December 2005: Noor al-Zahra (her name means "the white light") was born with a severe spinal defect, spina bifida, that could not be treated in Iraq. The outlook for Noor looked grim--but her family did not loose hope for this beautiful baby girl. A miracle happened when the soldiers entered the Noor's home, looking for insurgents. A relative pleaded with the soldiers to look at the sick baby; among the soldiers was a 19-year old medic named Pfc. Justin Donnelly. Donelly noticed a tumor on baby Noor's back, and took a picture of it so he could consult with doctors back at base. In an interview with the press, Donnelly's mother expressed that her son is very compassionate towards the children of Iraq, and has an interest in helping them. Donelly is also said to be a man of faith, who enthusiastically attends church each week. So began an incredible journey, when baby Noor is taken to Georgia to receive needed medical treatment--at no cost. Without the surgery, baby Noor was not expected to live through her childhood. There is a risk that Noor will be paralyzed in both legs from the spina bifida. Both Noor's father, Haider, and her grandmother, Soad, travelled with her to America. the mother of Baby Noor remains in Iraq because according to custom, the grandmother is the family matriarch. Arrangements have been made for the family to stay with an Arabic-speaking family. The family is so thankful for the help offered that they gave Noor a new name, Georgia...
Sending a heartfelt thanks to all the soldiers, medical teams, volunteers, and the host family who have been so compassionate in offering help to Baby Noor and her family. Please keep Noor in your prayers.
For More Information:
Click here: Iraqi baby's new name: Georgia The 48th goes to war ajc.com
http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/guard/entries/2005/12/29/iraqi_babys_new.html
CBS News Iraqi Baby Arrives For Treatment January 2, 2006 10:07:22
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/12/31/health/main1172358.shtml
The Ithaca Journal - www.theithacajournal.com - Ithaca, NY
http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051231/NEWS01/512310326/1002
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UPDATES: BABY NOOR
Jan. 2006: Baby Noor's first surgery, to place her spinal cord back into her body, was a success. Doctors report that without the surgery, Baby Noor would not have survived childhood. Three operations are planned for Baby Noor. After the operation, Baby Noor was reported to be smiling and cooing. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is providing care for Baby Noor for free.
The Seattle Times: Nation & World: Baby Noor's first surgery leaves doctors optimistic
Lt. Jeff Morgan, a Georgia National Guardsman serving in Baghdad and a member of Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church, sent an urgent plea to his home church asking for help in bringing Noor al-Zahra, a 3-month-old girl born with a severe form of spina bifida, to the United States for surgery....
Georgia church leads effort to help Iraqi baby - UMC.org
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Feb. 2006: Baby Noor underwent surgeryto correct a deformity in her foot, "Dr. Michael Busch performed the outpatient orthopedic procedure to fix a condition in which shortened tendons and tightened ligaments in the back of her left ankle caused the toes and heel of her foot to be stuck pointed downward. The surgery is designed to release the contracture and lower her risk of skin breakdown, reduce injuries, and allow her to wear shoes." (11Alive.com) While the surgery is successful, due to the severity of the deformity the doctors do not think Baby Noor will be able to walk. After the surgery, Baby Noor will require further therapy on her foot that requires that she wear a cast and then a splint.
11Alive.com - Baby Noor Has Surgery on Foot
(Press Release About Baby Noor, More info about Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Information on how to make donations to Children's Healthcare..)
Press Releases - Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
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March 10, 2006: Baby Noor is healing at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta after a surgery that was successful. The surgery involved placing a shunt in baby Noor's head to relieve fluid build up on her brain. While the surgery was successful, and Baby Noor's prognosis is good doctors predict that Baby Noor will probably not be able to use her legs, and may require use of a wheelchair.
CNN.com - Hospital: Baby Noor's new surgery 'successful' - Mar 10, 2006
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By "coincedence", my friend Pamela sent me this incredible e-mail today, the same day I posted this article about Baby Noor. "Coincedentally" this article involves an unborn baby diagnosed with spina bifida whose family is from Georgia. I don't believe in coincedences, and thought there was a deeper message to have received this e-mail today. So am posting it in full below.
"A picture began circulating in November. It should be "The Picture of the Year," or perhaps, "Picture of the Decade." It won't be. In fact, unless you obtained a copy of the US paper which published it, you probably would never have seen it.
The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by surgeon named Joseph Bruner.
The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while he baby is still in the womb.
During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. As Dr. Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. Dr. Bruner was reported as saying that when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile.
The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled the picture, "Hand of Hope." The text explaining the picture begins, "The tiny hand of 21-week-old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life." Little Samuel's mother said they "wept for days" when they saw the picture. She said, "The photo reminds us pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person."
Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100 percent successful.
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"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb..." JEREMIAH 1:5
For More Information on Baby Samuel's Operation:
Hand of Hope - Samuel Alexander Armas - Netlore Archive
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-handofhope.htm
This amazing photo, taken by Michael Clancy and originally published in USA Today and The Tennessean on September 7, 1999, is authentic. It began circulating via email within weeks of its first appearance in newspapers. The accompanying text is basically accurate, as well.
Breaking The Chain: Samuel Alexander Armas
http://www.lava.net/~higak/chain/other/babysamuel.htm
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