Ali gets treatment in Kuwait (12 year-old lost arms, family in war)

News 24 (South Africa) ^ | April 17th, 2003

[Sabertooth]

Ali gets treatment in Kuwait

16/04/2003 12:45  - (SA)  

Kuwait City - A 12-year-old Iraqi boy who lost both his arms and was orphaned in a US missile attack on his home in Baghdad was receiving emergency treatment in Kuwait on Wednesday after a high-profile campaign to save his life.

Ali Ismail Abbas was flown to Kuwait City overnight and taken to the emirate's specialised Al-Babtain burns centre where doctors said he was undergoing blood transfusions and surgery to place skin grafts over his horrific injuries.

Later, if all goes well, he is to be fitted with prosthetic arms designed to give him a degree of movement. Extensive rehabilitation would also follow.

The boy, whose suffering touched the hearts of millions worldwide, was "stressed" and had infected wounds but appeared to be stable enough for the operations, plastic surgeon Imad Najada said after an initial examination.

The surgeon added that Ali's condition was not life-threatening and that there was "no need (for him) to go anywhere else, we can take care of it here."

Najada said he anticipated the boy would only need a week to 10 days of initial treatment in the burns centre, explaining it would involve replacing lost fluids and providing more blood to support the circulation.

He said the boy had sustained burns to more than 20% of his body, primarily the interior trunk and part of the scrotum.

As he was being examined by doctors, Ali could be heard screaming and crying in agony.

Ali's uncle, Mohammad al-Sultani, told reporters that "all his family is dead".

Ali was the only survivor among more than 20 people who were killed when their Baghdad house was hit by coalition planes on March 30, Sultani said, looking dazed and exhausted as he accompanied his nephew into the burns centre.

The boy has threatened to commit suicide if he did not receive new arms.

Medical staff in Baghdad had warned that they lacked the equipment to treat Ali and that he would die of blood poisoning if not taken abroad for specialised care.

Ali's plight, captured in news broadcasts and headlines around the world, has turned him into a symbol of the civilian suffering in the conflict.

Charities and British media raised funds to airlift Ali out of Iraq and helped publicise his pain.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Tuesday during a visit to Germany: "We are well aware of the fact that it is not one individual case, there are many cases which cause us concern. We will do everything we can to respect those people."

Blair added that two other young Iraqis who had been injured in British-controlled southern Iraq had been flown to Britain for treatement.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, at Blair's side, said that Germany would also like to offer its help in treating such cases.

"Whenever and wherever such children are in need of treatment and where we feel we can be of assistance, we would very much feel that it is our humane and special honour to go in and offer this assistance," he said.

Kuwait's health ministry said eight other Iraqi children had already been brought to Kuwait City for medical care since the US-led war.

[Sabertooth]

Updated 16 April 2003, 07.15

Ali arrives in special burns hospital

Ali Ismail Abbas, the Iraqi boy who lost both his arms in a bomb attack, has been airlifted to a special burns unit.

12-year-old Ali left the Baghdad hospital where he was being treated and is now in neighbouring country Kuwait.

Doctors say that Ali has been getting sicker every day and they warned he might die unless he had urgent medical treatment.

He's now at Kuwait's Ibn Sina hospital, which has a special clinic for treating burns.

Seven other Iraqi children are being treated there too.

More kids need urgent help

Ali was the only member of his family to survive when a bomb hit his home, but has very bad burns to his body.

He had to moved because the hospital he was staying at in Baghdad didn't have the best equipment.

Many hospitals can't cope with the number of war victims, and some don't even have clean water.

Help from Kuwait came after Ali's nurse wrote to Tony Blair and George Bush asking for urgent help.

BBC LINK

[Sabertooth]

((((((growl)))))

[Diogenesis]

If memory serves, he lost his arms when an Iraqi SAM went
out of control.

[FreeAtlanta]

Whatever weapon did it to him, it was Saddam's fault. Had Saddam been just and sane leader, this little boy would still have his arms and his family. Imagine all the lives and little children that will now have hope because Saddam is gone.

I pray that God will help this boy and that he will continue to bless us.

[Sabertooth]

If memory serves, he lost his arms when an Iraqi SAM went out of control.

Are they ever "in control?"

Here are a couple of earlier threads...

You've broken your word, says Baghdad boy who lost his arms

Kuwait Hospital to Treat Armless Child of Iraq War

[MeekOneGOP]

bumpity bumpity bumpity !!

[Diogenesis]

Good point. Some of the blame goes to CNN, too, for
knowingly covering up this for so long.

CNN's MOTTO : "RATINGS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN LIVES AND HONOR"

[Moonmad27]

Sad as this is, the story of the boy is being used solely for anti-war (mainly anti-Bush) propaganda. There is currently a large picture of the boy, showing his saintly doe-eyed expression on AOL's welcome screen with the caption "He Symbolizes Iraq's Suffering", as if Iraq was paradise until GWB came along. There are so many other pictures that could be used to "symbolize Iraq's suffering" that show Saddam's evil against the Iraqi people.

[BrooklynGOP]

A 12-year-old Iraqi boy who lost both his arms and was orphaned in a US missile attack on his home

I thought we were going to disarm Saddam?

[SouthernFreebird]

ROTFL........your baaaaad

[BrooklynGOP]

Sorry, too much coffee :)

[Illbay]

It isn't clear. The official line is that it was an errant American munition. No one knows.

It doesn't matter. Who's helping him? We are. We will.

[FBD]

thanks for the ping. bttt

[Sabertooth]

You're on fire, or soon will be..

Yeah, I'm laughing, but waaaaay over here.

[ChemistCat]

What's this, he lost his WHOLE family? An uncle was speaking, right!? and I understand he has several surviving sisters. It's truly tragic, whether the missile was American or Iraqi (comes down to the same thing--Iraq hid legitimate targets of war in civilian areas)--but what is the point in making things even worse than they are? Tell us some died and some survived, don't say "He lost his whole family" when he didn't. Do you think we won't be sorry enough for him if he isn't absolutely alone in the world?

[Sabertooth]

I understand he has several surviving sisters.

I missed that... gotta source and link?

[stanz]

There was a film clip on MSNBC last night showing one of his older sisters there with him.

[Texaggie79]

Bada bum bum

[cgk]

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, at Blair's side, said that Germany would also like to offer its help in treating such cases. "Whenever and wherever such children are in need of treatment and where we feel we can be of assistance, we would very much feel that it is our humane and special honour to go in and offer this assistance," he said

Strange statement. Special honor to treat him? Why?