Syrian refugee throws out first pitch at Astros game

HOUSTON, Texas (FOX 26) - "I am so happy here, it was hard first but now it's very good", says Dayana Halawo.

A year ago Halawo would have never imagined throwing out the first pitch at a Houston Astros game.

That's because just last August she moved to the city after several years of taking refuge.

Back in 2012, Halawo was living a much different life, at the time she was about nine months pregnant when the building beside her apartment was bombed. She, her husband and their one-year-old son were able to escape their building before it crumbled. The family had to flee Syria.

"I drove to Damascus and went to Lebanon and then Jordan and Egypt and then back to Jordan and then come here", says Halawo.

Nowadays the family is doing well and Dayana is a teacher here in town. Fans enjoyed seeing her throw the first pitch and her family watched to support her.

"I think it speaks a lot not only to her story, but it speaks at lot to this organization, what's important to them, you know they have the military night welcome for veterans every game, things like that, it makes me proud to be a season ticket holder when I see a team that goes out of their way to honor things that happen in the community", says Astros season ticket holder Tyler Josefsen.

"That's really great that the Astros are supportive of the refugees and everything they are trying to do, I think that's awesome", says T.J. Mahoney.

Halawo was able to throw out the first pitch because of Amaanah Refugee Services, an organization that has worked with the Astros the last three years on bringing large groups to the Astros games, which welcomes a visitor to throw out the first pitch. The organization that helped the Halawo's get settled here in Houston.

"I am so happy, thank you for Astros game, to be here, thank you so much Astros game", says Halawo.