An infant known as "Baby 81" who miraculously survived Sri Lanka's tsunami attack on Dec. 26 has been granted an opportunity to visit the United States, The Island newspaper reported on Thursday.

The seven-day visit to the United States is organized by a forum of media organization in New York, the paper said.

The infant who miraculously survived the tsunami and later went through the agony of a court battle was finally reunited with his parents on Feb. 16.

Murugupillai Jeyarajah and his wife Juanita took charge of the child from the court after a ruling on Feb. 16 that the DNA tests had proved that they were the real parents of the child.

District Judge of Kalmunai M.P. Mohideen delivered a 22-page ruling on the case before ordering the release of Abhilesh to the Jeyarajahs.

The baby came to be known as the "baby 81" because it was the 81st victim admitted to the hospital more than 200 Kms off colomboon Dec. 26 when the killer tsunami tidal waves struck the country's coastlines.
 
(Xinhua News Agency February 24, 2005)