Cheney Hospitalized; Baby Noor Surgery
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning. Vice President Dick Cheney in the hospital. Just about 30 minutes ago, we learned he had been taken there after experiencing shortness of breath. More on this in just a moment. A big day for baby Noor. The little Iraqi girl is set to undergo surgery here in the U.S. We'll have a live report. And the lobbyist scandal in Washington has many in Congress checking their finances. But should President Bush be worried? We'll take a look at that.</s>ANNOUNCER: You're watching AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Miles O'Brien.</s>SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody.</s>M. O'BRIEN: It's Monday. Did you have a good weekend?</s>S. O'BRIEN: I had a great weekend. How about you?</s>M. O'BRIEN: A little skiing.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Yes, me too.</s>M. O'BRIEN: Snowboarding for the kids. They are black and blue. But they were laughing the whole time. So, it must be good.</s>S. O'BRIEN: I never see snowboarders actually go down. I just see them fall down. That's it.</s>M. O'BRIEN: Yes, pretty much it's a weavel (ph) kind of thing. We have some important news to tell you about this morning, breaking news. We just learned that Vice President Dick Cheney was taken to George Washington University Hospital in Washington this morning. He has a history, of course, of heart problems, as you know. He is experiencing shortness of breath. Elaine Quijano is on the phone with us now. Elaine, this appears to be unrelated, however, to his cardiac condition, right?</s>ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right. According to the information that we've been given by Leon McBride (ph), who is with the vice president's office. She says around 3:00 a.m. this morning the vice president went to George Washington University Hospital, as you mentioned, experiencing shortness of breath at the time. His doctors found that an EKG of his was unchanged, however, and they determined that he was retaining fluid as a result of anti-inflammatory medication that he had been taking for a foot problem. Now, we're told that they have placed him on a diuretic, and he is expected to return home later today. Now, of course, it was last week -- in fact, last Friday -- that we saw the vice president walking with a cane. And at that time the vice president's office said that was because of an old injury involving his Achilles heel. Now, the vice president's office said at the time that his left foot was being treated with anti-inflammatory medicine. And this morning, again, we are learning at 3:00 a.m. this morning the vice president went to George Washington University Hospital, apparently retaining fluid as a result of anti-inflammatory medication -- Miles.</s>M. O'BRIEN: Elaine, what do we know about this old injury?</s>QUIJANO: We are told that apparently the foot problem was an osteoarthritis flare-up, something that he has had, a condition that acts up from time to time, we are told. It stiffens up. Usually it goes away after a day or two. So, it's a recurring condition. And that is why he was walking around with the cane. Again, at this point, although the vice president has had a history of heart trouble, it appears to be unrelated at this time.</s>M. O'BRIEN: Elaine Quijano on the line with us from Washington as we follow the vice president in the hospital this morning. We'll keep you posted on his condition. As we get more information we'll bring it to you -- Soledad.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Now to this remarkable story of baby Noor, the Iraqi infant who was born with a severe form of spina bifida. Well, doctors in Atlanta this morning are going to attempt to perform life-saving surgery on the baby. Let's get right to CNN's David Mattingly. He's in Atlanta this morning. Hey, David, good morning.</s>DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad. The incredible journey for this little baby continues. It was just a little over a month ago that Iraqi doctors were giving baby Noor just 45 days to live. That was because they were not able to treat the severe form of spina bifida that she was born with. Well, she's in the United States now, and that is about to change for her here at an Atlanta hospital.</s>MATTINGLY (voice over): Her name is the Arabic word for light. And even her doctors say they have been touched by the bright eyes and beaming smiles of tiny baby Noor. But they are now counting on that energy to bring the 3-month-old Iraqi through a series of surgeries needed to save her life. A severe type of the birth defect spina bifida left a portion of the child's spinal cord curled outward and exposed in a fluid-filled sac protruding from her back. Doctors will have to drain the fluid, cut a circular opening to reposition the spinal cord and then close the hole in her lower back.</s>DR. ROGER HUDGINS, NEUROSURGEON: Once we take that sac off we're going to be left with a relatively large hole in the skin. We're going to close that with the help of a pediatric plastic surgeon.</s>MATTINGLY: Neurosurgeon Roger Hudgins says baby Noor's condition is more complicated than most. The growth on her back is almost twice as large as he usually sees, and a layer of skin has grown over it. That skin has helped protect her from life-threatening infection, but it also makes surgery more difficult.</s>HUDGINS: First, from a technical standpoint, the first thing that we do in a surgery like this is find the spinal cord. Usually that's very easy, because it's right there on the surface and you know where you can and you can't go. In this situation, and looking at her large sac, I don't see the spinal cord, again, because it's covered with skin that's grown in.</s>MATTINGLY: At the time she was discovered in her Iraqi home by members of the Georgia National Guard, doctors there had given baby Noor a month-and-a-half to live. The remarkable humanitarian effort to bring her to Atlanta for treatment is expected to save her life. But the life she will have will be far from normal. (on camera): Will she ever be able to walk?</s>HUDGINS: I don't think so at this point.</s>MATTINGLY (voice over): A lack of response in her legs suggests permanent damage. Doctors also worry about a build-up of fluid on her brain, seen here in the dark areas of a CAT scan. A tube will likely be permanently inserted into her brain to siphon off the excess fluid. Other surgeries may also be necessary to address drainage problems with her bladder.</s>S. O'BRIEN: All right. We're all watching it. David Mattingly for us this morning. David, thanks. Other stories making news. Carol has got that. Good morning again.</s>CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is starting to breathe on his own, a sign he is coming out of a medically-induced coma. Doctors announcing earlier today that they're lowering his sedatives. The prime minister has been in the hospital since Wednesday when he suffered a major stroke. Doctors say his condition is still critical. But a brain scan from Sunday shows improvement and his vital signs look good this morning. Randy McCloy, Jr., the lone survivor of the coal mine accident in West Virginia, could open his eyes soon. Doctors say the sedatives are starting to wear off, and he could come out of a medically-induced coma within the next couple of days. In the meantime, more funeral services are set for today in honor of the 12 miners who died. West Virginia's governor is holding a news conference later this morning. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito heading to the White House in the next hour. Judge Alito will join President Bush for breakfast before facing the Senate Judiciary Committee for his first confirmation hearing. CNN will have live coverage of that hearing. Join Wolf Blitzer for an extended edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM." That begins at noon Eastern. And the bird flu may be spreading in Turkey. Health officials confirm five new cases of the deadly strain. Three children there died from the virus last week. A team from the World Health Organization is on the scene. Fourteen people in Turkey are now confirmed with the bird flu. Let's head to the forecast center in Atlanta to check in with Chad. Good morning.</s>CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol. It's so nice to see you're back.</s>COSTELLO: Thank you so much.</s>MYERS: Where were you?</s>COSTELLO: It's so much to see you're back on AMERICAN MORNING. Where have you been?</s>MYERS: I've been playing Mr. Mom. But my wife wanted her job back. So...</s>COSTELLO: Yes, and I bet you did too.</s>MYERS: Yes, I did actually.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Nice temperatures. It's absolutely warm out there.</s>M. O'BRIEN: Yes. And balmy as they say.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Yes.</s>M. O'BRIEN: Coming up, dare we say the "R" word? Are we heading to a recession? Andy is "Minding Your Business."</s>S. O'BRIEN: And then coming up after that, a series of political scandals on Capitol Hill. Will more big names be brought down? We're going to take a look just ahead as we continue on AMERICAN MORNING.