Noor Al-Ithawi is a 5 year old girl from a small village south of Baghdad, Iraq. She has been blind since birth because of Peter's Anomaly, a genetic disorder that prevents the normal development of corneas.
During the conflict in Iraq, Noor's father and other family members joined U.S. forces in defending her small village. This is how Noor met 1st Lieutenant. Michael Kendrick. Lt. Kendrick learned of Noor's vision problems and decided to help. He contacted organizations in the U.S. to help arrange for her cornea transplant surgery.
Noor and her mother came to the United States for treatment, and Eye and Tissue Banks International was proud to offer the tissue for Noor's surgery with no associated fees through its Operation Eye Rescue program. Noor's surgery proceeded well, and she was cleared to return home after three days.
Noor is making progress and seeing light as well as shapes, and visual perception is improving rapidly. Noor's family hopes she may someday help others with eye disease, as she has been helped by so many.
