DALLAS (BP)–The lone survivor of a March 15 attack on five Southern Baptist humanitarian aid workers in Iraq is back in the United States.
Carrie Taylor McDonnall arrived Saturday evening, March 20, at a Dallas-area hospital on a medevac flight from Germany. She is reported to be in stable condition after the 12-hour flight.
Physicians who evaluated McDonnall on arrival are pleased with her condition and optimistic about her recovery. She received wounds in the chest, face and all four limbs in the attack, which killed her husband, David, and co-workers Karen Watson and Larry and Jean Elliott.
The doctors reported that bones shattered by small arms fire in McDonnall’s right arm and leg are aligned and healing. Her facial injuries do not appear to require reconstructive surgery. And while McDonnall lost most of three fingers on her left hand, her thumb and middle finger are intact, leaving her with a functional hand. She is right handed.
Physicians also reported that her other wounds are healing well.
McDonnall has been heavily sedated since the attack, but since arriving in Dallas she has awakened and is responding to family, the doctors said.
A memorial service for her husband, David, was held March 20 in his hometown of Lamar, Colo. A service for Karen Watson is scheduled for March 24 in Bakersfield, Calif., and for the Elliotts March 25 in Cary, N.C.
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