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The army's heart - military monday 2

Umar Mohammed is a 7 year old Afghani boy who was recently released from the hospital.

Umer was released from a District hospital on Wednesday, almost two weeks after surgery to repair a hole in his heart and remove blockages in passages leading to his lungs. Such defects are normally repaired in infancy, but Umer's condition wasn't fully diagnosed until U.S. Army doctors examined him about a year ago.

Umer's heart was four to five times thicker than normal, said Gerard Martin, the chief heart doctor at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, where Umer had surgery.

The Larry King Cardiac Foundation takes credit for having arranged for Umar treatment.

Mohammed had been air-lifted from Afghanistan to Andrew's Air Force Base in Maryland and then transported to Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. where he received life-saving treatment sponsored by The Larry King Cardiac Foundation (LKCF). His physicians say he is making great progress and is slated to be released from the hospital later today.

Although he will need to stay in the vicinity for four to six weeks, as an additional cardiac catheterization procedure is necessary, Mohammed can look forward to a child's life, free of cardiac disease.

The gregarious Mohammed, who is the Foundation's 30th patient of 2006, suffered from a congenital heart condition known as tetralogy of Fallot -- or a hole in the heart -- the most common cause of cyanotic heart disease. This condition causes dangerously low levels of oxygen in the blood, hence the reason for Mohammed's blue skin tone appearance and his nickname "Blue." If left untreated, it could have resulted in death or brain damage. Mohammed's surgery was performed by Richard Jonas, MD, Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Children's.

It is not unheard of for American Army doctors to treat the civilians in Afghanistan. A quick review of the Army's website gives us two similar incidents.

by Sgt. Tara Teel (Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army)

August 26, 2005 - Karishma Naghshban, 8, rests after her heart surgery by military doctors at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Aug. 14.

February 22, 2005 - Qudrat Ullah waits while his father has a discussion with Cpt. James Gruber, an Army doctor, during a visit to a refugee camp by the 76th Infantry Brigade of Indiana. Through the work of the Soldiers of the 76th Inf. Bde., Qudrat will be brought to the United States for medical treatment to fix an otherwise fatal heart condition.

by Sgt. Joe McFarren (Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army)

The American Army is probably the most lethal army in history. And that is good when it is facing enemies and protecting innocents. That does not mean that the Army is perfect.

But the Army isn't just about destruction. It is also about building.

An Army that fights evil and protects innocents is a noble enterprise.

Much of what the army has done in post-war Iraq and Afghanistan has involved setting up civil rule and providing care for the civilians under its watch. The medical attention that has saved numerous lives is part of the Army's mission.

But the media, whether for political or sensational reasons choose to emphasize the scandals and ignore or give little attention to the nobility. It's a dodge to say that the media expects more and that's why it focuses on the negatives demanding accountability. But by focusing on the negative, the media fails to establish the higher standards it claims it is demanding.

While this isn't entirely on topic, I'd also add that Israel like America and the American military is often unfairly villified.

The Wolfson Hospital in Tel Aviv administers and support a remarkable program called Save a Child's Heart. The program started by the late Dr. Amram Cohen in 1996 brings children with heart defects from all over the world to be treated. (In some cases SACH goes to the child's country or Germany or the U.S. to treat children too.)

And where do the greatest number of these children come from? The highest number of the children saved come from the Palestinian Authority. This isn't something that can be easily dismissed.

All countries have conflicts. But a moral country is marked by its ability (and the ability of its citizens) to show mercy not just to its friends but its enemies too.

UPDATE: This post has been included in Carnival of the Vanities #194. Thanks for including me and the very kind words too!

Technorati tags: Larry King Cardiac Foundation, Military, Military Monday, Save A Child/'s Heart, Israel.