Jandaris, Syria –  The story of the miracle child, born within the rubble as her mom died, captivated the world when the quakes hit southern Turkey and northwestern Syria on February 6.

Her whole household died when their home collapsed on them, and their shut relations who lived subsequent door took her in. That is the story of them rebuilding their lives as child Afraa completes 40 days – historically a time of celebration for each child and mom in Syria.

As a substitute, child Afraa now lives together with her “new household”: her paternal aunt, 31-year-old Hala, and her husband and kids in a small camp arrange by her prolonged relations whose properties have been destroyed within the quakes.

She has six new cousin siblings, the eldest is 10-year-old Mal al-Sham and the youngest is one-month-old Ataa, who was born two days after Afraa.

The household welcomed Al Jazeera into their easy tent to speak concerning the day Afraa was born, discovering her within the rubble, and their sorrow at shedding their relations.

‘I simply knew his home had collapsed’

Khalil Shami Al-Suwadi, Hala’s 34-year-old husband, was awake when the earthquakes hit, two of his kids had woken up and he was sitting up with them. The night time had been disquieting and he was anxious.

His brother-in-law, 26-year-old Abdullah, had come over for dinner with him and Hala and so they had urged that he stick with them longer and spend the night time at their place. Their properties have been proper subsequent door to one another and relations moved simply between the 2.

Abdullah, often known as Abu Rudayna (Father of Rudayna, his eldest youngster), apologised to his sister, telling her and al-Suwadi that he needed to go see some mates and would go residence after that. Later, at about 2am, Abu Rudayna modified his on-line standing to a Quran-inspired phrase: “Your demise will come to you even in your house,” al-Suwadi tells Al Jazeera with marvel in his voice.

When the primary earthquake hit, al-Suwadi says, his coronary heart sank and he was positive the house subsequent door had fallen on his cousin and his household. Working outdoors, his fears have been confirmed and the digging started, first with their arms then with tools loaned to them by a good friend in Idlib. At one level, somebody got here to al-Suwadi and mentioned a part of a lady’s physique had been uncovered, might he come to see if he might determine her?

After he recognized the lady as his cousin’s spouse Umm Rudayna and the digging efforts have been redoubled, al-Suwadi heard noises coming from below the rubble and for a quick second, hoped that his cousin was alive however realised the sounds have been coming from a child. Quickly, sufficient rubble had been moved to allow them to drag the child away from her mom’s physique and a dazed al-Suwadi held her whereas somebody ran to get a knife to chop the umbilical twine nonetheless connecting Afraa to Umm Rudayna.

“By then, I knew the remainder of the household was lifeless, so I grabbed the child and ran to the navy hospital in Jandaris so I might attempt to save her. My spouse was very pregnant on the time – she went into labour two days later – and couldn’t include me so Umm Abdou, our Kurdish neighbour, did.

“On the navy hospital they informed us the child appeared superb and simply wanted to be breastfed by a lady, however I didn’t be ok with what they have been saying, it didn’t make sense. So we went on to Afrin and located a hospital there with a health care provider who took care of her till we might carry her residence. She stayed there for days below their care.”

“She [Afraa] broke three ribs and had mud in her lungs as a result of she was born below the rubble,” Hala informed Al Jazeera over the telephone. “We take her for normal follow-ups on the hospital, however she’s usually doing properly.

“I breastfeed each women … I might have by no means given up Afraa. She’s my niece, my very own blood. Many individuals wished to undertake her, however we might not have it. We’ll care for her similar to our personal kids,” mentioned Hala.

Al-Suwadi echoed Hala’s sentiments: “I liked my cousin, everybody did, and can care for his daughter like she was my very own. Her father’s household wished to take her in and undertake her however I refused. I spoke to her grandparents and so they gave us their blessing to make her one among our daughters.”

There’s a palpable sense of pleasure about Afraa within the household tent, not solely as a result of she’s all that continues to be from the prolonged household, but additionally probably as a result of she has simply returned from a second stretch on the hospital, the place al-Suwadi took her as a result of she was having hassle respiration a couple of days earlier than Al Jazeera visited the household.

“I used to be so glad when my dad and mom introduced Afraa residence. She’s my cousin, you realize,” eight-year-old Doaa informed Al Jazeera.

Doaa misses her different cousins, Afraa’s older siblings, and recounts their pet names with ease: Radoona, Attawa, Nawara and Hamoodi she recites, conscious that they’re gone however accepting of the loss, which has been a relentless companion for a lot of in northwestern Syria for years of civil conflict and strife.

“If I had to decide on a favorite child now, I might select Afraa as a result of she is a memento of my Uncle Abdullah and his household.”