Mustafa suffered from a congenital irregularity of the blood vessels (multiple congenital hemangioma), which are located in the skin and in all the intestines. The irregularities in the intestines caused continuing hemorrhages, as a result of which Mustafa had to have two blood transfusions a week. He therefore had to go almost daily to the hospital, but that still did not keep him from being the best in his class last year. Frequent blood transfusions, however, cause severe damage to the organism in the long run, but treatment of this illness in Iraq was impossible. On August 14, 2004 Mustafa came to Austria, together with his father and was admitted the next day to the Regional Children’s Clinic in Linz.

Mustafa underwent lengthy tests before a decision on the dangerous surgery could be made. The surgery was performed successfully, despite all prior fears. More than 70 hemangiomas could be surgically removed from the intestines. Later, more than 140  hemangiomas  were removed from the skin, in the course of  three more operations. Mustafa underwent anesthesia 10 times, but he recovered quickly and gained 12 lbs. His blood count remained stable and he needed no more transfusions.  On December 15. 2004 he returned to Basra via Damascus and Baghdad with his father. The plan is for him to come to Austria in a year for a checkup. 

We thank all the staff of the Department for Children’s Surgery at the Regional Children’s Clinic Linz

Dureid was one of the few exceptions, who was accepted as an adult into our relief program, since within its framework only children are being brought for treatment to Austria. There was danger, however, that this young man from Northern Iraq would sooner or later lose his left hand.

A huge, benign tumor (a so called simple hemangioma) on the left hand, present since birth has been growing in size constantly. It put pressure on the tendons, nerves and blood vessels and we therefore decided to bring Dureid to Austria. The TILAK (Tiroler Landeskrankenanstalt GmbH) promised treatment in Innsbruck and on September 13, 2004 the young man arrived in Austria. The very costly and complicated operation took place a few days later. There were no post-operative complications and Dureid was able to return to his homeland with a renewed zest for life on October 26, 2004. 

We thank the entire staff of the department for plastic surgery in Innsbruck, of the Tiroler Landeskrankenanstalt, as well as Univ.Doz.Dr. Rafic Kuzbari in Vienna.

The 17-year-old Zena came to Vienna for medical treatment in March of this year. Last year in June a malignant tumor had been discovered in one of her knee joints, but the difficult post-war conditions in Iraq did not permit adequate treatment. Thanks to the cooperation of the clinic management of the Orthopedic Clinic of the Allgemeines Krankenhaus in Vienna she underwent successful surgery and now has an excellent chance of survival. Her only wish of life, to be free of pain, just as other girls her age, could be met. In May of this year she returned to Baghdad, together with her father. 

We thank the Orthopedic University Clinic in Vienna!

The seven-year-old Sarah was an unexceptional child until age 3. At that time she suffered, for the first time, a fracture of a thighbone. The diagnosis was osteogenesis imperfecta, a congenital bone disease. Even in our country is the treatment of this disease  very difficult, but in Iraq it is completely impossible to do anything for such a child. The girl suffered seven more bone fractures and spent months in plaster casts. She could no longer walk and suffered from severe pain.

We have been trying since January 2003 to bring Sarah to Austria, but the war in Iraq delayed this plan. In November 2003, however, the time had come and Sarah was admitted to the children’s orthopedic department of the Speising Hospital. A few days before Christmas she received implants in both thighbones, which were fabricated especially for her and for seven weeks she had to wear a cast covering her pelvis and legs. During her in-patient stay she participated in school lessons at the department and was looking forward to attending school at home too.

Sarah in Austria

Strenuous weeks of rehabilitation followed. Sarah had to learn to walk for a second time, with the assistance of prosthesis and a walker. There were setbacks (3 minor fractures), but she came to the hospital every day for physical therapy.

Today Sarah is overjoyed with her newly won freedom and is able to walk short distances by herself. A long road is still ahead of her, she will continue the exercises to strengthen her muscles, which she has learned, with her father at home. On July 19, 2004, together with her father, Sarah returned home to Basra via Kuwait.