toledoblade.com --

ANN ARBOR - The image of the teenage Iraqi girl burned during the recent fighting kept running through his mind until James Thornberry couldn't take it anymore.

His cell phone call to the University of Michigan Burn Center began a series of events that culminated with the girl's arrival there Tuesday as the first Iraqi child injured in the war to be treated in America.

"I don't normally involve myself in these type of things," Mr. Thornberry said yesterday.

The railroad conductor said he leads a quiet life at his home in Davisburg, Mich., and does not get involved in fund-raising, community efforts - and especially calling a burn center and pleading for help.

"But I was on my way to work and said a little prayer for the girl, and I was moved to help," he said.

So when he arrived at work April 16, he pulled out his cell phone and made a call to the UM Burn Center. He explained to the nurse who answered the phone that he had seen a TV news clip the night before about a 15-year-old Iraqi girl in Baghdad who had been burned during fighting between U.S. and Iraqi forces.

Would there be some way that he and the university could help, he asked.

The UM nurse told Dr. Paul Taheri, chief of the hospital's burn center, about Mr. Thornberry's call. Dr. Taheri remembered thinking for a moment, then quickly replying:

"Sure, we'll take her."

The nurse called Mr. Thornberry back and told him the good news. That's when Mr. Thornberry realized he had no idea how to reach the girl's family if his request were somehow honored.

He and UM staff began making phone calls. Mr. Thornberry eventually reached his congressman, U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, who made some calls, including checking with the military and State Department.

After a lot of hard work, a little bit of luck, and donated airfare from Northwest Airlines, Hannan Muayed Shihab and her mother, Yusra, arrived in Ann Arbor.

She and her mother were not ready to face a barrage of media questions yesterday at a UM press conference. But Dr. Taheri said Hannan is expected to do well. She has second- and third-degree burns over 20 percent of her body, including her face. The treatment could take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.

She was burned when explosions near her home caused a lantern to fall off a shelf and ignite her clothing. Wartime chaos prevented her from getting any medical care for several days, although two U.S. Marines were able to provide first aid and bandage her wounds.

A British ITV television crew found out about the girl's plight, and the story was aired on American television.

At UM's invitation, Mr. Thornberry came to the press conference with his family - and a gift of slippers and a robe for Hannan.

As he sat with his family, another UM physician quietly approached Mr. Thornberry. Dr. Maha Hussain, who fled Iraq 23 years ago and today is a cancer specialist at UM, shook Mr. Thornberry's hand and thanked him for trying to help. "I just think this reflects the kindness of the American people," she said.

Mr. Thornberry said he was just glad to help. "I had empathy," he said. "I have two teenage girls of my own, and I thought what it would be like to have my daughter injured and not be able to get care. ... I was pretty overwhelmed at first, but I figured I'd stick my toe in the water and see what happened."

He said he's thrilled with the response, but not surprised. "I give all the credit to God. I just made a few calls."

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