The image that touched hearts

The picture of a paramedic rescuing an injured baby during the Lebanese civil war was the main element in their reunion, the photographer said.

That picture appeared in scores of publications around the world drawing attention to the devastating war in Lebanon.

However, nearly two years ago, it was among the pictures that "touched the hearts" during an exhibition held in a California mall.

"I received the picture from my brother who lived in the US for 17 years," said Nabeel Bitar, former Red Cross worker who rescued the baby, in an interview with Gulf News.

Nabeel said he immediately identified the picture, a copy of which he has in the form of a poster.

When his brother came back to Beirut, he and Nabeel wrote to Zaven Qeomijian, a famous Lebanese TV presenter, hoping Qeomijian would include the picture in his book "on the tragedies the Lebanese suffer from," after "we have seen that it (picture) has reached the other end of the globe."

After the e-mail reached Qeomijian, the Lebanese mediaman started a search, which culminated in his TV show last year, during which the reunion of the former relief worker and Joyce took place.