This week's Gaza report is about three children now in Israel for heart treatment, Roa, Ibrahim, and Nawal.
Roa:
Roa has one hole in his heart, blocked arteries, and additional kidney problems. You might also be able to tell that he has Down's Syndrome. We can pray for all of Roa’s problems to be cured, not just his heart condition. The Lord gives life, and gives it abundantly.
Ibrahim:
Ibrahim has three holes in his heart, and one blocked artery. He has not received heart surgery yet. He does however have a hearty appetite! We can pray for a speedy and successful operation, and a quick recovery.
Nawal:
Nawal has already undergone heart surgery, and might be discharged on Sunday, May 13. She had suffered from two VSD's (ventricular septal defects). When we visited her on Friday, she had just vomited – small evidence of the larger complications that doctors are facing to ensure her well being. They are working with compassion and skill. Her parents are believers, and we can pray for their endurance in this process as for family.
Thank you for your encouragement and support of Shevet Achim through your prayers. It is not assumed, and we want to express gratitude for brothers and sisters like you who bear this burden together with us.
We had a big group, and well as a big day, going to the hospital this last Friday. Together in our party were one American, two South Koreans, and one Brazilian as we went to spend time with and minister to the children from Gaza who are now in the hospital. We also had two girls travelling home to Gaza this weekend after heart treatment in Tel Aviv. Exciting!
This time, there seemed to be many more babies than usual! This is a good thing, because it means that more patients are being reached. We started off in a room that was full of Shevet children. I was happy to see that the mothers all seemed to be getting along quite well. When the mothers are in good spirits it is a help to the babies, and it created a very pleasant atmosphere in the room.
Jawan -
First we met ten month old baby Jawan. As you can tell from the picture, she is a sweet-tempered baby. She was so engaging that everyone was holding her and playing with her.
She came to Israel with two holes in her heart. One hole was successfully closed in her recent surgery, and the other hole should close naturally. She does however have a high temperature, as well as a blood infection. She's doing better now, but because the reason for these two symptoms is unclear, the doctors would like to wait a bit more before releasing her to go home. Please pray for her infection to disappear, and for the temperature to go down, as she endures the final stages of recuperation.
Mohammed -
Mohammed is an incredibly playful little boy. You'd never be able to tell he had a heart problem! We had a great time playing with him, and I think it was a welcome diversion for him. He had his surgery today, after our visit, to repair the two holes in his heart. He was actually under touch isolation which we didn't realize until later. So please pray that he did not catch any bugs from us.
Omar -
Omar was the quiet one of the bunch. I guess he is allowed to be shy, at two and a half months old. His family was unaware that there was a problem with his heart until his mother consulted with a family friend about a Omar's breathing. Since this friend is a doctor, they were able to advise that it might be a heart problem. The surgery he received closed one hole, and the staff is waiting for the other to close. We can thank God for bringing his heart condition to his family's attention as fast as He did. We can also pray for the high blood pressure that he is experiencing, that this symptom would diminish.
Farrah -
I had completely forgotten about baby Farrah, which is funny, because she is the baby that I have visited the most so far in the hospital. I saw her once before her operation, once afterwards, later on in the ICU, and then this time. The Gaza babies switch so fast, sometimes I can hardly keep up. But I happened to see her mother, so we went to see her baby together in secondary ICU (she had been moved just that day from primary ICU). Farrah had no oxygen tank this time, and looked so much better! She had been given a little milk, and even seemed to be gaining weight. Let's thank God for Farrah's progress, and pray for her swift release home, as soon as she's ready.
Abud -
Abud has had his surgery, and is recovering well. He and his mother were actually supposed to go home today, but his last ECHO showed some water in his lungs, so they need to wait a bit more. Let's trust God to heal this last issue as soon as possible.
Zahra -
Zara is another baby that has been here for some weeks. During this visit, I had some fun trying to understand what her mother was saying; I happened to have a notebook with a picture of a heart, and my virtually non-existent Arabic. You may remember that she needs to gain some weight before the doctors can operate. I'm happy to report that she's almost there - she only has about a kilo to go. This baby has two holes in the heart, as well as transposition of the great arteries.
Last but not least, 2 girls went home on Friday: Shams and Amani.
Shams -
Amani -
As we were waiting at the hospital for the team members to come back from dropping Shams and Amani at the Erez crossing, we were talking about the need for heart surgeries, and how it seems to be growing, great as the need already is. I've heard this kind of overwhelming need described as emptying the ocean with an eye-dropper. On the other hand, all except two of the above eight babies are post-op, and doing well.
But if you're anything like me, you are very practical and visual, and don't always like the more metaphorical side of life. So if you're praying from across the ocean or continents away, and this seems like a tall order, be reminded of the centurion in Luke 7, who trusted God to just say the word, and heal his servant. Praise God that he tell us to ask for faith, if we feel we lack it. May God bless you richly for standing with us and with these children.
Before surgery:
Last Tuesday I went to Erez Crossing to bring Abdullah to Wolfson Medical Center, and I was so glad to meet this very cute child
When we arrived to the hospital I had the privilege to spend some time with him and his mother. She was very concerned about the surgery and afraid that it might not succeed. I encouraged her to have hope in God and to trust the doctors. I’ve seen many children with Abdullah’s diagnosis receive the same surgery successfully.
And I left the hospital after I saw that she was feeling better and beginning new friendships with the other Palestinian mothers.
After surgery:
Abdullah underwent heart surgery and is doing very well in ICU. His mother was so glad to see our team coming to visit her, and she said that all the doctors and nurses love Abdullah and are singing for him and playing with him. One of the nurses even brought chocolate pudding especially for him.
Abdullah's mother was thanking God and the medical team about the result of the surgery, and said that hopefully Abdullah will be out of the ICU after few days.
This week’s Gaza report is about four Palestinian children now in Israel for heart surgery: Farrah, Khalil, Fatma, and Abed. A team of Shevet volunteers visited them on Friday at Wolfson Hospital, and this is what they found.
Farrah:
Farah received heart operation this past Wednesday, and is doing reasonably well; her respiratory pattern remains erratic, and she needs an oxygen tank. When I visited her, her body was shaking from the oxygen tank next to her. It must be traumatic, even if she does not understand everything. Please ask the Lord to help her breathe properly on her own.
Khalil:
Khalil had his surgery on Tuesday, and seems to be well on the road to recovery. When we visited with him on Friday, we had a wonderful time playing together: he became interested in passing stickers around, and then played with a mouse doll. He even tried to blow bubbles, but couldn't quite manage it because his chest cavity was still aching from the surgery. Let's pray that next week he will either be home or able to blow bubbles to his heart's content.
Fatma:
Fatma arrived in Israel last Sunday. She has two holes in heart, as well as arteries that need to be corrected to the proper position. Please pray for Fatma to gain weight so that doctors can operate on her, and fix these conditions.
Abed:
Abed suffers from breathing problems, and the doctors still don't know what to do for him. Please pray for God to guide the doctors in their analysis of the situation. Abed has been in the hospital too long, and it is difficult both for him and for his family in Gaza.
This week's Gaza report is about three children now in Israel for heart treatment: Fatima, Abdel Karim, and Farah.
Fatima:
The first child from Gaza we visited today was Fatima. Sadly, the doctors do not understand her situation. They believe that there is some kind of clotting problem. Thankfully, Fatima does not feel fatigued, but the doctors know that there is a problem. She is 11 years and five days old. Please pray that the doctors will have clarity how to proceed with Fatima’s case.
Abdel Karim:
After Fatima, we saw Abdel Karim, the “mow-hawk baby.” He has been at the hospital for a month. Abdel has already had his surgery, and all is well; doctors only wish to see higher oxygen levels. He is two months old. So we can pray for oxygen to fill up his system, and flow through his body the way it should. Let's also pray for strength for his grandmother, to be strong for her grandson until he is completely well again.
Farah:
The last patient we visited was Farah, which means happiness. There seems to be a blood pressure problem in her lungs. The doctors cannot operate on her heart until the lungs are improved, but they do not yet know how to correct the problem. I noticed, as we were wrapping up our visit, Farah's mother was kneeling to Mecca in prayer. We can also pray, that even in her difficult moment she might have "the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a faint spirit" (Isaiah 61:3).
The visit to the hospital today struck me differently than my other visits so far. Two of the patients’ treatment plans are not clear at the moment, and it filled me with a certain sadness. Earlier in the day I prayed for a deeper understanding about the work we do, and I was reminded of Mark 5, the story of the bleeding woman who touched the Lord's garment. It is amazing to think how the Lord knew the moment she received the healing, and cared enough to ask who had touched him. I believe she could have made good her escape into the crowd, and remained healed. But Jesus wanted to make personal contact with the woman, and communicate to her that the healing was a gift, not something stolen.
Maybe the caregivers and patients do not come directly to God as a source of healing, but we can pray on their behalf. What a wonderful thing to know that He sees, loves, and gives life to ALL the patients.
Hamdan is beautiful baby girl who crossed the border from Gaza into Israel today on a journey of hope. At just three months of age, she is in urgent need of open heart surgery from Wolfson's cardiologists. A series of tests, including an echo, were performed today to confirm her diagnosis of Patent Ductus Arteriosis (PDA). When Hamdan was born, a blood vessal called the ductus arteriosis, which normally closes with a baby's first cry, remained open. The ensuing problem is a high volume of oxygenated blood being sent to the lungs rather than the rest of the body, where it's needed most. By closing the ductus arteriosis, Hamdam's heart will function at a much greater capacity, allowing her to thrive and gain weight as well. Praise God for making a way for Hamdam to receive the very best and timeliest of care! 
I also had the joy of meeting three-year-old Samea this afternoon at Wolfson Hospital. He arrived from Gaza to receive treatment for a heart defect known as a partial Atrioventricular (AV) Canal. Essentially, part of Samea's heart did not fully develop in utero. This has led to a dramatic mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood over the years. Doctors hope to correct his heart, rebuilding the inner chambers so that he can grow healthy and strong. Samea seems to be a confident little boy, shaking my hand and allowing me to take a picture of him almost immediately. Before a surgery date is scheduled, he may need a diagnostic procedure called a catheterization for doctors to get a better interior perspective of his heart. Please pray for he and his mother as they settle into their new surroundings. May Samea receive full restoration from the One who heals the brokenhearted.
On Friday a group from Shevet Achim went to Wolfson Hospital to visit children from Gaza. Two children were in ICU recovering from heart surgery, Rimas and Yunis. As you will read, both of heart surgeries were successful, and both of recoveries are complicated now with lung problems.
Rimas:
Rimas is a baby girl from Gaza Strip who underwent heart surgery last week at Wolfson Hospital, outside Tel Aviv.
Rimas’ stomach is swollen in ICU, and the staff is waiting to see stool before giving her food. She also has blood in her lungs, as an x-ray on Thursday showed.
The medical staff has started to decrease Rimas’ heart medicine, and her latest blood test results are good. The nurse and Rimas' mother were washing her while we were there, and I'm sure it felt good to her mother to be useful.
Let's pray for the blood in Rimas lungs to disappear. Let's also trust in God to see her eating food the next time we visit her.
Yunis:
As the last blog related, before a heart operation was possible for Yunis, his lungs needed to become stronger. Otherwise, the post-operation recovery would be jeopardized. Thankfully, since the last writing, Yunis’ lungs improved to the point where he was a good surgery candidate, and his small body is now acclimating itself to a new heart.
But Yunis is still having lung trouble. When we visited, he was having difficulty breathing, so much so that he could not even get in a proper cry! After a bottle of milk, he was in better spirits.
Yunis still needs a breathing tube, which doctors are hoping to remove in a few days. So we can pray for the strengthening of his lungs and heart, and also that his mother, who is with him in the hospital, continues to have good energy to care for her son.
Friday was my first visit to Gaza children in the hospital, and I have a few general reflections:
I was struck with each mother’s different reaction to her situation. They are in a foreign country, don't understand the language or the culture, and therefore have to work twice as hard to understand their baby's situation. In addition, it is not easy to be in a continual state of limbo - watching your baby go through various procedures, before the main one that is expected to cure their heart; watching to see how he will recover; imagining the day when they can go home with their healthy baby. We can pray for the caretakers' state of mind, that they will be filled with a sense of peace and assurance.
Four children from Gaza were in the hospital on Friday, and these are their updates:
Khalil:
Khalil has one ventricular septal defect, and also a pulmonary stenosis that needs to be repaired. He will have a CT scan on Sunday, and open heart surgery on Monday.
Pray for the Lord to be in the OR throughout the surgery, guiding the surgeon's hands, and showing him the best way to repair Khalil's heart.
Abed:
Abed was the first baby we visited today. He has three ventricular septal defects, in addition to pulmonary stenosis. He is too weak right now for surgery, and the hospital staff wants to wait a bit more before operating.
Please pray for the Lord to carry him through until he's ready for surgery, and for the doctors to have wisdom.
Yunis:
Yunis is three months old. Before the doctors can fix his heart, they need his lungs to fill up better with oxygen. One operation has already been attempted on his lungs. Doctors performed the procedure again, and this time he is responding better.
Let's pray for his lungs to improve even more, so that the doctors can operate on and heal his heart.
Sohayib:
Sohayib is three months old. He is diagnosed with total anomalous pulmonary venus return, and an atrial septal defect. Sohayib received heart surgery on Thursday, February 23rd.
The staff was performing an echo on Sohayib while we were there today. They are very pleased with the results of the operation. They plan to remove the breathing tube tomorrow, after they are sure that he doesn't have too much air in his lungs.
Pray for the Sohayib's complete and full recovery, that his body will continue to get stronger following the operation.
A sudden call to take a little Iraqi boy to Wolfson Hospital today resulted in a swopping of schedules: such that we visited the Gaza children in hospital today (Thursday) and we will visit Kurdish children in Sheba Hospital tomorrow (Friday).
We only had three children from Gaza in Wolfson today, and this is their progress:
Mohammed:
Mohammed is in ICU and doing well after his surgery to address the transposition of his great arteries. It is expected that he will remain in ICU for a few more days.
Wonderfully, I was permitted to take a photo from a distance, and if you look carefully, you might catch a small glimpse of part of him.
Seba:
Seba was in surgery whilst we were at the hospital, and we do not yet have any news about her. We left before she emerged from the OR, and therefore do not have a photo of her either.
Her grandmother, who accompanied her to the hospital, had mixed feelings of desperate concern for her little grand-daughter, and relief that her surgery was at last under way.
Tala:
Lovely little Tala has had her catheterization, and will be returning to Gaza today in a separate transport. Sadly, we were not able to transport her, as our car was full up. But I do have a picture taken of her just prior to her departure.
A lot has happened since the last full blog which was written last Tuesday. It is unfortunate, and sad for me, that due to unavailable transport, we were unable to visit Wolfson Hospital and the Gaza mums and children again last week. Our first visit in the present week was on Sunday, then a quick visit on Monday, and longer time on Tuesday. Here are the updates:
Dina:
We had the great joy of being able to take little Dina back to the Gaza border on Sunday.
Maziona:
We also took sweet little Maziona to the border on Sunday, but their crossing was delayed due to a pass which mum was not able to find. However, thanks to the help of a young Israeli lady official at the border, their access to the border was secured within 20 minutes.
Seba:
We visited Seba on Monday and today, and her future surgery, which had been in some doubt, now seems to be a possibility for the near future. The fever which she had has abated.
Samir:
Samir went home on Thursday, and I am sorry we were not there to take a photo.
Mohammed:
Mohammed is a little baby of only a few weeks old who was rushed by emergency ambulance to Wolfson Hospital on Monday. I went in to ICU to see him on two occasions, but was refused permission to take photos. He was surrounded by medical personnel and is clearly in a serious position. We discovered that he was in surgery today whilst we were at the hospital. Although I asked for news, there was none at that time. This precious little boy really does need our heartfelt prayers.
Tala:
Tala is a lovely two year old girl with pulmonary valve stenosis who was admitted today for cath. This condition is a narrowing around the pulmonary valve, which inhibits blood flow.
Eiman:
Eiman is a sweet and lovely little girl, who doesn't really like her photo being taken! She has featured on our website before, and we can report that following today’s follow-up appointment, she is doing well, is not receiving medicines, and will attend another follow-up appointment in six months.
Salma:
Salma and her mum were taken home on Thursday February 9th, and we have heard that she is doing very well. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of her taken on her day of release.
Hayat:
Hyat also went home on Thursday, and we don't have a picture on his release, as we were not there to witness the event.
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