NOVA Assists Iraqi Child with life threatening Hemangioma: 5th David Cottengim Gift Awarded

US Army Doctor Lt. Col. Todd Fredricks of Ohio knew that 8 month old Fatemah Hassan was in serious trouble when she arrived at the military medical facility in Iraq . The army doctors believed the infant had a large hemangioma located in the parotid gland. When Fatemah arrived at the base hospital last month the child was blue and it took doctors 3 days to stabilize her. Fredricks contacted Children's Hospital in Columbus and arranged to have Fatemah and her mother flown by military transport to Children's Hospital of Columbus . The 445 th Airlift Wing at Wright Patterson Air Force Base provided the transport. The hospital agreed to treat the child at no cost. Rep. Ted Strickland, D-Ohio and Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D W.VA, helped arrange emergency visas for Fatemah and her 21 year old mother, Beyda'a Amir Abdul Jabar.

Fatemah is under the care of Dr. Gayle Gordillo director of the Columbus Children's Hospital Hemangioma and Vascular Malfo0rmation Clinic. Fatemah has undergone diagnostic testing which confirmed the diagnosis of a hemangioma and has been started on high dose oral steroids to help shrink the lesion.

After reading the Associated Press Report of the situation, NOVA Executive Director, Karla Hall contacted the hospital and arranged for assistance to be provided to Fatemah and her mother. Through the David Cottengim Special Assistance Fund a grant has been awarded to the child. The David Cottengim Special Assistance Fund provides emergency aid to individuals diagnosed with a vascular anomaly like Fatemah. The fund covers non-medical needs.

This is the 5 th award NOVA has awarded to families in the management of hemangioma and vascular malformation. NOVA is a non-profit organization providing assistance to patients and their families in the diagnosis and treatment of hemangioma and vascular malformation. Karla Hall, resident of Findlay Ohio has worked with Mary Jane Gerhardstein from Children's Hospital in arranging this gift. "We have a small but active group of families in Ohio , we hope Fatemah will be well enough to attend our Family Day in Ohio this July," says Hall. "It would be a wonderful opportunity for Fatemah and Beyda'a to meet other families going through the same thing".
November 1, 2004 Update on Fatemah Hussan:  After months of treatment and care at Columbus Children's Hospital.  Fatemah Hussan will be leaving the USA and returning to Iraq this week along with her mother.  She returns to her father and extended family.  We are expecting a press release from Dr. Gordillo and Columbus Children's Hospital. 

November 23, 2004:  Fatemah and her mother arrived safely home in Iraq yesterday.  She and her mother were reunited with her father and 3 year old brother after a 6 month course of treatment at Columbus Children's Hospital in the USA.

January 2006: There has been no update available on Fatemah and her mother since their return to Iraq. 

Related Story:  Fox News Report:  Iraqi Dad Takes TABBY to U.S. for Surgery-report by Jamie Colby

LINKS:

NOVA joins Hemangioma Foundation in efforts to assist TABBY

Fox News Report:  Update-Tabby has open heart surgery

Fox News Features Dr. Gordillo on "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren"