Posted on 01/02/2006 9:11:04 AM PST by xzins
Army's mercy mission to save baby
January 02, 2006 ATLANTA: An Iraqi baby with a life-threatening birth defect has arrived in the US for medical treatment after being sent by American soldiers who found her during a raid on her family's home.
Three-month-old Baby Noor, as she is called in the US media, was taken by ambulance to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia, a pediatric hospital that is donating surgery and other care for the infant.
Noor al-Zahra was born with spina bifida, a birth defect in which the spinal column fails to completely close, leaving part of the spinal cord exposed and susceptible to life-threatening infection. She has a large growth on her back.
Roger Hudgins, the hospital's chief of neurosurgery, said the child would stay at the hospital overnight for a general evaluation of her condition.
"It's going to take a number of days (to evaluate) if things are stable," he said yesterday. "This child is coming from a foreign country so we need to make sure that she's healthy and capable of withstanding surgery."
He said an operation to close the back of the child's spinal column was tentatively scheduled to take place in a week, but doctors could operate sooner if complications were discovered.
Dr Hudgins said that although the surgery would be a "significant undertaking", he thought Noor's chances of survival were good. The surgery to close the spinal column would take three hours and, if successful, the baby could return home in one or two months.
Noor, wearing an orange suit and carried by her grandmother, Soad, arrived to cheers at the airport. The baby's father, Haider, also travelled to Atlanta.
Her path to the US began earlier this month when soldiers with the Georgia Army National Guard's 48th Brigade Combat Team searched her family's home in a poor Baghdad neighbourhood when looking for insurgents.
They found none, but the baby's grandmother showed the soldiers the purple pouch protruding from the child's back and the soldiers sought help in finding her treatment.
Without intervention, Noor would have died, Dr Hudgins said.
"Obviously, good works happen every day in Iraq and good works happen with the soldiers," he said.
"We hear all of the negative (stories) so it's about time that we have the opportunity to hear some of the good."
"Obviously, good works happen every day in Iraq and good works happen with the soldiers," he said.
"We hear all of the negative (stories) so it's about time that we have the opportunity to hear some of the good."
Now that the press is printing the family's names, can they expect a call from the bad guys? The original stories pointed out how they weren't identifying the family because of fear of retaliation by insurgents.
Praise should go to not only the big hearted soldiers, but to the doctors who donate their skills and to the hospitals who donate their services. America really is a great country.
"Obviously, good works happen every day in Iraq and good works happen with the soldiers," he said.
"We hear all of the negative (stories) so it's about time that we have the opportunity to hear some of the good."
Reported by our Austrailian Cousins, now wonder when we'll hear these words from our MSM?
Maybe they the terrorists won't risk such bad publicity.
Maybe they THINK the terrorists won't risk such bad publicity.
Senator John Kerry mischaracterises our military.
The American Doctor's words should be broadcast around the nation.
Looks like our troops will "terrorize" this young child right into medical care that will give a good chance for life.
Your posting Kerry's comment is so appropriate in this case.
Excellent.
ping
Three-month-old Baby Noor, as she is called in the US media, was taken by ambulance to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia, a pediatric hospital that is donating surgery and other care for the infant.
When will the horror stop.
Why don't they publish this in a US paper and have John Kerry comment on these atrocities.
You are cutting that traitorous gigolo way too much slack.
Kerry hates the military and to think he was a hairs breath away from being CIC sends shivers down my spine.
Is there a newspaper in America with that much patriotism?
Maybe the WSJ??
Thanks for the ping!
Our soldiers and Marines are inspirational.
Thank you, troops, for this wonderful story and for all of the others that never get told.
The alphabet Spews Editors would delete it especially the DNCSlimes as it doesn't fit their agenda, but you are right.
Too bad we don't have a Profit of the one true GOD in our time to challenge the Priests of Baal today to call on their false deities to ignite their alter to Baal and fail with the same results as was done on the old testament.
"BABY SAVERS!!"
It's such a great story both for Christmas Season and for the New Year.
Saving a poor, unwanted child....
Giving a new chance to those needing a chance.
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