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NBC News first met Salma on a sweltering September afternoon in the Greek border town of Idomeni.

The 29-year-old mother of two was already several weeks into her journey out of Syria — they had used traffickers to cross into Turkey then taken a dangerous boat ride to Greece. Salma and her family were desperate and determined to get to Germany.

NBC News followed Salma and her family on their journey — which included sleepless nights, trains, buses and traffickers. This is their story.