, was born. At the age of 5, Kuol got separated from his

family and joined a march to Ethiopia -- 1,000 miles under the

scorching sun. Lions would attack the walkers, carrying away the

stragglers. They had to swim across crocodile-infested rivers to

reach their destination.

Barefoot, with no possessions, Kuol survived on grass and berries.

He became so sick he had to stay in a hospital for about a year,

Curry said.

Their refuge in Ethiopia was short-lived, however, as war broke

out in that country two years after Kuol and the rest of the lost

boys arrived. So they headed south to Kenya, which meant another

three grueling months of food deprivation and sweltering heat.

While they weren’t subjected to the brutality of war in Kenya,

they did have to contend with roving bandits raiding their

campground, stealing their food and randomly shooting people, Kuol

said. Their sustenance consisted of a bowl of corn a week.

Eventually, U.N. workers told the teenagers that they may be

eligible to come to the United States. After enduring so much

hardship, many had to wait interminably to find out if they would be

accepted here. Kuol finally arrived in December. Another of the boys,

Fatah Nhail, 17, waited two years and 98 days until he came in

November. Both attend school in Boston.

On their last full day in Southern California, Curry and his

daughter, Brianna, took Fatah and Kuol to the Balboa Fun Zone for

kayaking and riding self-propelled water skis. The boys beamed toothy

grins as they skimmed the waves on their watercraft.

Brianna Curry, 18, said she enjoyed the opportunity to spend more

time with the boys, hanging out and having fun.

“I was really excited because the first time I met them, their

life stories were fascinating enough for me to want to hang out with

them,” she said.

Fatah and Kuol said they are eternally grateful to the Currys for

inviting them, along with Abraham Majong and Peter Akol, to

California and investing so much in their happiness.

“They are nice people,” Kuol said. “The things they give us are

very nice. I don’t think some people would do it for us.”

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.