SOUTHAMPTON'S NHS workers saved the life of a little girl after her parents fled Syria as conflict broke out.
Maasom is a Kurdish Syrian refugee who is currently living in Hampshire with his wife Hiba, his four-year-old daughter Nasrin and their three-year-old son Omar.
Maasom and Hiba were living in a refugee camp in Iraq when Nasrin was born.
Their daughter was born with a rare heart condition and a scan revealed that Nasrin needed a procedure that required two complicated operations.
Maasom explained: "I worked [in Syria] for almost two to three years before we had to leave to Iraq.
"We left due to the security situation, especially since we didn't have Syrian nationality. Our situation was very challenging in Damascus, so we had to leave.
We lived for eight years in Kurdistan in Iraq. We spent eight years in a refugee camp.
"When Nasrin was born we didn't know about her heart trouble.
"In the first 15 days, everyone who came to see her noticed her blue skin. That's when we discovered her heart trouble, which is the transposition of arteries.
"She had cardiac catheterisation while in Iraq when she was one month old, which raised her oxygen levels from 45 per cent to 60 per cent.
"But then her oxygen dropped again."
Unfortunately, Iraq did not have necessary medical facilities.
The family applied for resettlement to a third country.
“We were always worried and concerned and scared of unexpected incidents,” said Maasom.
“Her body turned blue on several occasions.
"One time she had a convulsion where she passed out because of a lack of oxygen.”
The family made do with temporary treatment for a year and three months before they were fortunate enough to move to the UK.
Nasrin was accepted by the UK's resettlement scheme (known as the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme or VPRS) which gives a small number of vulnerable individuals the chance to rebuild their life in the UK.
Maasom, who now lives in Andover with his family, explained: "Our situation was very difficult.
"Three-month-old Omar with his mother. Nasrin was sitting on my lap.
"On the way from Turkey to the UK, Nasrin's condition was unstable.
"She suffered from lack of oxygen and high fever. We used cold compresses all the way from Turkey to the UK."
Upon arrival, the family were taken straight to University Hospital Southampton, where Nasrin was stabilised and prepared for the first of two heart surgeries.
The operation lasted eight hours. They were supported along the way by charity Two Saints.
After 40 days, and a second operation, the family was able to travel to their home in Andover to start life in their new country.
In Andover, Maasom joined the International Rescue Committee’s RISE programme which supports resettled refugees to integrate into their new communities in the South East of England.
Maasom started volunteering at the British Heart Foundation, both to make friends and improve his English.
He said: “Andover is a very peaceful and beautiful town. Life in the UK is very beautiful.
“I still cannot believe that Nasrin now is growing and going to school and learning,”
"The challenges we've faced in the UK... Language can be an obstacle.
"At the hospitals or for appointments, language has been an obstacle for us.
"But we are trying to overcome this challenge. We are taking language courses.
"We are trying to learn and improve ourselves to adapt to life in the UK."
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