Healthy Qudrat leaves for home

[ZR2]

http://www.indystar.com/articles/9/236160-8809-092.html


Qudrat Ullah Wardak arrived Feb. 25 in Indianapolis as a refugee but left on Monday as an honorary Hoosier.

Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman made the designation during an emotional sendoff for the 16-month-old baby; his father, Hakim Gul Wardak; and Afghan interpreter Matin Sharifi. Their 7,000-mile journey back to Kabul began five weeks after a Riley Hospital for Children medical team corrected defects in the baby's small heart.

"This proves we are all family," Skillman said, "and love can change the world."

Qudrat cooed, smiled and wiggled in the arms of several adults who took turns delivering good-bye hugs. Among them, Jim and Roberta Graham, of Brownsburg, the trio's hosts after the baby's surgery, and Linda Snow, whose husband, Indiana National Guard Lt. Col. Terry Snow, is based at Camp Phoenix in Afghanistan and was key to arranging Qudrat's journey. "I can vouch for (Qudrat's) strength," said Skillman, who cradled the baby and fed him a bottle of formula.

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[SoCalDem]

1. I am happy for the baby and his family, BUT

for the article's tone to be one of .."see how magnanimous we are" is ridiculous..

People all over the place have been helpiing injured and sick children FOREVER..What we did here is nothing THAT special, and instead of breaking a collarbone from reaching around to pat our own backs, we should be trying to make sure that ALL children EVERYWHERE have affordable access to medical care... starting HERE in the USofA..(parents and grandparents need medical care too)

The really sad thing is that it IS possible, but military "toys" always come first :(