Quality of life is very important, but if we don't get rid of this defect, it will eventually take her life as well.

She will definitely need to be in a wheelchair.

If she gets good care when she returns to Iraq, she should live a long and full life.

The longer we go without putting a shunt in, the less likely she'll need one. We're cautiously optimistic.

We need to get the back closed. The concern here is meningitis. If the baby gets an infection on the back, that infection can spread to the coverings all over the brain and the baby may die, so time is of the essence.

The back actually looks very, very good. She's doing everything that a well-loved 4-month-old baby should be doing. You pick her up and hold her and the smile comes out.