http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06186/703356-85.stm
Surgeons fix a birth defect -- and win a family's hearts
Their kindness gives Iraqi father, daughter a new view of America
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
By Milan Simonich, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Sabaa Faik
Sabaa Faik, a child of war and misfortune, discovered yesterday that the world is full of caring people.
Two surgeons at Mercy Hospital spent the Independence Day holiday repairing a congenital defect in her palate that made it difficult for her to speak, eat and drink. Her condition also had sapped her confidence, causing her to be shy around other children.
The five-hour surgery involved transplanting a bone graft from her right hip to create a foundation in the roof of her mouth. This will allow her teeth to come in properly.
Sabaa, 8, was doing well after surgery and should be released from Mercy in a day or two, said Dr. Daniel W. Pituch. He performed the operation with Dr. Bernard J. Costello.
Sabaa and her father, Layth Faik, spent half a year applying for precious visas so they could travel from their home in war-torn Baghdad, Iraq, to seek proper medical treatment in Pittsburgh. They chose the city because Mr. Faik's sister, Khlood Salman, lives in Squirrel Hill.
Once in town, he called humanitarian organizations in search of doctors who could repair Sabaa's bilateral cleft lip and palate. The defect is found in one in 600 children, so physicians do not consider it rare. But correcting it requires complex surgery.
Sabaa already had been through five operations in Iraq, yet she had trouble speaking and eating solid food.
Other physicians referred the Faiks to Drs. Pituch and Costello. They performed the procedure free of charge, and Mercy donated the hospital expenses as part of its ministry.
At a news conference following Sabaa's surgery, Mr. Faik called the doctors "angels from God." Then he hugged them.
After all Sabaa's suffering, Drs. Pituch and Costello needed less than a week to turn her life around.
They evaluated her June 28 and scheduled her surgery for the Fourth of July, a day when they and Mercy's operating room would be available. Sabaa's time in the United States is limited, so the doctors wanted to operate as soon as possible to allow time for follow-up care.
The skill and compassion of the physicians and hospital staff cast America in a new light, Mr. Faik said through his sister, who translated his words.
"This changed my thoughts about the United States a lot," he said. "I did not expect them to be so nice."
Ms. Salman, who has lived in America for 23 years, said Iraqis generally perceive the United States as an international bully.
"Most people think Americans are killers," she said.
But the story of Sabaa, who asked U.S. doctors for help and got it, shows something different, she said. "Politics are on one side. People are on the other."
The doctors say Sabaa will need aesthetic surgery on her nose and lip. They will give her time to heal, but hope to complete that procedure by fall, before she must return to Baghdad.
Mr. Faik said his trip to America was "a dream come true," for it created the opportunity for Sabaa to live a happy life.
"I'm sure his daughter will feel the same when she grows up," Ms. Salman said.
This is truly touching to me, first off, b/c it has to do with surgeons performing surgery to help someone in need... and, also, b/c Dr. Costello is my daughter's surgeon.
My heart is swelling with pride right now.
I emailed the person who wrote the article to let him know how much it touched me... and to tell him that I'm thrilled that this family found Dr. Costello. I included a couple of photos of my princess, of course. I ended up calling the reporter and was able to speak to him, and he said that Vilija is just beautiful and he could tell that his article really got to me. He promised me that he would fwd the email to the girl's aunt. I might be able to get in touch with her!
I'm sooooo happy right now!
vida
