Jordan Times
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Families share grief
with Their Majesties
By Sheila M. Dabu and Victoria Macchi
AMMAN — Amira Abdul Rahman “is as she is,” said
her niece Yasmeen Ghamin. She is not feeling any better but friends and family
are all around her.
When His Majesty King Abdullah visited the Jordan Hospital on Friday afternoon,
both women broke down in tears as they told him of their grief since Wednesday
night's blast at the Radisson SAS Hotel.
Yesterday Amira's two daughters, Reema, 27, and Reham, 14, were buried along
with 16 of her friends and relatives — including the bride's father.
Down the hall, in the children's intensive care unit Ammar Keilane, 4, who awoke
from a coma on Thursday, sat up for guests as a tune by Nancy Ajram played on
his toy mobile phone.
Before Wednesday night's blasts, Ammar loved wedding parties, especially the
dancing.
But by the time Her Majesty Queen Rania and Nane Annan visited yesterday
afternoon, he was too tired to sit up without the help of his father.
Pediatrician Jarir Halazun said that Ammar is doing “very well” and will be able
to go home within the next three to five days.
Doctors have decided not to remove the shrapnel lodged in his brain as surgery
may cause more damage. They will only operate if an abscess develops. He is on
heavy antibiotics to prevent infection.
Ammar is having difficulty speaking — partly due to the head trauma, but also
because of shock. Doctors are encouraging the family to get Ammar psychological
counselling. A speech therapist will also be necessary.
Ammar's father Abdul Raheem and his wife, Rana, appreciate the King and Queen's
concern.
“They asked how Ammar is doing, what his injuries were, how we, his parents, are
doing,” Abdal Raheem said.
A few metres from Ammar, Samer Kareem cradles his three-month-old daughter
Toleen.
“She is improving, insha Allah,” he said.
“What can I tell you?” he says, his voice breaking. “I lost my wife,
father-in-law, mother-in-law, all the family. My daughter, she is only three
months old...”
When he regained his composure, he told The Jordan Times what happened that
night.
Kareem, a doctor, was on duty at the hospital where he works in Zarqa and was
unable to attend the wedding. He received news of the explosion from his friend
and immediately began driving around all the hospitals in Amman searching for
his family.
“I even went to the hospital in Salt to find Toleen's mother, my father-in-law
and mother-in-law. I didn't find them. In the end, they were found in the
morgue. They are dead. Dead bodies. Three dead bodies.”
“I eventually found Toleen here. Al hamdulillah, she's good,” he said.
The King and Queen asked Samer how he and the baby were doing, and what they
needed.
“Their visit was a big thing for us,” he said.
“My family is in Palestine, not here. My cousins are helping.”
“I put my wife in the grave,” he added. “Still I am asking the question of
`why.' They went to the wedding. They wanted to celebrate a happy occasion with
people and some stupid... I don't know what to say.”
The baby suffered from a fractured forearm and will be discharged within the
next two days.
While Toleen was crying, Reem Suleiman, her sister Rana, and their cousin Lara
entered her hospital room to show their support. The three are not related to
any of the victims but decided to come and express their sympathies after seeing
Toleen, the youngest survivor of Wednesday's bombings, on TV.
They said it was the first time they had ever done anything like this.
“We saw them on TV and felt so much compassion for them,” Reem told The Jordan
Times. “I felt it wasn't supposed to be like that. Islam is not like that and I
think it's not Muslim people who did that at all.”
“Maybe they didn't get Islam the right way,” said Reem.
According to Dr. Abdullah Bashir, general director of Jordan Hospital, Toleen
and Ammar are the youngest victims still hospitalised. One baby brought in was
killed in the blast, and another died shortly after.
As for the King and Queen's visit, Bashir said that they came on Friday “because
they are visiting family. It is our custom.”
“We are doing all we can to help and save all of the victims... God willing,
this will never happen again. But if it does, we will be prepared,” Bashir said.