Baby Girl Born Under Rubble in Syria Thrives with Adopted Family
JINDERIS, Syria (AP) — A baby girl who miraculously survived under the rubble of her family home following a devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria six months ago is now flourishing with her adopted family. The dark-haired baby, named Afraa, was found after 10 long hours buried beneath the debris of her home in the northern Syrian town of Jinderis. Sadly, her parents and four siblings did not survive the earthquake.
Afraa’s story captured the hearts of people worldwide, and many offered to adopt her. However, after spending days at a hospital in northern Syria, she was released and entrusted to her paternal aunt and her husband. The couple undertook a DNA test to confirm their biological connection to Afraa and were confirmed as her adoptive parents.
Currently, Afraa lives with her aunt’s family, which includes five daughters and two sons. She is in good health and enjoying her newfound family life. On a recent Saturday, Afraa was seen happily swinging on a red swing while her adoptive father, Khalil al-Sawadi, pushed her back and forth.
Speaking about Afraa, al-Sawadi expressed his deep affection for her, saying, “This girl is my daughter. She is exactly the same as my children.” While they have rented an apartment during the day, the family still spends nights in a tent settlement due to the trauma the earthquake inflicted on their children.
The earthquake, measuring at a devastating 7.8 magnitude, claimed the lives of over 50,000 people in southern Turkey and northern Syria. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported more than 4,500 deaths and 10,400 injuries in northwest Syria alone. Women, girls, and children aged five to 14 accounted for a significant portion of the injured.
Afraa’s adoptive father plans to share the story of her rescue and the unfortunate fate of her parents and siblings with her as she grows older. He emphasized the importance of passing down this information, stating that if he doesn’t tell her, his wife or children will.
Shortly after Afraa’s arrival at the hospital, she was named Aya, meaning “a sign from God.” However, once she was adopted by her aunt’s family, she received a new name, Afraa, in honor of her late mother. Additionally, her adoptive mother recently gave birth to a baby girl named Attaa and has been nursing both infants.
While al-Sawadi has received offers to relocate abroad, he has chosen to remain in Syria to honor the memory of Afraa’s parents and to stay in the land they called home. Afraa’s biological father, Abdullah Turki Mleihan, hailed from Khsham village but fled in 2014 when the Islamic State group took control of the area.
Afraa’s adoptive father is grateful for her presence in their lives, as she reminds them of her parents and siblings. He shared, “She looks very much like her father and her sister Nawara.”
Afraa’s resilience and the love she has received from her adoptive family serve as a testament to the strength of the human spirit in the face of tragedy.