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"A healing bond"

As the sisters waited for the skin graft to heal, the sisters discovered that Arefa's emotional wounds were as deep as her physical wounds. The little girl was still throwing tantrums, often directed at Jami. She described these outbursts to a psychologist. Arefa has post-traumatic stress, same as a shell-shocked soldier, the therapist said. As a junior high math teacher, Jami, 34, had the summer off. Staci, 37, worked as a lab technician and had to rely on Jami to take Arefa to most of the doctor's visits and comfort her during one of her tantrums. Arefa's relationship with Staci was less strained. She wasn't the one who had to set limits and say no.