MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine Philanthropist Transforms Kosovan Child's Life.

A rich Argentine woman has been highly praised in the British media for giving invaluable humanitarian aid to a war wounded Kosovan girl and for making the biggest ever private donation to the World Food Programme.

Fourteen-year-old Hyre Jashari, who lost an arm in a Serbian shelling attack, has expressed her gratitude to Amalia de Fortablat, aged 72, described as Argentina's wealthiest woman, well-known for her philanthropic work.

Eighteen months ago, in Buenos Aires, she was upset to learn about Hyre's plight when her arm had to be amputated in a makeshift hospital after a shelling attack by Serbian soldiers who also burned down her home.

Hyre nearly died from her infected wound as she was carried by stretcher over the mountains in a blizzard to Montenegro.

Her suffering and bravery so impressed Amalia de Fortablat that she donated two-million dollars to the World Food Programme and offered to pay for the best treatment it was possible to find.

After the Sunday Times newspaper located the girl in a two-room flat in North Western Kosovo, she was flown in de Fortablat's Learjet aicraft to Bologna in Italy and fitted with a prosthetic arm at the renowned Rizzoli Institute by surgeon Professor Rinaldo Sacchetti. As she returned to Kosovo a few days ago, Professor Sacchetti said: "I am very optimistic she will now be able to lead a normal live". Hyre said: "I am so grateful. Until now my life was filled with despair. But now I can do things again that I though I never could, like riding a bicycle". She attends the village school and has learned to write with her left hand.

Amalia de Fortablat was prevented from travelling to Bologna for medical reasons but hopes to meet Hyre next year when she returns to Italy for a check up. The clinic is sending a video film of Hyre to the Argentine philanthropist, who is said to control one of Latin America's biggest business enterprises, with a fortune estimated at more than 1,3 (one point three) billion dollars. Many of Kosovo's child war victims had arms or legs blown off.

Harold Briley, London.