'Miracle baby' born in quake rubble is adopted by her aunt and uncle - and given a new name

‘Miracle baby’ born in quake rubble is adopted by her aunt and uncle – and given a new name

Feb 21, 2023

A baby born in the rubble of Syria’s earthquake earlier this month has been adopted by her aunt and uncle.

The little girl’s mother, father and four siblings were all killed in the earthquake on 6 February, and their apartment block in the northern town of Jinderis, in Aleppo province, was destroyed.

She was found by rescuers more than 10 hours after the quake hit, her umbilical cord still connected to her dead mother.

Her uncle, Khalil al Sawadi, helped to rescue her and took her to hospital, where officials named her Aya – meaning “a sign from God” in Arabic.

On Saturday, she was officially adopted by Mr al Sawadi, who buys and sells cars for a living, and his wife Hala.

The couple, who already have four daughters and two sons, have renamed the baby Afraa after her late mother.

Mr al Sawadi told the AP news agency: “She is one of my children now.

“I will not differentiate between her and my children.

“She will be dearer than my children because she will keep the memory alive of her father, mother and siblings.”

The home where Mr al Sawadi and his wife live with their children was also destroyed in the earthquake.

But even though their circumstances are difficult, the couple believed that the best place for baby Afraa was with them.

“I will raise her in a way that she will not feel in need for anything,” Mr al Sawadi added.

Afraa was described as “the miracle baby” after photos of her being pulled from the rubble were seen around the world.

People contacted the hospital offering to help her and volunteering to adopt her.

Some even came to the facility claiming they were related to her, despite having different family names.

With concern growing that she could be kidnapped, police were called to guard her and Mr al Sawadi visited her frequently in hospital.

It took nearly two weeks to complete the adoption paperwork, and the hospital conducted a DNA test to make sure she and her aunt were related.

Dr Hani Maarouf said Afraa was in very good health on her release, but added “it was sad and some nurses wept” when she was taken away.

More than 5,800 people have died in Syria as a result of the earthquake, with another 39,000 dead in Turkey – the epicentre of the 7.8 magnitude event.

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