INDIANAPOLIS - The father of an Afghan baby who received life-saving heart surgery in Indianapolis only to die upon his return to Afghanistan hopes to expand a school he built in his son's honour.

Hakim Wardak tells WTHR (http://bit.ly/YhUCrx ) he was inspired to open the school after spending time in Indiana during son Qudrat's 2005 surgery and noticing that American women were educated.

He says the Taliban bars women from getting educations, but his school is open to both boys and girls.

Wardak used money raised by Indiana Rotarians and churches to study medicine and education in Pakistan before building the school in northern Afghanistan.

The school was designed for 200 students but now houses 350. The Indiana family that hosted the Wardaks is raising money to help him expand.

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Information from: WTHR-TV, http://www.wthr.com/

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