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Zaynab
Zaynab was 6 years old when we met her. The daughter of an Iraqi Army Captain, Zaynab suffers from a rare condition called congenital bladder exstrophy. In layman's terms, at birth her bladder developed outside of her abdomen. Iraqi surgeons attempted to correct the condition and ultimately failed. Her bladder was partially herniated, riddled with scars, and leaked continually. She still requires the use of diapers and is becoming very self-aware of her condition.
The high degree of skill required to correct such an abnormality placed the surgery outside the scope of the current Iraqi Health Care System. At this point, Jeremy contacted Steve Sosbee, a director for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund. Together, they canvassed the globe looking for a Pediatric Urologist that was willing to donate his/her services, while still possessing the skill required for a successful operation. Dr. John Gearhart, the leading Pediatric Urologist from John Hopkins and a congenital bladder exstrophy specialist, agreed to perform the arduous surgery pro-bono.
After eight months and eight rejections, we were also able to secure a health care facility willing to donate its' time and resources to the cause - Children's Memorial Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Army officials are also trying to secure follow-on care, if needed, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center