To all of our total surprise and gratitude, the amazing prosthetists at Shriners WERE able to make a leg for Mustafa. There were tears and smiles and lots of encouragement as Mustafa put on his leg and took several steps. Pictures will come. There is much learning involved for him to successfully use such a full leg and hip prosthesis, BUT we all thought it couldn’t be done. Mustafa is incredibly athletic and determined, so this good news is very encouraging!!

He will do lots of intensive PT for the next 2 weeks, then, in early December, he and Ahmed will be returning home to their family in Iraq, whom they miss terribly. Watch here for announcements about good-bye activities and appreciation gatherings for all of Mustafa’s medical providers, interpreters and the staff at Ronald McDonald House. Mustafa and Ahmed will definitely leave a deep impression in our hearts and they will take our loving friendship with them when they go.  More updates of their departure plans in a few days or so.

Watch for news coverage of the prosthetic leg and the great work of Shriners Hospital in the coming days.

Apologies that it has been a while since an update on the general status of Mustafa’s health and treatment. The days have been busy.

Last week we learned a lot in several appointments. Here’s the summary: Kidney and bladder function– Mustafa’s right (now only) kidney is working well. That is great news. It will be important to preserve the function of that kidney — i.e., preventing infection and keeping his bladder empty on a regular schedule. The injury caused a loss of much of the nerve impulses that make the bladder work. So, in order to keep the bladder emptying adequately, Mustafa requires catheterization every 4 hours. It is not a fun thing, but both Mustafa and Ahmed are adjusting to this routine in an amazing and dignified way. Much of Mustafa’s pain (and the fever)at the start of their time here was due to the bladder/kidney situation. It is so wonderful to report that he is now pain and infection free!

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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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Recovery of war-injured three-year-old Iraqi child compromised by State Department delays in issuing visas.
The public is urged to CALL AND / OR SEND LETTERS to the State Department urging that visas be issued immediately for Mustafa and his father.

San Francisco, CA:  Three-year-old Mustafa Ghazwan suffered complete hearing loss when a US missile struck near his home in Baquba, Iraq.  Today he is deaf, unable to hear sounds at 130 decibels.  Before the attack, he could say simple words like mama and memma (baby bottle in Arabic), but has not been able to speak since his devastating hearing loss.  It is imperative that he receive a cochlear implant and rehabilitative treatment as soon as possible in order to improve his prospects of recovery and a more normal life.

Doctors and community organizers in the Bay Area have made arrangements for Mustafa to receive this treatment at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center.  Surgery, post-operative speech and hearing therapy, and daily care for Mustafa and his father have all been scheduled.  “From our perspective,” said Dan Lowenstein, Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Neurology at UCSF, “everything is completely in place for Mustafa to receive the medical care he needs.  It’s critical that Mustafa and his father’s visas be granted immediately so he can begin treatment.”

Dr. Lawrence Lustig, the surgeon who will implant Mustafa’s cochlear device, says: “Proceeding with Mustafa’s cochlear implant as soon as possible is of critical importance,” said Dr. Lustig. “He is at a crucial age for language acquisition, and continued delay may prove highly detrimental to his future development. The medical science is very clear on this point: the sooner the implant can be placed, the better speech and language skills we can expect Mustafa to develop.  Waiting too long will jeopardize his ability to effectively use his cochlear implant.”

Mustafa Ghazwan and his father, Ghazwan Al-Nidawi, have been stranded in Amman for the last twelve weeks.  Visas for Mustafa and his father continue to be delayed, which could have dire consequences for Mustafa’s prospects of recovery.  The public is urged to write letters to the State Department urging that Mustafa and his father’s visas be issued immediately so they can travel to San Francisco and Mustafa can begin receiving the care he so urgently needs.

Please Write Today!

Letters should be directed to:

Janice L. Jacobs
Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs
2201 C Street, NW
Washington DC 20520
(202) 647-9576

AND:
Stephen A. Edson
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services
2201 C Street, NW
Washington DC 20520
(202) 647-9584

Please help us with this campaign to help this little Iraqi boy by writing or phoning today!

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
—Mahatama Ghandi

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
—Margaret Mead

Look at this!!!!!  PT and OT started working with Mustafa today. Mustafa got his own walker as the first step in the process of a prosthesis or whatever will be done to help him walk. He worked very hard, but notice the “thumbs up” sign! Geri (and, of course, Ahmed) were with him at this amazing moment. Geri’s words and pictures below say it all!!

Mustafa MAY get discharged tomorrow or Thursday–back to Ronald McDonald House to heal for a week or so, then to start at Shriners.

We want to start thinking about next steps such as community gatherings (potlucks, etc.), ongoing needs and ways people can help/be involved, press (they have a story that MUST be heard), school and youth involvement, outings, fundraising, etc. Send all ideas our way and we will talk with Ahmed, see when Mustafa is strong enough to start getting out, and start planning onward.

Best to all.
Happy Rosh Hashanah and Eid Mubarak.

Mustafa came through surgery great! Yesterday was, I think, a turning point for that post-surgery pain and discomfort. He seems to be feeling better and now the tubes and IVs are gradually getting removed! I think the best moment was when he could have a drink of water as he was not able to have anything by mouth for over 3 days. Mustafa has been an excellent “trooper” during this whole process, which has been painful and unfamiliar. Ahmed too is amazing — such patience, grace and dedication to his son. They are both so wonderful to be getting to know.

It is fine to resume visits starting on Sunday — we would just really urge you to KEEP THE VISITS BRIEF — they are both exhausted and really need to rest.

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I am so relieved to report that Mustafa came through the long surgery very well — no complications. The surgery accomplished the 3 things that were planned for: 1. removal of an egg-sized (literally) bladder stone that was obstructing the bladder and undoubtedly causing pain, 2. removal of one kidney that was not functioning and 3. revision of the colostomy so that it is smaller and easier to care for. Unfortunately, due to nervous system damage from the injury, Mustafa’s intestine could not be reattached, so the colostomy has to remain. Once he heals he should be pain-free. I think Ahmed is very relieved to have the surgery behind them, and he is grateful for the results.

Mustafa suffered very significant internal injuries from the bomb blast. He will need time, further evaluations of his kidney function, and further adaptations in order to get better and stay well. He has a long road ahead. BUT, he did very well today. We will have to reschedule the Shriner’s appointment (was to have been on this Thursday) for when he is feeling better.

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Dear friends,

Some more pictures from today — thanks Geri!!!

As you can see, Mustafa is feeling so much better. Ahmed said he hasn’t looked this good in a long time. It is so wonderful to see his resiliency – now there are smiles and laughs and lots of eye contact. All who have visited are so impressed by how really bright and observant he is. He (and Ahmed) are definitely in our hearts!!

In case you don’t know it, Mustafa loves soccer!!

So…here is what is immediately ahead: surgery next week — probably on Tuesday to… (more…)

Dear good friends,

Ahmed’s and Mustafa’s gentleness and bravery on this journey are totally amazing. Please feel free to get to know them. They were so moved by the warmth of the airport welcome and by the number of people who were there. I think we will all find it very easy to fall in love with them! Their story is so important to tell: here is this absolutely beautiful little boy whose injuries are extremely serious. It will be very moving to see this project evolve to tell Mustafa’s and Ahmed’s story AND to be a community that helps them heal.

A special thank you goes out to the members of the Iraqi community who have been so amazingly generous with their time, love, interpretation, meals and concern for Mustafa and Ahmed. (more…)

Our little Rusul has a new foot! She’s happily walking away on her new prosthetic and will be starting twice-a-day therapy as of tomorrow. At last Thursday’s appointment Rusul hopped on the examination table, pulled on her new prosthesis, jumped down and started walking! (Apparently, this isn’t the norm for someone just getting a prosthetic, but if you’ve met Rusul, you’d have guessed it’d be what she’d do!) She even entertained a bit with some mini-skips and hops, just to show us she could do it! I’ve even had to actually STOP her from taking off running as Ed Skewes (her prostheticist) said that this isn’t the “final” foot and it’ll break if she runs. She could do it if she tried though; and she’s aching to try!

I just got back from a weekend in Asheville with Rusul, staying at the beautiful mountain home of Paul Turner and visiting with him and Ymani Simmons (both of Asheville’s core group).  The Unitarian Church in Asheville was donating Sunday’s collection to Rusul and NMV, and we wanted to be there for that. A big thanks to Lew Patrie of the UU church, and Susan Oehler of the Asheville Core group for setting this up!

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