Family of four-month-old Fatemeh Reshad were temporarily banned from coming to US by Donald Trump’s immigration orders

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

An Iranian infant in need of life-saving heart surgery has arrived at a Portland hospital with her family after being temporarily banned from coming to the US by President Trump’s immigration orders.

Iranian baby girl in need of heart surgery gets waiver to enter US after travel ban Read more

Iranian doctors told Fatemeh Reshad’s parents weeks ago that she needed at least one urgent operation to correct serious heart defects or she would die, according to her uncle, Samad Taghizadeh, a US citizen who lives in Portland.

The family previously had an appointment in Dubai to get a tourist visa. But it was abruptly cancelled after Trump announced his executive order banning the entry of people from seven countries with Muslim majorities. The girl and her parents had to return to Iran.

A Seattle judge issued a temporary restraining order on the ban the same day a waiver was granted for the baby.

“Fatemeh looks well,” said Dr Laurie Armsby, the interim head of the paediatric cardiology division at OHSU Doernbecher children’s hospital. “Our tests this morning have confirmed her diagnosis and the urgent need for treatment.”

Senator Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, was instrumental in getting the waiver for the baby’s family, as were the New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, and immigration attorneys.

When the waiver was granted last week, an attorney for the family, Amber Murray, said the infant’s diagnosis of a twisted artery, requiring quick surgery, had convinced her parents to seek treatment in the US.

“In Iran there’s a 20-30% chance of success with surgery,” Murray said. “And here there’s a 97% chance of success.”

The hospital issued a statement saying that the family “would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make their trip possible. The family would like to give special thanks to the congressional delegations and governors of Oregon and New York.”



Jennifer Morrissey, a Portland immigration attorney who championed the baby’s cause, said: “This was truly a team effort to beat the clock, given the medical and legal hurdles Fatemeh was facing.”

The family of the four-month-old chose Portland because of its proximity to relatives and because of OHSU’s expertise in treatment of the heart condition.

Armsby said the infant’s heart condition had resulted in injury to her lungs but there was time to reverse the process.

The hospital said treatment would begin with a cardiac catheterization, performed by Armsby, followed by a five- to six-hour surgical procedure performed by Dr Irving Shen, a nationally respected expert on Fatemeh’s condition.