Saving Iraqi Baby a New Mission for U.S. Troops

CNN ^ | December 28, 2005 | CNN Staff

[NorthOf45]

Saving Iraqi baby a new mission for U.S. troops
Georgia National Guard to bring baby Noor to U.S. for surgery

CNN
December 28, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- When troops from the Georgia National Guard raided a Baghdad home in early December, they had no idea that their mission in Iraq would take a different turn.

As the young parents of an infant girl nervously watched the soldiers search their modest home, the baby's unflinching grandmother thrust the little girl at the Americans, showing them the purple pouch protruding from her back.

Little Noor, barely three months old, was born with spina bifida, a birth defect in which the spinal column fails to completely close. Iraqi doctors had told her parents she would live only 45 days. (Watch U.S. troops make saving a baby girl their mission -- 2:11)

But she was tenaciously clinging to life, and the soldiers in the home -- many of them fathers themselves -- were moved.

"Well, I saw this child as the firstborn child of the young mother and father and really, all I could think of was my five children back at home and my young daughter," Lt. Jeff Morgan told CNN from Baghdad. "And I knew if I had the opportunity whatsoever to save my daughter's life I would do everything possible.

[NorthOf45]

Props to the US troops ... Godspeed to all involved.

[ExcursionGuy84]

Good JOB, Daddies in "Digitals"!!!

[ClaireSolt]

Witness our heroic health care system that performs miracles that are rationed out of socialized medicine.

[penelopesire]

This must be the 'terrorizing women and children in the middle of the night' that Kerry accused our troops of...(rolling eyes)

GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!!

[ClaireSolt]

Witness our heroic health care system that performs miracles that are rationed out of socialized medicine.

[areafiftyone]

I watched the video - what a cute little baby! God bless our troops!

[netmilsmom]

Oh those evil soldiers!
They should have not been involved with terrorizing that family by working to save that baby. *tick* /sarcasm off/

God Bless every one of them!

[LongElegantLegs]

"We visited them when we could, which was usually in the middle of the night, as covertly as possible," he added. "Because the insurgents in Iraq like to find people that we're trying to help sometimes and either terrorize them or sometimes worse."

Wait, how could that be? I thought they were freedom fighters from the religion of peace...

[ExcursionGuy84]

I alos noticed that the video player summary described the Georgia N.G.'s as "Battle-hardened".

While I don't doubt it...the adjectives do seem quite degrading in conjunctiuon with a story that truly does demonstrate their deep, overwhelming compassion for a foreign baby girl.

[McGavin999]

I hope they can save her life, but I also hope that they have explained to the parents that it won't mean a complete cure. Many Iraqis think we can perform miracles.

[daybreakcoming]

Absolutely warms the heart and once again refreshes my pride in our guys but also KUDOS to grandma!
" the baby's unflinching grandmother thrust the little girl at the Americans, showing them the purple pouch protruding from her back."

[GloriaJane]

What a wonderful thing our Troops are doing. God Bless them!

[Ole Okie]

Absolutely warms the heart and once again refreshes my pride in our guys but also KUDOS to grandma!

I thought the same thing. Grandma wanted results for her grandchild, and the U.S. troops didn't scare her atall.

I salute her and the soldiers from Georgia who were moved by the baby's plight.

[SuziQ]

So, John Kerry, those soldiers going through the house didn't bother that grandmother at all! She knew the score, and knew exactly to whom to give the child for care and treatment!