As this page yesterday reported, Doaa went into surgery, unknowing till the last moment. Other transportation needs called me elsewhere, so I was unable to stay until she came out of surgery.

So, today, as I was at the hospital, I apprehensively went into the ICU, not really knowing what to expect. The sight I saw warmed my heart. There lay Doaa, somewhat sedated, but fully comprehending my presence. She could not speak due to the oxygen mask, but raised her hand giving me a wave and a thumbs up. She knew she was in good hands, although the pain she was feeling was trying to tell her otherwise. Her expression of joy told the whole story, that she has placed her life and trust in the people of Save a Child's Heart and Shevet Achim who have assured her that she is on the way to a complete and fulfilling life after this heart condition is dealt with.

In my mind, this is a girl that owns the world. Her spunk and her ability to share her energy and attitude in a very positive way will only be limited by individuals that try to corral it. May it never be so.

Please keep her in your prayers. I believe we will see her out of ICU in a very few days and out of the hospital in a shorter time than average.

Each week, Shevet Achim staff drivers pick up a varying number of children from Gaza and deliver them to Wolfson Medical Center (WMC) in Holon (a Tel Aviv suburb). Each child has been deemed by his or her cardiologist in Gaza to have heart defects that will hinder their living a normal life. The children arrive to be re-evaluated as to the extent of their heart defects by the team of cardiologists at WMC.  Each trip becomes not only a time of meeting new children, but being reunited with those whom we have transported and developed relationships with before. 

Last week, we were reunited with a nine-year-old girl named Doaa who had been with us before. It was determined that she needed surgery and this was her trip scheduled for this procedure. 

For varying reasons, her surgery was postponed until today. As I was walking in the hallway of the hospital, I saw a person, in a room at the end of the hall, waving. Yes, it was Doaa. She had spotted me. That truly is her personality…so robust and outgoing. It makes me wonder what she will be like when her heart is functioning as it should be.

Her grandmother, who is her escort, was with her and has opted not to tell her until she just had to, so Doaa had no idea that her surgery was scheduled in a few hours. Accordingly, her face was alive with happiness. We posed for a few pictures together (and she took a few of others around her, including me).

Your prayers are cherished as she has now completed, by late afternoon, the surgery and now begins her recovery. Tomorrow, she will be awake again. Maybe a bit less vivacious, but knowing her, still able to give both a smile with her mouth and with her eyes.

It is so wonderful to know that God cares for her. He has made a way for her to get the help she needs, when there was no way within Gaza. This help comes through the hands of the doctors at WMC. It is truly a privilege to be involved in bringing God's solution to these little ones, that otherwise have no hope of living a normal and lengthy life. Praise be to Him!