Halo's Heart Surgery
 Saturday
September
1,
2007
Saying Goodbye
Filed
by
Today
Halo and his father are on their way to Amman, where
early
tomorrow morning they will catch their flight for
Iraq. After saying goodbye to the Shevet Achim staff in
Jerusalem
yesterday, we made our way to the border, and said goodbye
to Israel. After a good night's rest and plenty of
good food
mixed with times of laughter and conversation, we agreed to
Halo's
father's request that they go ahead to Amman on the bus from
Dirk's. So just a few hours ago, we said our final goodbyes to
Halo and his dad as we drove them to the bus.
Here
is how the last day and a half have gone: The border
crossing was very smooth for all of us; thank you for praying.
We were even blessed to be able to  walk straight out of the Israeli
terminal and onto the waiting bus which crosses to Jordan rather than
having to sit in the very hot bus stop until another bus came. This may
sound small, but in the draining heat, (especially for Halo) it was a
big blessing for us. After
easily being approved at the Jordanian terminal, we did have
to wait awhile outside as
Dirk made his way to meet us. However when Halo was presented with a
gift of some magnets (sent by interested friends in the US to
share with the patients), his fun with them made the time pass
quickly. On our way to Dirk's home however, we had a bit of trouble
with the van as it overheated on our way through the
mountains, so we didn't get to Dirk's until last
night after a full day of travel. Needless to say we all were anxious
for a good night's rest!
Today
I had opportunity to share with them some cards made for Halo
by children in a church in the US. These children have been
praying for Halo since he was first listed on the website. The cards
came to Jerusalem for Halo before he did, so when I
returned from America, and found he had not yet
received them, I was happy to be able to give them to him as a
farewell gift. He was delighted to see the children who made the cards,
and his father was touched as he read the Arabic translations
of some prayers which came by email for Halo as well.
Before a
big farewell lunch prepared for Halo and his dad,
we gathered for a time of singing and prayer
for them. We not only thanked God for all He
has done so far, we also prayed for a miracle for Halo's heart in the
future, and blessings on Halo's father's work, and the family. We are
hopeful that Halo's mother will be completely healed of the
cancer, and prayed for this as well. We are thankful and joyful in
knowing that the answers to all of these prayers are found in Jesus and
His loving sacrifice made for every person, including this
little boy and his family. Therefore we can send them on with
confidence, knowing His word shared with others accomplishes
the purposes He sends it for, and He is with them every step of the
way.
Our
volunteer LC adds:
Yesterday,
Halo and his father made their way home after spending one-and-a-half
months in Israel. We
set off for the Bet Shean crossing into Jordan as soon as we got
Halo’s
prescribed medicine from the pharmacy.
The
border crossing went rather smoothly, with the usual security checks.
We were early and had to wait for almost an hour on the Jordan
side. Unfortunately, the weather was particularly hot and there was
hardly any
breeze.
Halo
kept making tsk-tsk sounds and saying, “Geermah!
Geermah!” (Kurdish for “Hot!
Hot!”). After a while, Halo's father splashed
Halo’s face with their bottle of
drinking water to cool him down! Below, he's pictured drying off his
ears.
Because
of the long distance Dirk had driven all the way to pick us up at Bet
Shean, the
engine of the van was over-heated. We had to stop a couple of times to
cool the
vehicle and the air-conditioning was turned off. Halo was given a large
bottle
of iced-water (which Dirk had brought) to hold up to his face and neck,
while Halo's father fanned him vigorously with a book!
Eventually
we got to a gas station to attend to the over-heated engine while Halo
took off
to the toilet. I joked with Halo that both he and the van needed the
“harmum”
(toilet/shower) and “ow” (water). Halo squealed
with laughter. A while later,
Halo whispered in my ear, “No good sierra” (the van
is no good) and signaled
with his finger to his lips, “woos”…
meaning that I should not tell the others
what he just said!
When
we got to Dirk’s home, the entire Kleinloh troop came to
welcome Halo, who by
then was pretty tired and seemed listless! 
Both Dirk and Manuela were amazed at
how much weight Halo
has put on since they last saw him before his operation, and at how
much weight Halo's father has lost in the meantime!
This
morning we had a short time of singing, and we gave thanks to GOD for
Halo’s
successful surgery and fine recovery. We also prayed for
Halo’s sick mother in
Iraq. Halo's father thanked all who have been involved in helping his
son and said,
“alhumduulilla” (thanks be to GOD).
Manuela
cooked a wonderful lunch, with chicken done the German-style. Halo
heartily tucked into this last meal we all had together before leaving
for
Amman where Halo's father wanted to do some last-minute shopping before
their flight
home to Iraq.
 Thursday
August 30,
2007
Halo Is Going Home!
Filed
by
The long-awaited word of Halo's
dismissal was just what his father had hoped to hear today after Dr.
Tamir performed the final echo. None of us were very sure that
he could be released to travel after the seriousness of the
fluid around his heart last week, but the echo showed that there was no
fluid today. Praise God! The relief to Halo's father was
tangible, and through the rest of the day and this evening his whole
disposition is changed. He is so very anxious to get home to his wife
who is suffering from cancer.
Halo was more concerned about having
lunch for the immediate reaction since his appetite has
increased following his surgery. As Dr. Tamir noted, he seems to be
making up for all the years he didn't feel like eating when he was
sick. He will go home on some medications which will continue to thwart
any possibility of further problems with fluid build up. The doctors
and nurses were very careful to be sure all of us knew how much
medication he needed and how to administer it before they leave for
home.
There were some fond farewells between
Halo's father and Maryam's
father, who have been a wonderful support for one another
throughout this process of waiting, surgery, recuperation and follow
up.
Tomorrow morning LC, Halo, his
father and I will leave from Jerusalem escorted by
Simantov, and cross into Jordan where our Jordan coordinator, Dirk,
will meet us on the other side and take us to his home for a
few days. Sunday we will accompany Halo and his father to the
airport where they will fly home for their wonderful family
reunion.
Please pray for our border crossing
tomorrow, and for a restful stay with Dirk's family as we await the
flight on Sunday. Pray fervently for Halo's mother to be healed of the
cancer, as we know we have a God who heals. Remember that the
current diagnosis for Halo includes another surgery in about one year,
so may we also pray in faith for the total healing of
Halo's heart. Notify
me when Halo's page is updated
at this
email:
Sunday, August 26,
2007
Dismissed to Jerusalem
 Filed
by
After spending four days in the hospital
due to increased fluid around his heart, Halo was dismissed back to
Jerusalem this afternoon. We found him and his dad happily and
anxiously waiting when we arrived, but took time to visit with Maryam
before heading back. Halo
is finishing some Prednisone which has been treating his fluid
build-up, and is due to have his final echo on Thursday. God willing,
he will be dismissed to go back to Iraq then.
By the time we arrived at the Shevet house, Halo was feeling rather
sad, as he misses his mother... and was not readily consoled. However,  he was also hungry, and a visit by the
Berg children helped settle him while he enjoyed a little dinner.
Please pray with us that Halo will be
released on Thursday and we can escort him home right afterwards.
His
father is determinedly waiting it out, but rather impatient to get back
to his wife and children... understandably so.
We
know that God has all things related to this family under His care even
when His timing is beyond us, and we trust Him as He does His work in
their lives. Notify
me when Halo's page is updated
at this
email:
Thursday
August 23,
2007
Fever Gone; Good Appetite
Filed
by
When I met
Halo this morning, he was having a hearty breakfast of fried
chicken and chips brought by a well-wisher. I had my
camera rolling when Halo was ever-ready
to show what a good appetite he has!
Halo's
fever has gone. The doctor explained that the fever
could be due to the inflammation of his heart as a result of the
buildup of fluids around it. Yesterday's blood culture came
back negative, but nothing can be confirmed as yet, as
something may surface from the blood culture after a couple of
days. Hopefully the results will remain negative, which would
mean that Halo did not get an infection. Halo will have
another echocardiogram tomorrow to check on the presence of
fluids around his heart. Do pray for the LORD's healing touch
upon him, and for Halo's father, who is still believing that
Halo should be discharged right after the echo. When Halo woke up from
his afternoon nap, he accepted my invitation to visit Maryam and
walked with me to her ward with his father's blessings. Halo's dad did
not come along as he wanted some time alone. Maryam was
delighted to see Halo although she didn't talk much, as she
was still feeling pain in her body. We had some fun pointing
to the various activities of elephants in the prints on the nurse's
uniform. Halo particularly liked the elephant which was showering a
bird. He laughed when I said, "F'eel harmam" (ie. elephant bathing).Notify
me when Halo's page is updated
at this
email:
Wednesday, August 22,
2007
Feverish Halo Re-Admitted
to Hospital
 Filed
by
Shortly
after 10.30am this morning, Halo's father told us that Halo
was running a fever. Donna took his temperature, and it was 38
degrees Centigrade. Halo was very lethargic, and kept crying
"Janagah, janagah!" (pain, pain) and indicated
that his arms hurt. Later his father coaxed
him to eat, but he threw up the food almost
immediately. When I checked his temperature again, it
had gone up to 38.6 degrees C.
We
took Halo to Wolfson, and Dr Tamir was surprised to see
him because his "echo" was not until tomorrow. But
the symptoms called for an immediate echo and blood test. The echo
determined that there has been a build up of more fluid around his
heart, and Halo had to be re-admitted.
When
Dr Tamir explained the situation to Halo's father, the father
was extremely
discouraged as
he was mentally geared towards leaving for Iraq after
the 'final' echo originally scheduled for tomorrow. He desperately
wants to be home as soon as possible, as his
wife is suffering from breast cancer. Please pray fervently
for him to be ministered to by the Holy Spirit in supernatural ways so
that even through this present crisis, he and his household
will come to know the Master Healer who saves precious lives.
On a
lighter note: After I took a photo of Halo in his
"penguin pose" while he was waiting for his blood
test, I got a slight smile from the boy when I showed him his
photo. Then I started to video Halo and then panned the camera
over to his sullen-looking father, whereupon I heard a chuckle and
saw Halo trying to control his laughter! This little
fellow does have an interesting sense of humour! Click on the
video and you can see Halo chuckling away.
Halo
started to cry when he was anticipating the pain from the prick of the
needle during the blood test. But when he saw his father
covering his own nose with lots of paper towels
to avoid the smell of blood, he broke out into
laughter again.
Notify
me when Halo's page is updated
at this
email:
Sunday, August 19,
2007
Fluid Around Halo's Heart
Filed
by Today Halo returned to
Wolfson for his supposedly final echocardiogram. But
when the procedure took longer than usual, and with Dr Tam having to
get a second opinion from Dr Tamir, we became quite concerned.
We were then told that
there is fluid around Halo's heart, and Dr Tamir was reluctant to
release Halo to return home, much to Halo's father's disappointment.
The Wolfson medical staff wants to make doubly sure that
Halo's condition does not deteriorate, as a build-up of fluids
around his heart can become life-threatening. Halo is scheduled for
another "echo" on Thursday to monitor his condition. Please join us in
prayer for the LORD's healing upon Halo, and for Halo's father
to keep his spirits up and make the most of this time while
they are in Israel. PS: Besides constantly
teasing me with his favorite greeting "Seram janagah!"
(head-ache!), Halo is also picking up many English words.
He gives me the Kurdish words for the fruits and animals I
point out to him in English. Indeed, both of us are making the most of
his extended stay in Jerusalem! Notify
me when Halo's page is updated
at this
email:
Saturday Night, August 18,
2007
Final(?) Echocardiogram
Tomorrow
Filed
by
Halo
and his father have been staying at the Shevet House on Prophets Street
in Jerusalem since last Sunday when they came over from Tel
Aviv.
Halo is due for his echo-cardiogram tomorrow,
and this will
determine if he's fit to return home. On Thursday, both Halo
and his father returned to Wolfson Hospital with the Shevet volunteers
to visit Maryam
and Hadeel.
There he met a couple of patients from Rwanda and played a
"Matching-3-cards" game with them. Thursday evening, after
Halo's return from his day trip, I found him voluntarily sweeping in
the garden while his father looked on contentedly, delighted
that his boy has the stamina
to carry out such an activity!
Earlier in the week,
Halo wanted to push the cart when we shopped for groceries at the
supermart. Indeed, this boy is growing stronger by the day, thanks be
to GOD! In the
meantime, Halo is picking up some English
words but his greater amusement comes from teaching me
Kurdish, and especially making fun of me by repeatedly
greeting me with the first Kurdish word he heard me say:"Seram janagah",
which means "headache". I had learnt this very expressive
word from Um Zhino
when we were coping with challenging situations over in Haifa!
And
here's a picture of Halo waving on his way home from the shuk (open-air
market) yesterday.
Notify
me when Halo's page is updated
at this
email:
Sunday, August 12,
2007
Halo Discharged from
Hospital
 Filed
by
Today, when I
visited the Iraqi children at Wolfson in Tel Aviv (it's been over three
weeks since I last met them, as I'm based in Haifa), Halo met me with a
firm and strong Hi-5 'whack'. This little boy is getting
stronger by the day since his successful surgery just two
weeks ago. And his father says Halo has been eating very well too.
Praise the LORD for Halo's speedy recovery and healthy growth! Halo played a little
paper-ball game with Maryam
before leaving Wolfson Hospital and he was intent on getting his hands
into a surgical glove when I asked him to pose for a photo with his
playmate.
Here's
a video of Halo and Maryam playing ball. Just click the arrow:
Halo and his father are
now at the Shevet house in Jerusalem, and will return to Wolfson in a
week's time for a final echocardiogram to determine his fitness
to return to Iraq.Notify
me when Halo's page is updated
at this
email:
Sunday, August 5,
2007
Halo's Highway to Healing
 Filed
by
Halo continues
to make a miraculously speedy recovery! Still grinning with the
trademark Halo smile, he is in the children's ward and
well clear of the ICU. Even the nurses are amazed at his
recovery. Amidst the birthday celebrations today, I
found Halo jealously hoarding a rather large piece of cake on his bed. We sat
together happily, him chewing mouthfuls of
cake and I regarding his pink lips and peachy skin which just
days before had been a worrying shade of blue. Halo however
was more interested in trying to take pictures of me than in
letting me take a photo of him. Halo's father's mood is a
complete reflection of his child's progress--as Halo
recovers from his heart surgery, so the joy in Halo's father's
heart is returning and bringing healing. Notify
me when Halo's page is updated
at this
email:
Tuesday, July 31,
2007
Smiling and Extubated
 Filed
by
What a joy to
see Halo smiling and already extubated within 24
hours of surgery! Tuesday brought great reports
from the ICU all around. Halo's was no exception.
Already drinking water from a cup, Halo is
making wonderful progress. Maryam and her dad traveled from
Jerusalem to Tel Aviv with me today, to
celebrate his successful surgery. Upon arriving
at the hospital, Maryam picked out a
larger-than-life Bugs Bunny helium balloon, convinced that
it would be the best one for cheering up Halo.
Unfortunately, she and her father were stopped
short of Halo's bedside in the ICU,
since they aren't family members. That was a
disappointment, but perhaps a blessing in disguise: Since
Maryam hasn't had her operation yet, the tubes, blood,
iodine, etc., could have alarmed her. As we were arriving, Abu
Halo was heading off to grab lunch at the
cafeteria and gave us meal passes to join him. We
sat down with a couple of parents from Gaza whose
children are both in the ICU as well. The
continued "thanks to God" were rolling off their lips
as three of their children have made it through
surgery in the past three days. Their camaraderie
is fun to see! Dr. Eli said he was
pleased with Halo's recovery up to this point and
didn't allude to having to deal with the bleeding
in his left ventricle anymore. Halo's lips
truly are a beautiful, healthy shade of red.
His fingers and toes are slowly returning to a
normal pigment as well. His father proudly shows off
his extremities as if they were his trophies.
Take note below that his father even has a little
grin on his face. I think I caught him off guard
because as you can tell from previous pictures,
he is not a fan of smiling for cameras.  Notify
me when Halo's page is updated
at this
email:
Monday, July 30,
2007
Recovering in ICU After
4-Hour Surgery
 Filed
by Today
I walked into the Wolfson Medical Center and
encountered the unshaven, tired-eyed father of Halo. Halo’s
father has been waiting
several months for this monumental day.
We dispensed with the pleasantries quickly
so we could find
out how is son was doing.
With his hand
over his heart and a furrowed brow he said, "All is well.”
After
a four-hour, somewhat simple surgery, Halo
emerged with pinker lips and fingers, compared to the ominous blue
extremities he has had most of his life. In
questioning a doctor
I found out that there was some concern that he was bleeding
from his left ventricle. While
in the
ICU I watched them change the tube draining the blood and insert a new
one. There was
discussion about whether
or not a procedure was needed to curve the bleeding.
For now they have decided against it.
Please remember that the surgery is
sometimes
the easy part. Now
begins the long
process of healing. We
will know more as
the days progess. Please
keep praying. Notify
me when Halo's page is updated
at this
email:
 ThursdayJuly
26, 2007
Surgery Slated for Monday
Filed
by
His contagious
smile and easy giggle continue to win the hearts of the
staff and patients over in the children's ward of
Wolfson Medical Center."Hello Halo,
hello Halo," chimes his five-year-old Ethiopian
roommate, amused at the catchiness of the
phrase.Halo spent Thursday
afternoon coloring and attaching stickers to
his sticker book in the children's ward at
Wolfson Medical Center. Abu Halo is in good company
with Abu Hossein from Gaza, who shares the
same room with him. Both of their sons are due for
surgery next week! Halo is tentatively scheduled
for Monday morning. You could tell that getting
a date from the doctors made Abu Halo's day on
Thursday. Halo laughed as I began
to help him color a picture of a bulldozer.
I couldn't figure out why he thought it was
amusing. Perhaps he thought it was strange that I
wasn't deviating from the lines. Then it dawned on
me that he was copying the corresponding
sticker as he colored each picture, meticulous to
follow the exact color scheme. I wish I could
tell what exactly was going through this little
guy's mind. But amazingly enough, I felt that we
communicated a lot today through simply coloring.
When trying to break the language barrier by
asking what 'bulldozer' was in Kurdish, I discovered
it was the same word. Phew, one word I don't
have to think of a pnemonic device for. Too
bad it wasn't a word that I would actually
use again though!Endurance. This will be
much needed for Abu Halo throughout the weekend
and into the next week, when the procedure is
underway. We praise God that things are starting
to roll forward for this little boy who is in
need of heart repair. Notify
me when Halo's page is updated
at this
email:
 Tuesday
July
24, 2007
Back to Hospital After
Fainting
Filed
by
After a
fun-filled day in Tel Aviv, Halo came back to Jerusalem and
wasn't feeling so great Monday night. His lips
were bluer than usual and Abu Halo said he fainted
as well. Between this current concern and
running out of his blood pressure medication, a
visit to the doctors at Wolfson became a high
priority for Tuesday.The doctors checked in
Halo for the night on Tuesday, so they can
keep him under good observation. When I left
him in the hospital this evening he was eating a
sandwich and relaxing on his bed. Still smiling,
this little guy has such perseverance! He gets
tired so easily, but hopefully that will
change soon as he may receive surgery as early as next
week!
Notify
me when Halo's page is updated
at this
email:
Monday,
July 23, 2007
First Time at the Beach
Filed
by Notify
me when Halo's page is updated
at this
email:
Sunday,
July
22, 2007
Exposed to Tuberculosis
Filed
by Halo has really warmed
up to the Shevet staff in Jerusalem as he continues to wait for
heart surgery.
To pass time, he and Maryam
like to play
with balls in the courtyard, watch soccer on TV and do anything with
the Berg kids. Last week we found out
that Halo had a positive PPD test, which screens
for tuberculosis (TB). We don't believe he has the
active form of TB, but the doctors gave him a
prescription for an anti-TB drug as a
preventative measure. Because Abu Halo and Abu Maryam also
had positive tests, tomorrow they will get chest
x-rays to confirm that they don't have TB as
well. Most likely they were exposed to it back in
Iraq, which is enough to indicate a positive PPD.
Please pray that none of them have TB! Halo is such a sweet little guy. He
has an easy laugh
that can be triggered by just about anything. He is very
observant, and often will stay in the background
and watch others. I wonder if after his surgery he
will feel more freedom to freely engage and play. Halo should be admitted
later this week to Wolfson Medical Center.
The first step at the hospital toward his
heart surgery is a cardiac catheterization. The
kids have to fast starting the night before, which
is never fun.
Please lift up Halo this week as the
Lord prompts you.Notify
me when Halo's page is updated
at this
email:
 Monday
July
16, 2007
CT Scan Tomorrow
Filed
by
Although I met
Halo only once in Amman, Jordan, about a week ago, he recognised me
almost at once when I visited him at Wolfson Hospital today. He grinned
broadly each time I called his name, and he was thrilled when his
dad allowed him to take a photo of us with his mobile phone. Halo simply enjoys
watching the videos I take of him, and he seems to be making the most
of this opportunity to say "Hi!" to all of you reading his
blog. (Click on the arrow below to play a video.)
Halo will have a CT scan
early tomorrow (Tuesday) morning at 7.30. This was conveyed to Abu Halo
by Um Hussein
acting as the translator. Um Hussein will be greatly missed by the
Iraqi parents when she and Hussein leave for Jerusalem today en route
home to Iraq.Notify
me when Halo's page is updated
at this
email:
Thursday,
July
12, 2007
Halo Admitted to Hospital
 Filed
by
Halo was a brave boy
today, as he went through a series of tests and
procedures upon arrival at Wolfson Medical Center.
His oxygen saturation was as low at 64%, but with
the help of a temporary mask he was breathing at
85% quite quickly. Halo's unusually clubbed
fingernails were spotted by the staff, and they
grabbed other nurses and doctors to see it as
well. Evidently, the extremity of his case is
not seen everyday here at Wolfson! After an in-depth echo
the doctor decided
to admit Halo into the hospital for monitoring. This was
decided while discussing his health history, when Abu
Halo shared that Halo has fainting spells once
or twice a week, due to his bad circulation. There was a lot of
waiting in between chest x-rays and lab tests and
everything else, so Maryam and Halo spent some
time hanging out in the fish room. They were
intrigued by the aquarium, especially
this black fish that appeared to be the bully
of the crew, chasing the rest around as if it
thought it were a shark! They also retrieved a number
of stray balloons from the ceiling and had fun
playing with those.Abu Halo will stay at
the hospital this evening as well. During the next
week, Halo will probably have a series of
additional tests, such as an MRI or CT scan, as his cased
is considered rather complicated by the
doctors. If you're interested in knowing more about
the overall condition of Halo's heart, here's a
link to learn more about what he has. It's called
Tetralogy of Fallot: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=11071 Notify
me when Halo's page is updated
at this
email:
Wednesday,
July
11, 2007
First Face-to-face With
Israelis
Filed
by
Crossing the border with
record speed, Alex and I welcomed six-year-old
Halo (pictured above at far right), Maryam (age 11) and their fathers from Iraq to Israel
early this
evening. We arrived at the Shevet house in
Jerusalem around 7 pm, and stayed only long enough
to put their luggage in their rooms. The fathers
seemed eager to explore the city and to take
care of some business, so we headed out into the
city. Abu Halo and Abu Maryam needed SIM cards for
their cell phones to call home, as well as some
groceries. The open-air market (called 'bazaar'
in Kurdish) was our first stop. Here you can get
some great deals, like hot-out-of-the-oven
pita, 10 for $1. The scents of exotic spices, fish,
pastries, and shwarma meat permeate the
air and combine for a unique aroma. 
Notify
me when Halo's page is updated
at this
email:
You may
send an email message to Halo and his father by clicking
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