Issa before and after the start of his chemo treatment.
Ankawa Online brought the ordeal of Issa Adil to my attention, a 16-month-old Iraqi Christian baby from Al-Dora district in Baghdad.
As if life isn't hard enough for an Iraqi Christian living in Al-Dora, Issa's family must deal with young Issa being diagnosed with cancer.
I'm simply tired. Before publishing Issa's story, I told myself it's selfish to write about one sick baby when other millions are suffering too. But, the Star Thrower story reminds me that we need to at least try to help.
Click on the medical reports below to assess Issa's medical condition. Your help and suggestions are welcome. A prayer would help too.
Medical report - Section 1
Medical report - Section 2
Medical report - Section 3
Medical report - Section 4
Medical report - Section 5
Medical report - Section 6
Medical report - Section 7
Medical report - Section 8
Medical report - Section 9
Medical report - Section 10
Medical report - Section 11
The family is doing well financially. The issue is with his chemo treatment in Baghdad, where it's hard to travel to the hospital and the unavailability of the chemo shots at times. He'd be in a much better shape if an overseas hospital is willing to treat him before it's too late.
7 comments:
Hi Fay,
I looked through all the medical reports.
That Issa is a strong little boy, Fay. 20 days of diarrhea - if he was female, he may not have survived, because of the lesser
body weight.
But never mind that, the fall from the height at six months and the cerebral hemorrhage of the brain. It's a wonder how he survived that - more like a miracle.
It's interesting that the reports are written in English, not Arabic. Is that standard for Iraqi hospitals?
Fay, Iraqi Doctors' handwriting is just as bad as their American counterparts.
More interesting, is what we learn about Issa's life and how different it is from an American infant. He lives in a big house, but with 12 members of his extended family. He was circumcized after three months - that's certainly different than what's done here for Christian males - In fact, they seem to be moving away from doing circumcisions these days.
From what I understand of the reports, they have him on a chemotherapy regime to hopefully reduce or remove the blastoma or tumor before it spreads into his vital organs, especially his left kidney.
Here's what I suggest Fay - Issa, if he's healthy enough to travel, needs to be out of Iraq and treated at a Pediatric Cancer hospital in the West like the Children's Hospital in Boston. Fay, if there's anyplace that could save him, they
could do it.
As to getting him out of Iraq and raising the money to do so, and the
red tape - I don't know.
What about starting a Save Issa Fund and networking with other bloggers?
Hi MG,
Yes, it's standard for Iraqi doctors to write and communicate in English. It explains why Iraqi bloggers-doctors have good English skills.
Issa's family don't have financial problems or at least that's what his aunt stated in her post and comments on Ankawa Online.
The family is looking for a hospital or organization that could treat Issa overseas. They live in Al-Dora which makes it hard for them to travel to the hospital or anywhere in general. The other major problem is the status of Iraqi hospitals and the availability of chemo shots needed for his treatment.
Hi Fay,
Even after all the things he's been through, Issa is still looking good.
It's so hard to find information for helping an Iraqi child with cancer. There's organizations that help Iraqi children with lost limbs, cardiac problems, burns, war trauma, books, rebuilding schools, displaced by the war...they're building a cancer hospital in Basra for children:
but it's not going to be ready until 2008.
There's a Cancer Center in Jordan:
King Hussein Cancer Center that back in 2003 was suppose to have a program to treat Iraqi children.
King Hussein Cancer Center
Queen Rania Al Abdullah Street
P.O.Box: 1269, Amman 11941
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Telephone: + (962-6) 530-0460
Facsimile: + (962-6) 535-3001
E-Mail: info@khcc.jo
Apparently, they are the top cancer center in the Middle East.
If Issa's family could relocate from the very unsafe al-Dora neighborhood to Jordan, that
would help things a lot I think.
Caritas, the International Catholic Charity has helped children in the Middle East:
Caritas Internationalis General Secretariat:
Palazzo San Calisto
00120 Vatican City
Tel: (+39) 06 698 797 99
Fax: (+39) 06 698 87 237
E-mail: caritas.internationalis@caritas.va
And Caritas Iraq:
Caritas Iraq
President: Mr Sami Yousif Toma
Secretary General: Mr Naim Mansour Noah
Address: c/o Nonciature Apostolique
Baghdad , Iraq
Headquarters: Hai al-Wahde, St - 52, Mahala 904, Zuqaq 74 House 3
Baghdad , Iraq
Telephone: +873 76 23 16 320
+964 1 71 96 964
Fax: +873 76 23 16 321
Email: caritas-irq@web-sat.com
Fay, Caritas Iraq may offer the best hope...
OMG MG, that was a lot of work. you're such a great person.
I'll follow those links and send them e-mails to see if any of them is willing to help.
In Merna's case, St. Jude told me at the time that they can't take her because she started her treatment somewhere else (Iraq)
Issa's family need to do like Merna's family did and take him to Kurdistan where they have better hospitals that coan take care of him.
Hi Fay,
Well, then Kurdistan hopefully it is. I hope for the best for Issa.
And hope you will have a happy update about him. After reading AINA - the Assyrian news service, the Kurds owe the Christians a favor or two.
You must be all excited about the new Harry Potter book coming out. You know, I've never read even one of the Potter books or seen any of the movies. Someday, I will catch up and watch all the movies in a marathon all-day Harry Potter session.
But I have read most of the Get Fuzzy books - my favorite comic strip these days. I love Bucky
Katt. Siamese cats act exactly like Bucky. They think they are royalty.
Hi MG,
Yes, I look forward to finish my work day and head home to continue reading the book. I may be able to finish it this weekend. Don't watch the movies before you read the books. You'll get confused trying to figure the missing details.
OHHHHH BUCKY, I love this cat. Mark thinks I'm so much like Bucky for some reason. I think he just wants me to get a cat so he can get a dog.
Hi Fay,
Speaking of cats, I have found
an amazing cat story. Stephen
King needs to make a movie out of this, but of a nice nature:
The Grim rea-purr
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