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A miracle baby was born in the wake of last week’s earthquake which hit Turkey and Syria. She was named Aya, translated from Arabic as “a sign from God.” 

On February 6 Aya was rushed to the Cihan Hospital in Afrin, Aleppo province Syria where she has been receiving medical care in an incubator. 

The baby was born buried under the rubble of a five-story apartment building devastated by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey. And more than 35,000 people were killed.

Rescue workers in the Syrian town of Jinderis came across the dark-haired baby girl at least 10 hours after the quake hit. And found her in her mother's arms with the umbilical cord still attached.

The sole survivor in a family where her father, mother, and four siblings were all killed. She was still attached to her mother identified as Afraa Abu Hadiya. 

Since Aya was rushed to the Cihan Hospital she has been receiving worldwide attention. The international attention comes with requests to send money and several people claiming to be her relatives, in an effort to adopt the child. 

In the meantime, her extended family has been located. And according to Saleh al-Badran, the baby’s great uncle, Aya’s father, Abdullah Turki Mleihan moved the family to Jinderis in 2014 after the Islamic State group captured their village.

To protect the baby, there are local police officers posted in the hospital.

Miracle baby kidnap attempt

By all accounts, the baby is in good health. And Dr. Hani Maarouf, a pediatrician at Cihan Hospital said the director of the hospital’s wife has been breast-feeding the baby girl.

“We have stopped all the medicines that we were giving Aya and now she is being breastfed when she needs,” Maarouf explained via phone.

A local official, who chooses anonymity to avoid reprisals, reported that the hospital was invaded by armed men on Monday night. The men beat the hospital director.

Earlier in the day the director fired a male nurse. The nurse was taking pictures of Aya and the hospital. And the director feared it was an attempt to kidnap Aya.

Hours later the nurse returned accompanied by gunmen. And that’s when the assault on the hospital director took place. 

Despite social media claims the attack was not an attempt to kidnap the miracle baby. When confronted by the local police the armed men claimed it was retribution against the hospital director for firing their nurse friend.