U.S. doctors save girl, 8, victim of Afghan war

The 8-year-old's skin was smoking from white phosphorus, a lethal chemical. Her hair was burned away. Her face, head, neck and arms were scorched yellow, pink and black.

When the doctors tried to scrape away the dead tissue, flames leapt out.

More than 15 surgeries later, Razia is scheduled to be released Wednesday from the U.S. military hospital at Bagram.

She can smile again. She has learned to say “ice cream” in English and play catch with nurses. But her skin will remain scarred, her hair will never grow back and the mystery behind her tragedy remains unsolved: Who fired the white phosphorus?

After months of care, her nurse, a mother of three girls back in the U.S., considers Razia her fourth daughter.

“You're just not even sure whether this child is going to make it or not,” said Capt. Christine Collins. “And then seeing her actually walk for the first time, taking her outside for the first time ... it's one of those life-changing things that you'll never, ever forget.”

Razia had just finished breakfast when U.S., French and Afghan forces appeared near her village March 14 in the Tagab Valley of Kapisa, north of Kabul. Abdul Aziz, a father of nine, told his children to get inside their mud-brick home.

But two shells ripped through the house. Fire, smoke and dust filled the room.

“The sound of the blast was very strong and I was almost unconscious. I couldn't think. My children were shouting at me: 'Wake up! You're burning!” Aziz said.

Flames engulfed Razia. Aziz dumped a bucket of water on her but the chemicals burned on. Two of Razia's sisters lay dead. Five other family members, including the mother, were seriously wounded.

Aziz took Razia to the Afghan soldiers near his home, but they could do nothing. A private Afghan vehicle took Aziz and his daughter to the nearby French base. Razia slipped in and out of consciousness as her father poured water on her face to keep her awake.

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