IRAQI CHILD UNDERGOES
LIFE-SAVING HEART SURGERY AT NYU MEDICAL CENTER
Project Kids Worldwide
Heals One Young Heart from Baghdad
New York –
July 16, 2004 Four-year old Bra’a Hussein’s heart will
never be the same following recent surgery at NYU Medical Center to
correct a highly complex congenital heart condition called tetralogy
of fallot. The abnormality, which is comprised of four heart defects,
starved the little girl’s body of oxygen, causing her to pass
out and nearly die on several occasions. Dr. Stephen Colvin, Chief
of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Co-founder of Project Kids Worldwide,
performed the five-hour surgery on the child who traveled with her
mother, Najwa, thousands of miles from their war-torn home of Baghdad.
According to Dr. Colvin, “ Fortunately, Bra’a is doing
very well. The child had a very complicated cardiac condition and
could have died over the next several years if she had not received
proper surgical care. Now, she will be able to go to school and play
like any other child.”
Both US Senators
Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton made special visits
to NYU’s pediatric wing to meet Bra’a and her mother.
Michael Rienzi, President, Rienzi & Sons, a long-time friend and
philanthropic supporter of Project Kids Worldwide, also met with the
family. His generous donation of $33,000 made the child’s surgery
possible. Since 2001 Mr. Rienzi has sponsored several other needy
children for heart surgery and in 2002 was presented the Project Kids
Worldwide Humanitarian Award for his extraordinary commitment to the
charitable organization.
The little girl’s
plight came to the attention of an NYU pediatric cardiologist by way
of an email. The plea for help was relayed to the Program Director
for Project Kids Worldwide, JoAnn Brown-Schwesinger, and arrangements
were quickly made for the child’s records to be sent for evaluation.
Mrs. Schwesinger made contact with a Christian, Israeli-based organization,
Shevet Achim, or ‘Brothers Together,’ which provided the
link between the Iraqi child and Project Kids. “As soon as we
heard about this child, we immediately began working around the clock
to do everything we could to get her out of Baghdad and to NYU for
surgery. It has been nothing short of a miracle that she is here.
Her surgery was a success, and now she will return home to her family
with a healthy heart. She can’t wait to go back and play with
her cousins,” states Mrs. Schwesinger.
‘Brothers
Together’ made the necessary arrangements for documentation,
travel and transportation out of Baghdad. Under the direction of Jonathan
Miles, Shevet Achim’s founder, the charity serves as a liaison
between desperate families seeking medical help for children in Iraq
and Palestine and medical personnel in Israel. According to the child’s
mother, “ I was so happy I cried when they called to say that
Bra’a had been accepted for surgery. Many times she could not
breathe, and we would rush her to the hospital for oxygen. There was
no surgeon in Iraq that could perform the surgery she needed. I am
very grateful to everyone who has helped to save my daughter’s
life. I will go back to Baghdad and tell them how wonderful everyone
has been.”
Project Kids
Worldwide has been providing life-saving heart surgery for needy children
around the world since 2001. Dennis Schwesinger, Co-founder of Project
Kids Worldwide and Director of Program and Research Development for
NYU’s Cardiac & Vascular Institute, was instrumental in
making the child’s surgery a reality. Through his efforts, international
partnerships have been established in China, India, the Philippines,
and countries in and around the Caribbean, with medical supplies and
training being furnished to the respective medical communities. Project
Kids has sponsored many other children from war-torn countries including
Albania, Kosovo, Nigeria, and the Gaza Strip.
Click
here to see Bra'a's Photo Album
Back to OUR CHILDREN
