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Saleh Abdulla: 'I just cried the first
time I saw my daughter'
8.5.2007
By Linda Summerhayes |
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May 8, 2007
UK, -- Tucked up and snug in a fleecy
pink blanket, baby Renas snoozes contentedly and is
blissfully unaware of the joy she has brought to her
proud parents Hannan and Saleh.
The infant was born a week ago in Edinburgh and her
parents, who both suffered in the fierce fighting in
and around Iraq, hope their baby's birth is an omen
for happier times.
"When Renas was born, it was like a dream and it
feels like my life is just starting now," says
32-year-old Saleh Abdulla, who is originally from
Kurdistan. "I was so happy, I just cried the first
time I saw her. She is fine and healthy and
everything is okay."
Although they have known one another for less than a
year, Hannan Shihab and her fiancé Saleh have a
strong friendship that was forged after they both
survived the brutal regime inflicted by Iraqi
dictator Saddam Hussein.
They became friends while chatting on the internet
and 32-year-old Saleh proposed to Hannan during
their second meeting at his home in Hull last year.
It was not long after an overjoyed Hannan accepted
his proposal that Saleh left his job in a paint
factory and moved to Edinburgh. A short time later,
the stunned couple discovered they were going to be
parents.. |
Hannan and Saleh a Kurd with daughter Renas,
who was born last week. The couple have put their
wedding plans on hold to bring her up. Photo :scotsman |
Despite only knowing one another for a short time,
the couple's devotion to Renas is clear and they
have even put their plans for their wedding to one
side so they can concentrate on looking after their
daughter.
Saleh is quick to point out, however, that he would
still like to marry 19-year-old Hannan, but he
agrees their big day will need to be at a time when
they are more accustomed to being parents.
They also intend to redecorate the neat two-bedroom
council house they have just moved to in the
Mayfield area of Dalkeith, and create a nursery
painted in peaceful greens for Renas.
"Of course, yes, we would like to get married but
now we don't know when," says Saleh. "I think it
will be a nice time when Renas is a bit older."
Hannan, who already has her dream dress carefully
stored in her wardrobe, admits she is disappointed
that the wedding cannot happen sooner, but she also
believes that postponing the event is the right
thing to do.
"It was all too much to cope with so we had to put
the wedding on hold," she says. "Right now, the only
thing I want to do is to spend a lot of time with my
daughter. That's the most important thing."
As they embarked upon new lives in the UK, it was
hard for Saleh and Hannan to relate what had
happened to them in their home countries to the new
friends they made.
So instead, the couple found comfort in speaking to
one another of their experiences over the internet.
When Saddam Hussein began bombing Kurdistan in the
1990s, Saleh was forced to flee to the mountains,
join the army and fight for his country.
Hannan also suffered during Saddam's dictatorship
and was brought to Scotland after suffering
third-degree burns over 20 per cent of her body when
the force of an American bomb knocked an oil lamp on
to her bed at her home in Baghdad.
Hospital staff in Baghdad were unable to help the
teenager as they were under siege from looters.
Hannan and her father Muaid were forced to retreat
to a hotel that was populated by foreign
journalists.
It was a move that was to bring Hannan worldwide
attention as images of the youngster's horrific
burns were beamed around the world.
They also had a profound effect on good Samaritan
and mother-of-two Katrina Turner, of Bonnyrigg,
Midlothian, who was the driving force behind a
successful campaign to bring Hannan to Scotland for
treatment.
Since her arrival in 2004, Hannan has endured
extensive surgery to rebuild her face, and she will
once again go under the knife for further skin
grafts next month.
"I don't know how long I will be in hospital for,
but Saleh will look after Renas and so will her
granny," says Hannan with confidence. "I just need
to get back in shape and then I can go back to the
hospital."
Hannan says she is extremely grateful to her
neighbours who took her to the Simpson's maternity
unit in Edinburgh when she began to experience the
first signs of labour last Tuesday afternoon.
They also alerted Saleh, who was forced to abandon
the English exams he was sitting at Stevenson
College at the time.
"Hannan had gone to hospital before and was told the
baby wasn't ready, but this time she said she was
sure so I just left my exams and got there as soon
as I could," Saleh recalls.
During the birth, Hannan was supported by her mother
Yusra, who now lives in Bonnyrigg with her husband
Muaid and their other three children. The family
were granted leave to move to Scotland from Iraq
last year.
Saleh arrived from Kurdistan five years ago, and
while his parents remain in Iraq they are overjoyed
at the birth of their granddaughter and are kept up
to date with daily e-mails.
"When I told them, they were laughing and crying
because they were so happy," recalls Saleh. "They
are very excited and my mum just kept telling me
that it was important to look after Hannan as well
as the baby."
Renas is a Kurdish name meaning "own way" and was
also the nickname given to Saleh when he was in the
army.
She was born last Wednesday at 10.20am, weighing a
healthy 7lb 8oz, and although she has been demanding
milk every two hours during the day, she is content
with just one feed during the night.
Asked if she would like more children, Hannan says:
"I'm not thinking about it right now but I would
like more - two boys and two girls."
Saleh nods in agreement, but adds: "It doesn't
matter if they are boys or girls, whatever we get we
will be happy."
The couple now have an ambition to open a take-away
selling Kurdish food and Hannan intends to return to
college in August to start a business course.
"I can take Renas with me because the college has a
nursery, or we can leave her with her granny," says
Hannan. "When she's older, in a year or two, we can
start a business and make a life for ourselves
here."
Hannan, who often absent mindedly strokes her baby's
mop of thick dark hair, has nicknamed her baby
"happy chappy" because of her happy nature.
"I love being a mother and cuddling her lots. I just
want to keep her safe," she says. "We love her very
much and we just want her to be happy.
scotsman com
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