Heart surgery on Iraqi baby succesful

Jerusalem Post ^ | 11-26-03

[TomB]

A week-old baby from Iraq succesfully underwent heart surgery at the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon and is now recouperating in the cardiac intensive care unit.

The girl checked into an Israeli hospital Tuesday for an emergency heart operation after European hospitals refused to accept her for treatment.

Wrapped in a red-and-yellow blanket and held by her mother, tiny Bayan Jassem was met by Israeli doctors at the entrance to the Wolfson Medical Center emergency room with the Arabic greeting "Salam alaikum," or "Welcome."

Akiva Tamir, the hospital's director of pediatric cardiology, took the baby in his arms and carried her to a hospital bed, where he hooked her up to a heart monitor.

Tamir said the arteries to the girl's heart are reversed and procedure must be performed within two weeks of the girl's birth.

The baby's trip was organized by the Israeli humanitarian organization Save a Child's Heart., which became involved after an American doctor working with U.S. forces in Iraq discovered the defects a day after Bayan's birth in a hospital near Kirkuk in northern Iraq, said Simon Fisher, the organization's executive director.

The doctor contacted American Jonathan Miles, who telephoned Save a Child's Heart and the foundation's headquarters at Wolfson Medical Center to ask if they could perform the operation.

"No child in Iraq has ever had this operation done" because there are no doctors there who are trained to perform it, Miles said.

Tamir instructed a doctor in Baghdad by phone on how to stabilize the child's condition. She then flew with her parents to Amman, Jordan, before traveling by car to Israel.

The weekend journey probably would have been impossible before the U.S.-led military sweep into Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein, a bitter enemy of Israel.

Save a Child's Heart receives most of its funding from donations in Israel, the United States, Canada and Germany. It has provided medical treatment to almost 1,000 children -- including more than 300 Palestinians and several Jordanians -- since its founding in 1995.

[TomB]

A wonderful story for Thanksgiving Day.

God bless this little girl, her parents, the Israeli doctors and nurses, the American forces in Iraq and everyone else involved.

[aposiopetic]

Amen bump

[rovenstinez]

Maybe 'this' girl will do more for Iraq than did Jessica Lynch.

[The Other Harry]

Maybe 'this' girl will do more for Iraq than did Jessica Lynch.

No need to take a gratuitous shot a Jessica. She has never claimed anything. Just the opposite.

[DB]

Jessica Lynch showed up when called.

She did her duty as best she could.

We should be thankful for her sacrifices, as the price she paid was high.

[Broadside Joe]

"The girl checked into an Israeli hospital Tuesday for an emergency heart operation ->after European hospitals refused to accept her for treatment.<-"


Amazing. I thought that they were so concerned about Iraqi citizens? (I was never fooled for a minute)

[Agnes Heep]

So the Europeans couldn't help. But if Jews can behave like Christians, why can't Christians?

[TomB]

Maybe 'this' girl will do more for Iraq than did Jessica Lynch.

My vote for the most irrelevant comment on a thread.

What in Heaven's name is a one week old heart patient supposed to "do" for Iraq?

[caspera]

The weekend journey probably would have been impossible before the U.S.-led military sweep into Iraq...

Ya think?

[TomB]

The weekend journey probably would have been impossible before the U.S.-led military sweep into Iraq... Ya think?

Sorry, I forgot to mention the name of the author of the story is Mr. Obvious. ;-)

[Prodigal Son]

This is a wonderful story.

[patsyde]

If you can't figure this out Tommy Boy, your a IDIOT!
Have a nice day Tommy Boy

[TomB]

If you can't figure this out Tommy Boy, your a IDIOT! Have a nice day Tommy Boy

Uh, Happy Thanksgiving to you too.

What the hell are you talking about?

[TomB]

your a IDIOT!

BTW patsy, it is "your're an IDIOT!", not "your an IDIOT!"

IDIOT! ;)

[TomB]

Holy crap Patsy, you don't have a post for over a YEAR, and you come back to post that?!

I know it's a holiday and all, but isn't it a little early to be hitting the booze?

[TomB]

That it is, PS. I apologize for allowing it to be hijacked by "IDIOTS!".

Are you doing anything special for Thanksgiving in Scotland? If so, have a pint for me!

[Prodigal Son]

If so, have a pint for me!

I think I can accomdodate you there ;-)

[Spok]

Another story that will NEVER pass the lips of Brokaw, Rather, Jennings, et al.

Your timing is perfect. Happy Thanksgiving.

[e_engineer]

Fortunately, the article did NOT mention the family name, or village in Iraq, otherwise they would become targets once they return home.

[cgk]

Very sad update to this story:

Iraqi Baby Dies After Heart Surgery in Israel

Wednesday, December 17, 2003

JERUSALEM — A month-old Iraqi baby brought to Israel with a serious heart defect died Wednesday, just over three weeks after undergoing emergency surgery here in a desperate effort to save her life.

The Israeli medical charity that arranged the flight for Bayan Jassem (search) and her parents said that after the 10-hour operation on Nov. 26, Bayan developed bleeding in her lungs and other complications that led to a multiple failure of vital functions.

"All the medical team's efforts to overcome these problems failed," the Save a Child's Heart (search) foundation said.

Bayan was born in mid-November near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk with the arteries to her heart reversed. An American military doctor with the occupation forces discovered the life-threatening condition and matched her parents with Save a Child's Heart.

Jassem and her parents flew from Baghdad to Amman, Jordan, and then completed the trip to Israel by land. Israeli doctors operated on her at the Wolfson Medical Center (search) in Holon, south of Tel Aviv.

Such open heart surgery to correct arterial flow around the heart has never been performed in Iraq, according to Jonathan Miles, an American doctor who works with Save a Child's Heart and traveled with the Jassem family from Iraq.

The organization treats children from poor families who do not have the means for medical treatment to correct their heart defects.

It has paid for operations for more than 300 Palestinian and several Jordanian children during the past three years and has flown surgeons to Africa and Asia to treat children.

The statement said that the foundation is now organizing the bereaved parents' return to Iraq.

"The baby's parents thanked the medical team for all its efforts and said what happened to their daughter was the will of God," it added.