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Maria Amin, who turns six on Thursday, struggling to breathe through a respirator after undergoing hydrotherapy in a rehabilitation hospital in Jerusalem. (AP)
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Last update - 22:54 29/08/2007
Hospital refuses order to transfer paralyzed Palestinian girl
By Reuters
Tags: West Bank, Israel 

A Jerusalem rehabilitation center is defying a government order to transfer a Palestinian girl paralyzed in an Israel Defense Forces attack on militants to a hospital in the West Bank.

Maria Amin, who turns six on Thursday, cannot get the care she needs in the Palestinian facility "so she won't be going anywhere" until her well-being is assured, said Shirley Meyer of the Alyn Hospital Rehabilitation Center in Jerusalem.

Maria was paralyzed from the neck down when the car she was traveling in was caught in a missile attack on a leader of the Islamic Jihad militant group in Gaza in May last year. Her mother, grandmother and older brother were killed.
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She was taken for treatment to Israel where the Defense Ministry covered her medical expenses and sponsored her father and younger brother to live with her at the hospital. She has now completed a rehabilitation program.

Now the ministry says it is time for her to go. It has promised to pay for an apartment for the girl and her surviving family in the West Bank town of Ramallah, where she would be under the medical care of the Abu Raya Rehabilitation Center.

But Meyer is not satisfied. "I spoke with staff from Abu Raya and they told me they are not trained or equipped to handle Maria's care," she told Reuters.

Hamdi Amin, Maria's father, has appealed against the ministry order and the Supreme Court has said she cannot be transferred until a hearing is held next month.

Maria is able to move around in a wheelchair controlled by a joystick she guides with her chin, but her doctors say she will remain paralyzed from the neck down and be dependent on a respirator to help her breathe for the rest of her life.

"I want to stay here and build a house here. I don't want to leave," Maria said in Hebrew, which she learned during her hospital stay.

At Alyn Hospital, Maria's treatments include weekly hydrotherapy sessions in a pool and computer therapy.

The Defense Ministry said in a statement that moving Maria to the Palestinian hospital would allow her to reintegrate into "an environment that is natural for her". It said the Abu Raya facility "can meet all of Maria's needs".

Adi Lustigman, Amin's lawyer, said Israel was mistaken if it feared that allowing Maria to stay would encourage other Palestinians hurt in IDF strikes to seek long-term medical treatment in Israel.

"Because of the uniqueness of this case, the severity of the injuries and what happened to her family, the defense department can decide to help her without worrying about setting a precedent," Lustigman said.
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Blast from the past
The donkey is making a comeback as the prevalent form of transportation in Gaza.
U.S. anti-Semitism
The ZOA condemns the U.S. government for failing to protect Jewish students.
  1.   Sad... 18:44  |  Omar 29/08/07
  2.   Once upon a little girl 19:04  |  Fussion 29/08/07
  3.   Omar , guess what is even more sad 19:07  |  Jake 29/08/07
  4.   many cuddo`s to this hospital 19:16  |  rose 29/08/07
  5.   Fussion, why blame "Israelis"? 19:31  |  Yoni Gross 29/08/07
  6.   Jake 19:39  |  Omar 29/08/07
  7.   HOSPITAL 19:41  |  ROBERTO 29/08/07
  8.   Omar - check it 19:43  |  efman 29/08/07
  9.   fussion #2 19:46  |  reuben jacobs 29/08/07
  10.   Mercy 19:57  |  Douglas Evans 29/08/07
  11.   courageous doctors 20:00  |  democrat 29/08/07
  12.   Hope 20:24  |  North American 29/08/07
  13.   efman in America 20:32  |  Omar 29/08/07
  14.   "an environment that is natural for her". 20:32  |  Jim 29/08/07
  15.   Unfair waste of limited resources 22:03  |  AlexK 29/08/07
  16.   If that is not an Apartheid government what is? 22:42  |  Petteri 29/08/07
  17.   There is hope 22:55  |  M. 29/08/07
  18.   AlexK 23:00  |  Man on a rock 29/08/07
  19.   let the terrorists pay the bills 23:08  |  zionist forever 29/08/07
  20.   #19 you mean the state of israel 23:34  |  sami 29/08/07
  21.   re: Zionist 23:39  |  Paulo 29/08/07
  22.   NOT Cruel Israelis. Read the article 23:51  |  Interested in truth 29/08/07
  23.   democrat # 11 00:08  |  ChanahS 30/08/07
  24.   #15 reply to AlexK 00:09  |  D Hirod 30/08/07
  25.   It`s all a matter of definition 00:10  |  ChanahS 30/08/07
  26.   Palestinian girl should not be moved 00:14  |  Siem 30/08/07
  27.   #16 00:17  |  Moshe 30/08/07
  28.   Omar. Too bad Arabs are incapable of showing any compassion 00:45  |  bat yam 30/08/07
  29.   Israelis show true humanity - Bravo 00:51  |  Rick 30/08/07
  30.   Today, Angelina Jolie visited Al Waleed Palestinians refugee camp 00:56  |  Tamir Palestine 30/08/07
  31.   Decency and humanity live on in Alyn. 00:56  |  Esther 30/08/07
  32.   fussion 00:58  |  david 30/08/07
  33.   #15 AlexK - Jews like you bring disgrace to your people 01:08  |  Rick 30/08/07
  34.   pursuing the eradication of Israel? 01:12  |  Interested in truth 30/08/07
  35.   What a cynism 01:15  |  Shlomo from Tel Aviv 30/08/07
  36.   Little Maria Amin. 01:18  |  sandra chitayat 30/08/07
  37.   Siem from the Netherlands` response. 01:22  |  sandra chitayat 30/08/07
  38.   Doctors Not Politicians Decision 01:38  |  Jane 30/08/07
  39.   #23 Hi ChanahS , best wishes 01:51  |  Rick 30/08/07
  40.   Why do we put so much effort in to mending our enemy`s shields? 01:59  |  Efox 30/08/07
  41.   re: Paulo 02:00  |  Efox 30/08/07
  42.   re: Jim 02:05  |  Efox 30/08/07
  43.   re: sami 02:06  |  Efox 30/08/07
  44.   Courage under Fire 02:06  |  Hadomiah 30/08/07
  45.   re: Omar 02:10  |  Efox 30/08/07
  46.   re: rose 02:11  |  Efox 30/08/07
  47.   I hope this pretty little girl manages to stay in Israel 02:14  |  Gina 30/08/07
  48.   "Collateral damage?" 03:42  |  Silvienne 30/08/07
  49.   Rick # 32 03:46  |  ChanahS 30/08/07
  50.   Jane in Florida 03:52  |  Ramzi, a Palestinian 30/08/07
  51.   #28 She suffers because of Hamas not Israel 04:01  |  Semsem 30/08/07
  52.   #21 Portuguese Inquisition 04:05  |  Laila 30/08/07
  53.   Omar #13 One million Jews fled Arab countries 04:07  |  Fortunee 30/08/07
  54.   #40, Efox 05:38  |  Silvienne 30/08/07
  55.   Meyer, you are the Israeli conscience rapidly depleting 05:44  |  Yered Shmuel 30/08/07
  56.   To#15 AlexK: YOUR TRUE FACE 06:02  |  Sal 30/08/07
  57.   tO # 15 06:15  |  Sal 30/08/07
  58.   Humanity Triumphs 06:44  |  Double Click 30/08/07
  59.   to efox 07:07  |  rose 30/08/07
  60.   Efox # 40 - Because We Are Jewish and It Is The Right Thing To Do 07:26  |  Eli 30/08/07
  61.   Not the whole story. Haaretz late with this story 07:31  |  L A 30/08/07
  62.   #49 ChannaS Thanks. Good news always appreciated 07:53  |  Rick 30/08/07
  63.   Those who can`t read 09:47  |  Jasmine Murphy 30/08/07
  64.   Omar I don`t trust you 09:51  |  Jasmine Murphy 30/08/07
  65.   Petteri 09:53  |  Jasmine Murphy 30/08/07
  66.   Refusal transfer paralyzed Palestinian girl 20:12  |  stan 30/08/07
  67.   AlexK 22:57  |  Kimmi 30/08/07
  68.   Whatever people! 08:10  |  Juan 31/08/07
  69.   to Reuben Jacobs 15:09  |  Sharpinchitown 31/08/07
  70.   Hey Zionist forever 15:11  |  sharpinchitown 31/08/07
  71.   To AlexK 15:15  |  sharpinchitown 31/08/07
  72.   $$$ 15:19  |  sharpinchicago 31/08/07
  73.   to Yered Shmuel 15:29  |  sharpinchicago 31/08/07
  74.   Jasmine, let`s be fair 16:00  |  sharpinchicago 31/08/07
  75.   Rick, #39 17:57  |  sharpinchitown 31/08/07
  76.   No surprise! 18:59  |  Shadi Tari 31/08/07
  77.   it`s a shame 15:40  |  Chris 03/10/07
  78.   this is not fair 18:19  |  valantina 06/10/07
  79.   re: Eli 21:09  |  Efox 21/12/07
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