This Iraqi Child Is Just Breaking My Heart. *graphic*

[leftchick]

I hope she heals... :cry:



Ayaa waits outside a T-Scan imaging room at Teacher's hospital in Tikrit, Iraq October 25, 2005. Three-year-old Ayaa Jassem has a congenital tumor in the tongue that nearly smothered her to death. She is under treatment at the U.S. military hospital in Base Speicher, where she undergoes radio frequency ablation surgery to destroy the tumor and to reduce the size of her tongue. Surgeon Major Lisa Shiver, who is in charge of the treatment, expects results after 5 to 6 operations. Doctors at the hospital attribute Iraq's high number of birth defects to the large number of same-family marriages and the lack of vaccines as a result of sanctions against the former government of Saddam Hussein. REUTERS/Jorge Silva



Ayaa is taken for a T-Scan by her father Nasser Jassem (R), her mother Tagreed Ibraheem (2nd R) and doctor Habeeb Hamed at Teacher's hospital in Tikrit, Iraq October 25, 2005. Three-year-old Ayaa Jassem has a congenital tumor in the tongue that nearly smothered her to death. She is under treatment at the U.S. military hospital in Base Speicher, where she undergoes radio frequency ablation surgery to destroy the tumor and to reduce the size of her tongue. Surgeon Major Lisa Shiver, who is in charge of the treatment, expects results after 5 to 6 operations. Doctors at the hospital attribute Iraq's high number of birth defects to the large number of same-family marriages and the lack of vaccines as a result of sanctions against the former government of Saddam Hussein. REUTERS/Jorge Silva


...Birth defects? Tumors? Depleted Uranium?? Who knows....

[bonito]

1. Poor thing

Probably doesn't even know what a sanction is, but I bet she knows what terror is by heart. Overwhelming, can't say any more. Peace

[rockymountaindem]

2. I saw something like that on TLC

This poor boy from Thailand (I think) had a tumor that had grown all over his cheeks and chin. It managed to cover most of his mouth, both of his eyes in their entirety and his nose.

When the doctors he went to in Japan started cutting it out, it looked like they had cut normal size raw chicken breasts out of his face, and there was still more in there!

By the end he was looking pretty good. To everyone's surprise, his eyes themselves were totally undamaged despite having been buried under a tumor for over a year. His nose was kind of flattened, and his mouth was misshapen, but they suggested that he could have that corrected as he grew into adulthood.

The main thrust of things was that the other children his age back in his little village were no longer afraid to play with him. It was really amazing even though I couldn't look in parts.

[leftchick]

3. did they ever pinpoint the cause?

this is so horrific for a little child. :(

[rockymountaindem]

6. I don't know if they pinpointed the cause or not.

At the end of the documentary I don't think they had a complete answer. Perhaps after some analysis they were able to get a better idea. I don't think it's a very old program.

The title is pretty self-explanatory: "Face Eating Tumor", so you can look for it if it's ever on TV again.

[DerekG]

4. "Lack of vaccines as a result of sanctions."

The Bush-Clinton-Bush gift to humanity.

[Just Me]

5. Has nothing to do with depleted uranium,...

,...I'm sure. :eyes: