July, 2009

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to fill you in on how Noora and Afef are adjusting now that they’re back home. Unfortunately we haven’t been able to “webcam” with them yet, due to a combination of electricity and computer problems in Iraq, but we’re not giving up hope. We have been able to speak with them numerous times on the phone, however, the most recent time yesterday afternoon.

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It is with much relief and joy that we send along this note to let you know that Noora sailed through her 12th operation (7 in Iraq and 5 in Maine) yesterday and is now resting on the regular Peds floor, at Maine Med. The operation took Dr. Wilson and Dr. Attwood approximately 3 hours and resulted in the successful reinsertion of the prosthetic skull. Dr. Attwood was able to use the new skin, which the balloons had created, to cover the prosthetic skull and eliminate a large portion of the scar tissue on Noora’s head. If all goes well, Noora should be discharged by the end of the week. In spite of a headache, her current ambitions (as of 20 minutes ago) are to….. get her IV out, eat some grapes, and get to the playroom…..”resilience” in it’s purest form

[Harrison is a 5th grade student in the Portland, Maine area who chose to hold a fundraiser for little Noora as a result of a project that he’s doing for school. Harrison wrote about why he wants to help Noora and what he’s learned about, and feels about, war.]

I want to help Noora because I like helping people, especially people who are victims of war.

Ever since there have been humans on earth there have been violent conflicts. War is unnecessary and just brings death and destruction. It destroys homes and people’s lives. Sometimes if there is a good reason for war it might help to maintain peace by force but the Iraq war was unnecessary. There is not enough peace in the world. Nobody benefits from war.

The war affects us because it’s our country that is fighting a war and it’s not just an interesting story on the news about some other country. When it’s our neighbors and family that are going to war and dying then you realize that this is serious. It’s serious because their families will be sad if their family member dies. Even if they don’t die it’s sad to have them away from home.

The war is also injuring and killing innocent Iraqi citizens. Approximately 90,000 to 100,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed. If the U.S. soldiers see a Hussein loyal they might not have enough time to ambush them so they just send a missile or bomb into the building and it sometimes kills civilians. That is called collateral damage. At the beginning of the war the U.S. troops were also cutting off food, electricity, and water supply to the Iraqis by breaking the lines and pipes. It must have been scary to know that you might get bombed at any minute.

Noora’s surgery went just as planned and once again little Noora worked her way through the recovery period with the grace, tenacity and focus of a seven year old bound and determined to get back to what really matters in life, playing. Noora was discharged on Wednesday and not surprisingly, after only 3 short days in the hospital, had made enough new friends, that it took her 20 minutes just to give her “goodbye hugs”. As anxious as she was to get back to the Ronald McDonald House and play, her tastebuds got the better of her on the ride “home” and she requested a pit stop to pick up a couple of her favorites, kabobs and “cheese chips” (cheetos).

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I so regret having to write this update to let you know that the Integra product (which I wrote about in the last update) was unsuccessful in its attempt to rebuild tissue in the open wound on Noora’s scalp.

The new plan, unfortunately, necessitates the temporary removal of Noora’s prosthetic skull. The fact that Noora’s scalp has had an open wound onto the prosthetic skull, for this length of time, was the determining factor for removing the skull. What Dr. Attwood and his colleagues are fearful of, is that if the skull is not removed and sterilized, it could potentially present problems for Noora once her scalp is closed and she returns to Iraq. The concern is that if they close the wound without sterilizing the skull, bacteria, which is now possibly embedded in the skull, could fester and present a significant threat to Noora’s health.

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Hi Everyone,

Just a quick update to let you know that Dr. Attwood preformed Noora’s surgery on Monday at Maine Med and she is currently recovering on the regular Peds floor.

Shortly after her pervious surgery, an area (approx 50cent piece size) opened over the prosthetic skull. After the consultation in Boston, last week, it was decided that Dr. Atwood would re-open the area of scalp that was used to cover the prosthetic skull, and try to stretch it a bit, in hopes of closing as much of the current opening as he could. He was able to close all but about a penny size area. In that area, he applied a product which encourages blood vessels and other cells to grow a new layer of skin. In approx. two to three weeks, he will be able to assess the area and determine the next course of action.

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The winter snow has introduced Noora to all sorts of new activities, from making snow angels and snow men to sledding and (her personal favorite) snowball fights with Afef. Her spirits are high and her energy level is even higher. She misses her mom, can’t wait to hold her new baby sister “Somya” (born Thanksgiving day), and currently has 4 boyfriends, whose identity must remain a secret, per Noora. She loves hugs, plain yogurt, computer games, and performing “surgery” on any unsuspecting victim willing to take a seat in her O.R. When I asked Noora if she wanted me to pass any message along to you in this update, she thought for a second, burst into a smile and said “have fun!” Words of wisdom from an inspiring 7 year old who most surely lives the “practice what you preach” philosophy.

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I’ve got quite a bit to catch you up on since I last wrote. First and foremost, Noora successfully completed her final saline injection this past Friday with Dr. Atwood! As you can see from the attached picture, she has quite a bump on the top of her head. The other day, Noora pointed at a cinnamon bun, said “Noora”, and then pointed to her head and started laughing. Both Dr. Atwood and Dr. Wilson are very pleased with the end results, and if everything goes as planned she should be having her final surgery (to replace the missing section of skull) within the next few weeks.

The past month has brought a lot of fun activities for Noora, from celebrating her 7th birthday with some of her little friends, dates with playmates, visits to a couple of Kindergartens, a private boat ride in Casco Bay, the Cumberland fair, apple picking in Yarmouth, and an afternoon at Pumpkinland …..to….. trips to the ocean, hiking in state parks, and a visit with friends out on Little Diamond Island. She remains enamored with swinging, the computer and helping(?) the staff of the Ronald McDonald House. She steadfastly continues to vote chocolate ice-cream and olives as her top food choices but proves to be a “swing vote” when a pizza shows up. Her English comprehension and verbal skills have soared in recent weeks, along with her confidence and her undying love for Tom and Jerry cartoons. She experienced her first “crush”, ate her first piece of pumpkin pie, and has yet to tire of the sight of rain. She can pack away more food than a body builder, when she’s hungry and undoubtedly burns up the excess calories with her boundless energy.

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