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View Full Version : Iranian infant allowed entry into U.S. for pro bono vital heart surgery in NYC



Godfather
02-04-2017, 07:48 PM
An Iranian infant in need of lifesaving heart surgery can finally see a doctor in the U.S.

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2963994.1486174684!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_1200/oregon4n-3-web.jpg

Four-month-old Fatemeh Reshad was scheduled to visit Portland, Ore., for a critical procedure when she was barred from entering the country due to President Trump’s travel ban put last week.

Her family’s anguish ended Friday when they were granted a waiver to enter the U.S., Gov. Cuomo told the Daily News.

Cuomo, smitten by the cherubic tyke and incensed over Trump’s ban, secured legal assistance for her family and said doctors at Mount Sinai have agreed to perform the much-needed procedure for free.

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Word of the waiver came just as a federal judge in Seattle granted a temporary restraining order halting Trump’s executive order.

The governor worked with the International Refugee Assistance Project to petition on behalf of the family.

“We will continue to work with the International Refugee Assistance Project to ensure this baby receives the treatment she needs, and fight for those being unfairly shut out of America’s gates by this policy,” Cuomo said.

The law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison agreed to cover the family’s expenses and legal costs, Cuomo said.

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Fatemeh and her parents were scheduled to meet with doctors at Oregon Health & Science University this weekend.

The family was set to travel to Dubai, en route to the U.S., when Trump signed the order barring visitors and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries.

“Everything was OK. They asked for a lot of paperwork. She got the appointment, February 5, in the morning,” Fatemah’s uncle, Sam Taghizadeh, told KPTV. “All the papers, everything was ready, and just in the last minute they canceled everything.”

Taghizadeh has lived in the U.S for 13 years. He resides in Portland with the young girl’s grandparents, who are U.S. citizens.

State Dept. reverses visa cancellations from Trump's travel ban

According to medical records, Fatemeh has structural abnormalities and two holes in her heart.

“Her heart is twisted. Her heart’s working overtime to compensate ... and it’s causing more and more damage to her every day that she doesn’t have the surgery,” attorney Amber Murray, who was assisting the family’s petition for a visa waiver, told the Associated Press.

Lawmakers in Oregon were also fighting for the tiny tot.

Now, the adorable infant will get to see a doctor.

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“I am pleased to announce that the world-renowned pediatric cardiac surgical team at Mount Sinai Hospital, who has extensive experience in managing patients with this condition, has generously offered to provide the surgery and medical care at no cost to the family,” Cuomo said.

Earlier, U.S. District Judge James Robart granted a temporary restraining order halting Trump’s order.

It is not clear if she will be treated in Oregon as originally planned, or if the family will take Mount Sinai doctors up on their offer.

The White House insists the ban on travel for 90 days from seven countries including Iran, as well as other restrictions, is necessary to protect the U.S. from terrorism.

Last weekend, Cuomo blasted the order as un-American and vowed to help detainees and others affected by the ban.

Oregon senator Jeff Merkley also submitted a formal request for a waiver to allow the little girl into the country, according to the Oregonian.

“A little girl’s life is at stake,” he told the newspaper.

Godfather
02-04-2017, 07:49 PM
Said it before here and I always tell people, have your opinions about politics and policy, but America is the most generous and charitable country on earth, hands down.

DemonGeminiX
02-04-2017, 08:39 PM
Are they staying? If Iran's so ass-backwards that they can't get the proper medical care for an infant in dire medical need there and have to go to Iran's mortal enemy for it, then why not apply for asylum for your daughter's sake?

redred
02-04-2017, 08:45 PM
They generally do stay, if the UK is anything to go by

Godfather
02-04-2017, 08:50 PM
I don't think America is this family's mortal enemy (edit: her grandparents are US citizens). Their government are a bunch of big mouthed rhetorical assholes and deserve every sanction slapped on them... but I think in general Iranians view America quite favorably (https://www.quora.com/What-do-Iranians-think-about-Americans). I've got friends here from Iran, and a good friend who is Iranian-Canadian with an Iranian husband working in Philly and they very much like both countries, as well as Iran. My wife also works with some Iranian (and Saudi) doctors who pay big money to come study here and take their knowledge back home to try and improve medical care there. I know it's anecdotal but they're good people, liberal by Middle Eastern standards, value education a great deal, integrate with us. Even if baby goes home, this is a great deed, good for perception, no?

redred
02-04-2017, 09:07 PM
but they can still blow you up if they want to can't they ? :shock:

DemonGeminiX
02-04-2017, 09:18 PM
I don't think we have to worry about an infant with a heart condition or the family that loves her so much that they would seek any means necessary to keep her alive.

Hugh_Janus
02-05-2017, 11:29 AM
zomg an terrorist