Hussein's Heart Surgery

Sunday, July 22, 2007
Letter from Hussein's Father

Dear Jonathan,

I hope you are doing well.

Be advised that Hussein arrived home this morning 22nd of July 2007 safely. I would like to thank all the Shevet Achim team, great thanks to Dr. Lior Sasson the chief of surgeons at Wolfson Medical Center who done the surgery for Hussein. Thanks to people who kept Hussein in their fervent prayers till he recovered!

Still we concern with coughing that Hussein has developed. Hopefully tomorrow I will take him to doctor to check out with that.

God bless you all. THANKS LORD!

Yasin Karem
Hussein's father

Sunday
July 22, 2007
What A Difference
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Hussein and his mother left Israel Wednesday morning, and their flight from Amman to Iraq left at 07:00 this morning. We are very thankful for these few days to catch up with what has happened with her and Hussein while they were in Israel. Um Hussein has really been touched by the love of the brothers and sisters and by the care of the hospital staff at Wolfson. Hussein is a happy, relaxed, cheerful baby; he grins back when you smile at him, is always hungry, gaining weight and is just a joy to watch. His lips, fingers and little feet are rosy and look healthy. What a difference from when we brought them to the Israeli border six weeks ago!

Yesterday we sat with a neighbour who had seen Hussein before he left, had seen how blue he was and that he was always crying and restless. At that time we all were fearing that Hussein would not get the visa in time to save his life.

Um Hussein was sitting there relaxed and told the whole story in detail, how the hospital staff had treated them as Muslims just like they treated their Jewish heart patients and those from Zanzibar and China. How after the catheterization, when Dr. Tamir noticed that the oxygen level of Hussein was going down and down reaching dangerously low levels, he called together all the surgical staff and they did the surgery for Hussein starting at 17:00 in the late afternoon and finishing around 23:00 at night.

We remembered Um Hussein being hysterical out of fear for the life of her child, how she would break down in tears, for example, when we prayed for her.

Now she was very calm and relaxed. Our neighbour also asked many questions about the life in Iraq and the situation that she will be going back into. The future is unsure. In the region of Iraq they come from, very terrible things happen every day. There is fear in the air and all around at all times. Nobody leaves the house unless there is a reason, it’s just too dangerous.

Please keep the whole family in your prayers, for their safety, for a brighter future for them and their children, that they may experience the love, grace and protection of the Lord of Lords, that the Lord may let the seed of His Word that was sown into their lives grow in His time.

Um Hussein says thank you from all of her heart to all of you.

You may sponsor another Iraqi child's surgery in Israel by clicking here.

Tuesday
July 17, 2007
Easy Guests
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Hussein and his mother have been such easy guests in the Shevet house since their arrival here yesterday evening. Last night Um Hussein asked if I would take her shopping for a toy for her five-year-old daughter back home in Iraq. This morning we accomplished that, changed some US dollars into shekels, and found a good sale on shirt and short sets at the local Israeli FOX store on the Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall. Um Hussein stocked up, while the store clerk followed her, re-folding the many sets that Um Hussein had unfolded.

We had an invitation to a friend's swimming pool this afternoon, but Um Hussein said she preferred to nap with her son.

We ended the day with a meal together, and a bath for Hussein. He wailed during the bath but stopped immediately upon entering his mother's arms in a cozy hooded towel.

Tomorrow Hussein and his mother will go back to Wolfson to check out a little cough Hussein has developed, and to remove the stitches from his chest tubes.

You may sponsor another Iraqi child's surgery in Israel by clicking here.

Monday, July 16, 2007
To Jerusalem
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This afternoon, Um Hussein was rather concerned when the doctors did yet another echocardiogram on Hussein, the second within one day. But to her surprise, they later told her that Hussein can be discharged! So we set out to bring Hussein and his mother back with us to Jerusalem, where they will have the opportunity to visit the Old City before they return to Iraq. Hussein was all smiles when I captured him on video as we journeyed to Jerusalem. (Click on the play arrows below to view the videos.)

He is definitely on the road to a speedy recovery as he has a great appetite -- he finishes up each feeding which is punctually given every two hours.

Right now, as I'm typing out this blog, he is drinking his milk yet again -- the fourth feeding since I met him at 3.00pm today!

Um Hussein's presence at Wolfson will be truly missed by the other Iraqi mothers, who appreciated her translation for them in Kurdish. It was an especially teary good-bye for Um Ali as her son will be going in for his much-awaited operation tomorrow.

Please keep in prayer all the Iraqi children who will be having their operations in the next couple of days -- Ali (Tuesday), Zinar and Younis (Wednesday).

You may sponsor another Iraqi child's surgery in Israel by clicking here.

Thursday
July 12, 2007
Out of Hospital For the First Time!
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Thursday was an exciting day for Hussein and his mom! They are both so happy to be out of the hospital for the first time since arriving in Israel on June 14. Hussein was very interactive today upon arrival at his temporary home at the Save a Child's Heart house. Um Hussein wears an even bigger smile on her face and is already talking about next week‚ which she is equating with Iraq. Hopefully Hussein's follow up appointments will show that all continues to look well with his heart so he will be able to fly home fairly soon.

Above, Hussein plays with Arkan for the last time. These two look almost like brothers here. Their moms and sons have become well acquainted during their stays here and Hussein and his mom were able to see Arkan off today at the SACH house. Maybe Hussein will be the next to go?!

You may sponsor another Iraqi child's surgery in Israel by clicking here.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007
One Step Closer
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One step closer to discharge, Hussein is now staying in the children's ward. Um Hussein is very happy for his progress. He is no longer hooked up to any monitors or IV's--a first since being in Israel!

My timing for visits is rather poor, as I always seem to catch him during nap time. Apparently though, Hussein goes crazy for the fish in the aquarium, attempting to grab them through their glass container! Um Hussein and her son also take walks outside, much to Hussein's delight.

Soon, Hussein should be able to join the other children at the Save A Child's Heart house!

Looking down on Hussein are Tom and Zak, short-term volunteers from London School of Theology in England, who visited the Iraqi boys at the hospital and SACH house today.

Notify me when Hussein's page is updated
at this email: You may help other children come to Israel for heart surgeries by clicking here.

Sunday, July 8, 2007
Ear Infection
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When I arrived this afternoon, Hussein had a nice crowd of doctors and nurses around his bed. Usually that is not a good thing, so I was happy to find out they were in the middle of report for shift change. Recent blood tests show that he is healthy. The only new issue with the little guy is an ear infection. The doctors wrote up an order for an antibiotic while I was there. Please pray that this gets resolved quickly. Hussein should be moving to the children's ward by the end of the week, if all goes well.

Once Hussein quieted down after all his caregivers left, Um Hussein, Um Zinar and I grabbed a bite to eat in the cafeteria. This was a fun time, as a meal shared always seems to unite people, even those without a common language! While we were eating I noticed that Um Hussein is a lefty like me. I asked her if being left-handed in Iraq was looked down upon, as I hear it is in some countries around the world. She said it was okay to be a lefty in Iraq and thinks her five-year-old daughter may end up being a 'southpaw' as well. I can't help but think it would be nice to write left-handed in the Middle East, since they write right to left and would have much fewer smear marks on their paper!

I saw a picture of Hussein's dad today during lunch. Hussein is a great mixture of the two of his parents. Today I enjoyed hearing Hussein's short (nine-month) bio. Um Hussein shared with me about traveling across Iraq to see the doctors and how she got referred to Shevet Achim. Her face lit up as she came to the point in the story where her husband called her to share the good news that help was available in Israel. Praise God for orchestrating Hussein's life events thus far. He'll continue to do an amazing work in this little guy's future, no doubt!

Notify me when Hussein's page is updated
at this email: You may help other children come to Israel for heart surgeries by clicking here.

Thursday
July 5, 2007
Alert and Interested
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Hussein is becoming more alert and interested in his visitors as he continues to wait for his next move to the children's ward down the hall.

Um Hussein is sleeping better and is radiant and loving as always. It's fun to watch her interact with her son and hold him. It must be amazing for her to cradle Hussein in her arms compared to having him enveloped in monitors and tubes.

Check out this video of our visit with Hussein today!

Notify me when Hussein's page is updated
at this email: You may help other children come to Israel for heart surgeries by clicking here.

Monday, July 2, 2007
A Friendly Competition
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Hussein may be moving out of intermediate ICU and into the children's ward as early as tomorrow or the next day. Tonight when I visited him he was sucking contentedly on a bottle of Similac formula. I patted his curls, and Hussein's mom said he has his father's hair.

Hussein's mother is a beautiful, radiant woman. Her Mona Lisa smile gives way to laughter quite readily. She's so friendly with everyone around her at the hospital, and she introduced me to many of them, complete with names and the villages where they live. She translated into Kurdish when I wanted to talk to Zinar's mother.

She hopes she will be the next one to go home to Iraq, but she had to admit that it will probably be Arkan. There's a friendly competition going on between the mothers! In the next sentence, though, Hussein's mom asked me out of true concern what date Ali would be admitted for surgery. The mothers want the best for their children, and at the same time are looking out for one another.

Notify me when Hussein's page is updated
at this email: You may help other children come to Israel for heart surgeries by clicking here.

Sunday, July 1, 2007
Heart Rate at a Healthy, Steady Pace
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Both Hussein and his mom were in a great mood today in the ICU. You ask why? For Um Hussein, it was because Dr. Eli told her that Hussein's heart rate has stabilized over the last couple of days and will not need a permanent pacemaker if things continue as they are.

Perhaps Hussein was happy to see his beautiful mother smiling so much. Her gentle smile really is contagious. She said she's been sleeping better too. It's amazing to me how one person's mood affects the people around them, and this was evidenced today with this mother and her son.

No longer under an oxygen hood, Hussein continues to stay at great oxygen saturation levels. Hopefully the next time we visit, Hussein will be in the children's ward.

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You may help other children come to Israel for heart surgeries by clicking here.

Thursday
June 28, 2007
Hussein's Pacemaker
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Hussein and his mom are finding the corner of the pediatric ICU strangely familiar, as they have weathered two weeks there. Thankfully, today Hussein looks his best yet! In talking with one of the ICU doctors, I gathered that Hussein currently has a pacemaker to regulate his heart rate, which is too slow without it. In the next week, the doctors hope to decide whether or not to remove his temporary pacemaker or insert a more long-term one. Last night an Arabic-speaking hospital staff member was able to brief Um Hussein on this. Although he’s not going anywhere, anytime soon, he is definitely making progress.

Um Hussein said that she’s been having a hard time sleeping and has not been hungry. She was able to get a prescription to help out with these problems today, so please pray that her stamina will increase. Also, join me in asking God to allow Hussein’s heart to regulate its rhythm independently. I look forward to keeping you posted on his improving condition…

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You may help other children come to Israel for heart surgeries by clicking here.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Good Company

The following report was filed by a Shevet staff member:

Even though Hussein's condition is only improving slowly since his surgery last Thursday, the mother was still so happy and encouraged when I saw her. I think that part of this is her good company with Um Arkan. They are together almost all the time and I think it's so important for them. It encourages them and makes it easier for them to pass all this together.

Hussein is so weak and needs a rest, but I think that he will improve quickly. As I understood from his mother, he passed catheterization one day before the surgery, though he was tired, but his condition then obligated the doctors to do the surgery as soon as possible.

He now has a little problem in the "electricity" in his heart--it causes an irregular heart beat. The doctors said that they will wait one week and see if he will improve and then decide what will be the next step.

Notify me when Hussein's page is updated
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You may help other children come to Israel for heart surgeries by clicking here.

Tuesday June 26, 2007
A Message from Hussein's Father in Iraq

I hope this message finds you well.

Yes sir! I have visited the site and seen my son Hussein with chest closed. I would like to thank all people that done fervent prayers for Hussein to get recovered with emergency surgery. Special thanks should be given to the doctor that made the surgery, thanks to the staffs at the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, they did great jobs. God bless Save a child heart team.

Thanks God! Thanks LORD!
Hussein's father

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You may help other children come to Israel for heart surgeries by clicking here.

Monday June 25, 2007
"Ha'soon, Ha'soon"
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To our surprise, we were told that soon after we left Wolfson yesterday, the doctor went ahead with the procedure to close Baby Hussein's chest. When we visited him this afternoon, all his vital signs were stable and it was good to see his handsome face without the tape covering his eyes.

The little boy is clearly coming out of his sedated state. When Um Hussein tenderly called him, "Ha'soon, Ha'soon" (her term of endearment for her son), Hussein momentarily opened his big eyes, looking in her direction and then drifted back into slumber. This went on for a bit, and it was obvious that his devoted mother was delighted to watch his response to her voice.

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Sunday
June 24, 2007
Chest To Be Closed Monday
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Still sedated in ICU, Hussein is recovering well and is awaiting a procedure to close up his chest. This will most likely take place on Monday. Um Hussein expressed her anxiety, saying that she will feel a lot better when it's over.

Today she was very willing to let me pray for her and her son and expressed her thanks afterward, though the language barrier made it hard for her
to understand me completely.

Please pray for Hussein's operation and for his mother's peace.

Photo note: The black strip on Hussein's forehead is a thermometer. It's fun to see the difference in medical care and equipment from hospitals in the States.

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You may help other children come to Israel for heart surgeries by clicking here.

Shabbat Eve
June 22, 2007
No Longer Cold and Blue
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Less than a day after his emergency surgery, Hussein is recovering well in the ICU, now with excellent oxygen saturation. Um Hussein ("mother of Hussein") notices that his hands and feet are no longer cold, a great sign of the effectiveness of his heart! Hussein's lips are turning from blue to a much healthier pink...all signs point to a stronger heart and a promising future! We believe that the emergency surgery was a full repair of Hussein's heart and that no other surgery will now be needed.

The doctor said that although Hussein's oxygen saturation is high, he's still lacking good circulation. This usually comes with time, she reassured us.

Please join us in giving a shout of praise to the Lord for a successful surgery and continue to lift up Hussein's recovery. Tonight we received a message from Hussein's family in Iraq: "I am Hussen's aunt, we are all very grateful to GOD and to all your prayers who saved his life, this is really a miracle. We all were relying on GOD and he didn't disappointed us, my family are all thanking those good doctors who helpped our son and we all are thankful for the miracle that GOD made for him, thank for GOD again."

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You may help other children come to Israel for heart surgeries by clicking here.

10:30 a.m. Friday, June 22, 2007
Hussein Stable After Emergency Surgery
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ICU staff at Wolfson Medical Center have confirmed that Hussein is stable following his emergency surgery last night.

9:30 p.m. Thursday, June 21, 2007
Emergency Surgery!
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This evening, after our staff had left Hussein's bedside, his oxygen levels dropped below 30%. He was rushed into emergency surgery, where he has been for three hours now. Please pray.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007
"Thank God"
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Hussein is suffering from a blood infection. The doctors will not proceed with surgery until this clears up. Also, due to his heart defect his oxygen level is low (59%); the normal level should be between 96% and 100%.

Hussein's mother doesn't feel very well either. She is not very strong, but tired and depressed. But one thing she always says is, "Thank God." And she's not the only patient's parent who habitually says this. That little word before God ("thanks") makes me a little embarrassed. Because many times, instead of saying, "Thanks, Lord," we say "Why, Lord?" I think we can learn from all the families who choose to say, "Thank God," in spite of all their pain.

Click the arrow below to see a short video clip of Hussein today during a visit from our Arab Israeli staff member Raneen.

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Sunday, June 17, 2007
Hussein in ICU

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Hussein was moved to ICU shortly after he was admitted into hospital. During our visit today, it was obvious he is doing much better. His oxygen level has increased since they put him in a tent. Hussein still has a cough, but as he is stabilized this too should subside. As of yet there is no date set for his heart surgery.

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Thursday, June 14, 2007
Grace Right from the Beginning
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When Hussein and Ali arrived at the Jordan River border crossing today, they had Orit as their personal escort. Orit is the Border Manager on the Israeli side and a really nice lady. She had me drive the van right up to the door of the building so that the mothers would not have to walk too far with their children in the hot sun. It was God's grace and kindness at work right from the beginning.

Hussein was having difficulty with a cough that kept on erupting on our journey from the border crossing to the hospital. After the first preliminary examination it was determined that Hussein would need to be admitted into hospital and kept under observation (pictured above). The coughing was causing his face and lips to turn quite blue from the lack of oxygen.

As the evening turned to night it was decided that both the new children required an echocardiogram and equipment was being moved in order to do just that.

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