Syrian baby born under earthquake rubble turns 6 months, happily surrounded by her adopted family

A baby girl named Afraa, who was miraculously born amid the wreckage of her family’s home destroyed during the powerful earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria six months prior, is now thriving and full of joy. After surviving 10 grueling hours under the rubble, she was discovered alive, still attached to her mother by the umbilical cord, following the Feb. 6 quake that tragically claimed the lives of her parents and four siblings in Jinderis, northern Syria.

Her astonishing survival captured hearts worldwide, and many people offered to adopt her. After a brief stay in a north Syrian hospital, Afraa was handed over to her paternal aunt and her husband. A DNA test was performed to confirm the biological relationship, and her adoptive father, Khalil al-Sawadi, along with his family of five daughters and two sons, embraced her as their own.

The little girl’s joy was evident on Saturday as she swung on a red swing, pushed by al-Sawadi, who lovingly refers to Afraa as his own daughter. They reside in a rented apartment but often spend the night in a tent settlement, as the children remain traumatized by the earthquake that caused more than 50,000 fatalities in southern Turkey and northern Syria.

The UN’s humanitarian agency reports over 4,500 deaths and 10,400 injuries in northwest Syria due to the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and subsequent aftershocks. Women and girls accounted for 43% of the injured, and children aged five to 14 made up 20%. The quake heavily affected rebel-held northwestern Syria, home to around 4.5 million people, many already displaced by the 12-year conflict that has caused half a million deaths.

Afraa’s adoptive father vows to one day share with her the harrowing tale of her rescue and the loss of her biological family. She was initially named Aya, meaning “a sign from God,” at the hospital, but her aunt’s family later renamed her Afraa, honoring her late mother. Shortly after Afraa’s arrival, her adoptive mother gave birth to a daughter, Attaa, and has been nursing both children.

Al-Sawadi reveals that Afraa spends much of her time drinking milk and sleeping, and he has declined offers to move abroad, wishing to remain in Syria where Afraa’s parents once lived. The baby girl’s appearance reminds the family of her father and sister, filling them with both happiness and memories of her lost loved ones.

The poignant story was reported from Beirut by ___ Mroue.

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