| | Rayan's Heart Surgery
Saturday,
April 26, 2008 Enormous Strides in RecoveryFiled
by It
was late in the
afternoon April 22nd when we arrived at the home of Rayan. The entire
family, including Rayan's new baby sister, and Rayan's mom's look-alike
sister, was there to greet us with grand smiles and open arms. As
we
stepped inside the doorway of their home, we were led to the receiving
room where the Shevet team and our associate physiotherapist, Ruth, sat
down on the traditional cushions and waited for the tea to arrive.
Ours
was a great privilege to see what so many have prayed for since October
2007 when Rayan had his heart surgery and subsequent stroke that left
the right side of his body compromised. In November he suffered several
seizures and a mini-stroke post surgery, affecting his brain function
and motor skills, and neurological damage affecting his
eyesight. This turn of events prompted months of therapeutic
intervention and intense intercessory prayer on his behalf.
Sometimes,
we as believers never see 'the answer' to our own petitions before our
mighty God on behalf of another. But, our Lord in His mercy
and great love has allowed us this day to witness the enormous strides
in recovery that Rayan has made. The evidence of many, many hours of
motherly love, songs of encouragement, nights of tears, and bold claims
to the promises of healing from the Throne of God is being delivered to
you prayer warriors and faithful sponsors on Rayan's behalf.
Be
blessed as you watch this little boy follow his heart as he responds to
the call of those he recognizes, those he has come to love. The power
of healing in action, breaking down walls of division as this child
responds, risings by himself from the floor then toddling forward in
innocent expectation of a hug-in-waiting.
Coordination
with partner organizations in Kurdistan will ensure that Rayan is
afforded continued physiotherapy and future care ongoing, working
toward that goal for an expected full recovery.
Notify
me when Rayan's page is updated
at this
email:
 Thursday
December 20, 2007 On His Way HomeFiled
by It
was a very circuitous route we took today as Rayan began the final leg
of his journey home. Because he awoke with fever and a bad cough during
the night, it was decided that he should see a doctor before leaving
Israel for home. But first, before leaving Jerusalem, we took the
long-awaited trip to the Temple Mount in the Old City so Rayan's mother
could pray. She expressed that it was very important to her to thank
God for Rayan. We know our God sees and hears the hearts of mothers
thanking Him, and trusted His ability to help her know Him more through
our willingness to grant this desire to her. I couldn't help but
remember it is His nature to be found by those who seek Him.
After
speaking to one of the doctors who has been treating Rayan, we all felt
it good that we not leave Israel until we were sure Rayan was in good
condition to travel. Since he was not well, we left him at the house in
the care of the mothers of Dilshad
and Aras,
and drove to the Old City. Normally we would be given access to the
Temple Mount via a special ramp for "gentiles", but because of the
Muslim holi day,
this was closed until Sunday morning. And normally, there would be no
Muslims allowed to walk through the plaza at the Western Wall area
where the Jews go to pray.
But today when we asked
if the very
pregnant mother of Rayan could walk through the plaza to go to the only
gate where Muslims could enter, rather than foregoing the opportunity
due to the length of the walk due to the ramp's closure, we were given
favor, and allowed to take this "short cut." This meant we could not go
with Rayan's mother as she entered the Temple Mount area, but we could
escort her to the gate and back to our van afterwards. One of the
Israeli guards there who knew we were trying to photograph her there
even though we could not enter, took a picture for us as she came out
at the gate again.
 From
there, we gathered the luggage and Rayan from our house in Jerusalem,
and headed to the hospital for a check-up for Rayan's symptoms. Dr.
Gila found that Rayan had no fever at that time, but did have ear
infections, so sent us on our way with antibiotics for Rayan for the
next ten days. We were all thankful that he was allowed to go on to
Amman rather than needing more follow up here. While at the hospital we
learned that nearly all of the children at the Save A Child's Heart
house had been treated for nearly the same symptoms from a respiratory
virus which is going around here.
Finally
we set out for
the border about three hours later than planned. Because our new friend
Ruth Ann who had been volunteering with us this week was already
planning to go back to Amman today, we asked her to be the final escort
for Rayan and his mother. After explaining that I would walk her
through the Israeli side, and assist them to the bus to the Jordan
side, I gave explicit instructions for crossing at the Jordan terminal.
Ruth Ann agreed to go on alone with the family, and I entrusted these
two who have become so dear to our hearts into her care early this
evening. I was encouraged that upon arrival at the Israeli terminal we
were greeted by two of the border contacts who have been of great help
time and again during our crossings. They helped expedite us through
the crowd at passport  control,
and we went on to the bus. Much to my surprise - and delight - the bus
was loading as we approached, so I was able to help load the luggage
for them, pay the bus fares and bid them farewell all in a matter of
minutes! I snapped one very quick picture of them boarding the bus so
that you can see Rayan in his green sweater. At this hour they are all
together at the guest apartment above the church of our friend Jody. I
hope to have an email update from Ruth Ann or Jody which we can share
with you about the next few days, and the flight which will take them
back to Iraq.
Please keep praying for
Rayan and his
precious mother. Rayan has made great progress from the stroke, and we
believe he will be completely restored to health again in the near
future. Today he was saying a few words as well as parroting some of
the sounds we made while playing with him. He is happy most of the time
now rather than crying as he did at the beginning. He is using his
right hand more spontaneously and it is getting stronger. But so far
his right leg is still weak so pray for it to be strengthened as his
mother works with him to learn to walk again. Pray fervently for
Rayan's mother to maintain her strength and perseverance for the next
days until she gets back home to her support system there. She too is
not feeling well from a bad cold, or the flu. The new baby will come
soon, and she will have the joy and the work that comes with the
blessing of a new life. She has been a tower of strength and devotion
to her son as she has helped nurse him back to health, and gained the
admiration of many. She is a wonderful mother who has a great sense of
humor which has helped carry her through this long process. May she and
everyone involved see God complete the miracle He began in Rayan's
life, and give Him the thanks and praise for it.
Notify
me when Rayan's page is updated
at this
email:
 Monday
December 10, 2007 Intensive Therapy Before
Returning HomeFiled
by It's the season of
Hanukkah, and Rayan is among many of our Iraqi and Gazan patients at
Wolfson who has his first taste of the Hanukkah doughnuts with jam. The
Hanukkah goodies are a timely reward after Rayan and his devoted mother
have both worked hard during his speech and physiotherapy sessions.
Rayan
is making good progress as a result of the dedicated re-training he has
been under-going with speech therapist Nopha and physiotherapist Tali.
Not forgetting the important 'follow-up' by his own mother, who
continuously sings and talks to him, and tirelessly massages his limbs
and encourages him to be independent with little tasks such as holding
his own cup and finger food.
 Rayan is feeling more
comfortable now with Nopha, especially since he gets to play with
various toys which she uses to test his perception and responses. Nopha
also uses pictures of animals familiar to children his age, and Rayan
is asked to point to one or the other animal. As Rayan is apparently
less able to reach out with his right hand and therefore uses his left
hand more often, the first few "guesses" would be placed on his left,
in order to give him some encouragement. Each time he gets it right, we
would all clap and say, "Affareen!" (Kurdish for "Well done!").
Rayan's mother
has so immersed herself with the therapy sessions, that she is even
improvising and getting one step ahead of what Nopha was planning to
demonstrate for her to do. For example, Nopha wants Rayan to start
using his lips and mouth to make noises. So she would do the "Brrrrr"
sound with an exaggerated expression. Rayan's mother would add to it
and tap Rayan's mouth lightly when he attempts to do the "brrrr" sound
so that there are variations to the "brrrr-ing".
As
I will be returning home to Singapore by the end of this week, we have
asked for another person to accompany Rayan and his mother during the
therapy sessions, to ensure that the exercises and rehabilitative
techniques used are correctly understood by Rayan's mother who
understands just a little English and no Hebrew at all. Mazal, an
Israeli lady volunteer who can speak both Hebrew and Kurdish turns out
to the perfect choice! (Why didn't we think of it before?!)
Click
on the video below to see what happens when Nopha asks Mazal to tell
Rayan's mother to say to Rayan in Kurdish, "The lion growls".
Over at the
physiotherapy department, Tali demonstrated to Rayan's mother the
proper way to help him stand up. Tali emphasised that getting Rayan to
practise standing and walking should be done only when Rayan has his
foot brace and shoes properly fitted. Click on the video to watch
Tali's demo.
Rayan's last therapy is
scheduled for Friday, at which time he (and his very pregnant mother)
will be released to return home to Iraq.
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Rayan's mother.
Notify
me when Rayan's page is updated
at this
email:
 Wednesday
December 5, 2007 A $400 MiracleFiled
by Rayan had his first
speech therapy session this morning. Physiotherapist Tali and speech
therapist Nopha are working together closely on
Rayan, to give him the best possible 'programme' in
the remaining time he has in Israel before he is certified medically
fit to return to Iraq. Yet
today's highlight is not so much Rayan's first speech therapy
session as it is his foot brace! Here is a story worth both the time
and space to tell it: Yesterday, the mother of one of physiotherapist
Tali's patients brought a pair of foot braces which her daughter has
outgrown. When Tali asked what size it was, she was
exhilarated to know it was the perfect fit for Rayan! When Tali told us
how she got these foot braces for Rayan, speech therapist
Nopha kept saying, "It is a miracle!" and turning to me, she
added, "Please let the mother know this is a miracle!" Tali explained that it
would cost about 1,600 shekels (about $400) for a pair of such
foot braces. But now, Rayan can have them for free! And even if it was
not so much the money which mattered (because the amount could
be raised from well-wishers' donations), it would normally take several
weeks for a pair to be custom-made... and now, the foot braces of
the correct size and fit have arrived at just the right time
when Rayan needed them for this next phase of his
physiotherapy! What a wonderful provision our Heavenly Father
has arranged for Rayan, to show how much He loves him and that
He has heard the prayers of all of you who have
prayed for Rayan's needs to be met. Praise GOD from whom all
blessings flow... Tali showed Rayan's
mother the correct way of putting on the foot brace, which will help
lift his 'lazy' right foot to a right-angle (90-degrees) so that it
would not droop when he learns to walk. There is a little hole near the
heel of the brace through which the little finger should be
able to touch Rayan's heel, and not 'empty space' which is
likely if the brace has not been put on correctly.For a start, Rayan has
to put the foot brace on his right foot for half an hour each day,
without standing or walking. His mother is to take note of the duration
of time it takes for any red 'pressure marks' to wear off, and
this is to ensure that the foot brace suits him, and that his blood
circulation is good. Speech therapist
Nopha showed Rayan two color pictures of
animals and asked his mother to say their names in Kurdish while she
held them forth, encouraging the boy to reach out for the animals
mentioned in turn. But there was not much interest
on Rayan's part. So Nopha switched to offering Rayan the
choice of either the mobile phone or his shoe. (Click on the arrow
to watch this little exercise.)
Since Rayan
likes to play with the mobile phone, Nopha purposely
placed it nearer his (weaker) right hand while the shoe was to
his left. His mother would tell him "telephone father" in Kurdish but
Rayan would reach out with his (stronger) left hand for the object
nearer to his left, which is the shoe. This action
reveals something about Rayan's present condition, and Nopha
will plan her therapy sessions accordingly. While we thank GOD for
His miraculous provision of the foot braces for Rayan, as well as the
dedication of both Tali and Nopha, we also want to press in for the
fullness of His promise as received a couple of weeks ago, claiming I
Corinthians 1: 26-31 to happen, and I do believe it will... Hallelujah!Click
to send an e-mail
message to Rayan's mother.
Notify
me when Rayan's page is updated
at this
email:
 Monday
December 3, 2007 Recovering Motor SkillsFiled
by The good news on Rayan
continues day after day, praise the LORD! As Rayan goes
through his daily physiotherapy sessions, he seems to be
recovering his motor-skills more quickly. Yesterday, he was able
to sit upright without much support. This afternoon, he was happily
licking an ice-cream cone which he was holding in his weaker
right hand, and he was not even whimpering! This goes
to underscore the fact that when a child is engrossed in an
interesting or desirable activity, he can easily forget his
physical discomfort and even whatever 'disability' he seemed
to have! Click the arrow below to watch how Rayan holds up the
ice-cream cone steadily
and surely to his mouth...!
On Wednesday, Rayan will
begin his speech therapy session and his mother is looking forward to
hear him call her "Diyka, Diyka" (Mummy) once again.Click
to send an e-mail
message to Rayan's mother.
Notify
me when Rayan's page is updated
at this
email:
 Sunday
December
2, 2007 Significant ProgressFiled
by Rayan
has a new friend and he is none other than Aras from Iraq. While waiting for
his physiotherapy session, Rayan was taken to the aquarium to look at
the " marsee"
(Kurdish for fish). Earlier
in the day, Dr Alona came over to the pediatric ward with
her portable echo-cardiogram machine to examine the
children. Rayan 'passed' his echo and will have his daily
medication of fucid reduced to only once a day.
 After his
"echo" examination when Rayan was helped up from his lying-down
position, I was rather surprised to see his mother getting all
excited, until she told me that this is the first time in weeks that
Rayan was able to sit upright without any support. How we
all applauded Rayan! Before
Rayan returned to the Save A
Child's Heart house for the night, he had a half-hour session with
physiotherapist Tali. She insists that we do not address her  as "Dr. Tali" as the word "doctor"
makes most children at the hospital nervous! It
was very interesting to watch how Tali plays
with Rayan to get him to use the parts of his limbs which are
weak. Colorful toys which makes sounds when handled, oversized cushions
and balls... with the help of these physiotherapy
toys, Tali would get Rayan to reach out for
something, or simply to stretch forth a hand or a leg to get
back his balance. While
she held Rayan gently yet firmly, Tali would tilt him ever so slightly
over to one side and this forced Rayan to use his weaker right arm to
support himself, invariably enabling him to strengthen this
limb. It is encouraging to note that Rayan's sense of balance is pretty
good. (Click the arrow below to watch a video clip.) All through
the session,
Rayan's mother would watch the activities closely and also participated
in the therapeutic fun. Tali explained how she could continue with the
therapeutic fun-exercises whenever and wherever there are
opportunities. Rayan's mother is indeed
a wonderfully selfless mother, giving her utmost to her son
without any regard for her own comfort. I have to constantly
remind her not to over-stretch herself as she stoops and bends while
attending to him in the ward, or when she would carry him around today
(and Rayan weighs over 12 kg!) before a stroller was available for him. We
rejoice with Rayan's mother for the significant progress he is
making. Many thanks to all of you for your
prayers and well wishes, and let us continue to pray
for speedy and complete recovery of all of Rayan's
faculties. As far as his post-operation heart condition is
concerned, Rayan is doing very well and Dr Alona said he may be
released to return home in a couple of weeks. Click
to send an e-mail
message to Rayan's mother.
Notify
me when Rayan's page is updated
at this
email:
Thursday,
November
29, 2007 Leaving Hospital for the
WeekendFiled
by  I am happy to report
that Rayan is slowly but surely making progress, praise the LORD! He is
now able to eat solid food and was chewing on chicken for lunch. And
when he was almost finished with his chocolate mousse
dessert, I encouraged his mother to let him hold the spoon and it was
such a delight to watch Rayan being able to bring the spoon to his
mouth without a hitch. (Click the arrow below to play a video clip.)
Dr Tamir has decided to
keep Rayan at the hospital till tomorrow, then Rayan will be released
to the Save A Child's Heart house for the weekend and return to Wolfson
on Sunday. Hopefully, the change of environment and seeing
other Iraqi children at play, will cause Rayan to be drawn
into naturally / sub-consciously moving his limbs to join in the fun. Meanwhile, Rayan has
been receiving daily physiotherapy treatment, and his mother would
diligently continue to exercise and massage his limbs several
times a day. She would sing to him as well, as the
physiotherapist has advised stimulating all his senses and Rayan's
hearing is good. But she would not allow me to record her
singing, and so there's no video clip of it. After lunch, Rayan's
mother and I brought Rayan for a bit for sun and some fresh air in the
garden. I gave Rayan a book on cats, and there are 'cut-outs'
in it with various textures such as fur
and wool. His mother held his finger and ran it over
the furry cut-out and Rayan seemed to enjoy the different
tactile sensations. The arrival of four more
Iraqi children and their mothers at Wolfson in the afternnon
was a welcome change for Rayan's
mother. With them came some news on Iraq as well as
some presents from her relatives. Among the gifts brought over
was a portable radio and cassette player and a tape
of Koranic verses in song meant for Rayan to help him get well faster.
May GOD bring about the miraculous and complete healing which only He
can do! Click
to send an e-mail
message to Rayan's mother.
Notify
me when Rayan's page is updated
at this
email:
Monday,
November
26, 2007 Rayan Has SecondsFiled
by Click
to send an e-mail
message to Rayan's mother.
Notify
me when Rayan's page is updated
at this
email:
Thursday,
November
22, 2007 Very Little ImprovementFiled
by  Rayan was sleeping very
soundly for most of the afternoon when I visited, so I moved on
and made my rounds checking on the other Iraqi and Gazan children. His
mother is keeping well, in spite of the fact that there seems to be
very
little improvement in Rayan's condition. Even the nurses are commending
her for being a good mother who remains strong and calm for her child's
sake.
And what a mother she
is! In spite of being advanced in her pregnancy with her second child
(she would like the baby to be a girl), this dear mother would
conscientiously take time to exercise Rayan's legs, to
keep his limbs supple. She also told me that
in the morning, she would put Rayan on the stroller and bring him out
to the garden for some fresh air, as advised by the physiotherapist. This morning I went to
the photo shop to develop a picture which I had taken of the
evening sky over Wolfson hospital on Sunday, 18 November, the
day I received news that some of Rayan's brain functions had been
affected by his recent stroke. That day, my friend Andes from Singapore
had come over to Wolfson to visit the children and together, we had
prayed for GOD to work a miraculous touch on Rayan, claiming that which
was recorded in His word in the Bible (I Corinthians 1: 26-31). When
Andes and I walked out of Wolfson that evening, both of us were
awe-struck by what we saw in the sky.The rosy-golden streaks
of clouds above Wolfson looked as if the angels were spreading
their wings over the hospital, providing a gentle covering of light and
hope. Today, I gave Rayan's mother a copy of the photo and told her
that this is like a sign from GOD that He has heard our prayers, and
that Rayan's guardian angel is watching over him.
I also reminded her of
the little angel which she had chosen from a selection of luminous
stars and angels which I had offered to the Iraqi children who were all
at the Save A Child's Heart house then, just a couple of days before
Rayan had his
seizures. Rayan's mother had drawn in the eye and eyebrow of the angel,
and had brought it along to the hospital when Rayan was hospitalised
for his bout of seizures. By the look of relief
and hope on her face, Rayan's mother indicated that she
has understood and received what I had communicated to her,
in spite of her limited English and my non-existent Kurdish. Indeed,
the
message of hope and the love of GOD crosses all language barriers and
religious boundaries! Please continue to pray for Rayan and his parents
for a revelation of his Healer in a deeper and more personal way. Click
to send an e-mail
message to Rayan's mother.
Notify
me when Rayan's page is updated
at this
email:
 Thursday,
November
22, 2007 A Picture Of DevotionFiled
by Rayan and his dear
mother were working on his physiotherapy as I entered their room last
night. What a picture of devotion she is as she works with Rayan;
this session involved stroking his body with different textured
fabrics to stimulate sensation. She was also singing to him. When she
finished these exercises, she sat him in her lap and sang with him
and clapped his hands. He was thirsty and was able to take some water
from a spoon, gladly swallowing it down as she held the spoon to his
lips. There is a particular toy the therapist has given him which he
really enjoys, seeming to like both the colorful swirling beads
as well as the noise of their movement as he handles it.I noted that Rayan
seemed more attentive to people and things around him last evening, and
his right hand seemed more flexible. When I spoke to the nurses,
they said that his condition was the same, and that an EEG had been
done yesterday.  They reported that the results will be available today,
after the doctor reviews it and releases the results. We will get
that information as soon as possible.
Please keep praying for
Rayan's total healing, and his precious mother's perseverance.
She and Rayan continue to have an adoration of each other which is
beautiful to see. However the situation is not easy, and apart from
God's intervention, does not sound promising. But we know God's word tells
us that with God, nothing is impossible, and I choose to continue to
believe Him for everything Rayan needs to be completely healed by the
power of God.Matthew 14:14 says:
''And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was
moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.'' May it be so
even today!
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Rayan's mother.
Notify
me when Rayan's page is updated
at this
email:
 Tuesday
November
20, 2007 Sensory StimulationFiled
by When I visited Rayan in
the children's ward this afternoon, I found SACH volunteer Estee
patiently exercising Rayan. A small rattle toy was in Rayan's
right hand, which Estee gently shook so that it made some
sounds as she moved Rayan's hand up and down. Tara's mother
was also present to lend a helping hand to exercise Rayan's
feet. (Click the arrow below to play a video clip.)
All this is part of the
physiotherapist's recommended treatment for Rayan -- to provide the
child with as much sensory stimulation and movement as possible without
tiring him. Rayan's hearing is good, although his vision
remains unfocused. Physiotherapist Tali has
also encouraged Rayan's mother to bring the boy out
in the stroller to the garden or open space whenever he is not
hooked up to some tubes or monitoring equipment. As such, the
nurses have arranged for Rayan to have his nasal feed for one hour and
rest for two hours, instead of having a continuous nasal feed attached
to him. This would allow more flexibility for Rayan's
mother to take him outside for some fresh
air and a change of environment. Unfortunately, it rained
rather heavily today and so Rayan's stroll had to be postponed. Click
to send an e-mail
message to Rayan's mother.
Notify
me when Rayan's page is updated
at this
email:
Monday,
November 19, 2007 Out of the ICU and Into
TherapyFiled
by  It
was a big surprise to realize that Rayan had been moved from the ICU to
the children's ward today. He was in the same room as Soz
as she awaited her surgery, so I found out about the change when I went
in to see Soz. After only a few moments' visit, the physical therapist
came into the room to begin showing Rayan's mother how to work with
him. While I went with Soz and mother to her surgery, a new friend in
the Tel Aviv area spent time with Rayan and his mother, and assured her
of the many prayers which are being offered for Rayan. I did make sure
to speak with the nurse this evening before I left, and was able to
have a short visit with Rayan as well.
The nurse
said it appears
there is some brain damage which was likely from a clot, though the
tests have not been conclusive. She told me that he is not blind, but
there seems to be some neurological damage affecting his eyes. Before
we could have more detailed discussion, a patient's parent came with an
emergency, and although I waited for a little while, the nurse had to
attend to another very sick child further down the hall. Hopefully we
can get more details tomorrow.
When I went into
Rayan's room,
his mother was sitting on the bed with him doing the exercises the
therapist had shown her this morning. She worked patiently with him
while we visited and the other mothers in the room encouraged her and
Rayan in their efforts. I learned that Rayan had been holding a balloon
in his right arm earlier today, even though the right side is where
there has been some paralysis. This evening he was practicing gripping
a small ball with both hands with his mother's help.
Those
of us
who have been involved with this precious family will continue to pray
for Rayan to be totally healed to the glory of God. We invite you to
join us in praying fervently for Rayan's total recovery.
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Rayan's mother.
Notify
me when Rayan's page is updated
at this
email:
Sunday,
November 18, 2007 Trusting God For
Restoration of Brain FunctionFiled
by  Today's report on Rayan
is pretty serious, and we ask you to stand with us in prayer for him.
The recent CT scan results show that Rayan suffered a minor stroke
which has affected some of his brain functions. The doctor explained
that it is not a matter of the extent of the stroke but of the location
in the parts of brain affected. The right part of Rayan's body has been
weakened by the stroke.
When Rayan's
mother showed me Rayan's right hand, I noticed that his little fist was
clenched. However, as I stroked his hand and rubbed his little fingers
while his mother spoke tenderly into his ear, Rayan's right fist
relaxed and there seemed to be some movement. I encouraged his mother
to talk to Rayan whenever he is awake.
When
I first saw Rayan today, he had a dazed look and was constantly turning
his head to the left and then to the right. Every now and then, he
would stop turning his head in order to make deep yawns, as if he were
trying to take in more oxygen. (Click the play arrow below to see this
on video).
This seems
very worrying to us, but the doctor told us that Rayan is still on
sedatives, which have the effect of slowing down brain functions. Yet
the sedatives are necessary to reduce activities in the brain, to
prevent Rayan from having more seizures during this critical phase.
As Rayan's
mother has been mostly in either the ICU or the cubicle where she
rests in between her 'watches' over her son, I took her to the computer
room where she could take a look at Rayan's blog. I also took the
opportunity to show her Karwan's blog,
pointing to the date when Karwan
was re-admitted into the ICU when he became bloated up as fluids
accumulated around his lungs, and the date when Karwan was discharged
from the hospital to rest at the Save a Child's Heart children's home,
to the most recent blogs when Karwan and his mother visited Jerusalem
before taking their flights home from Amman... all within a matter of
weeks. In simple English and gestures, I communicated to her
that the worst will also be a thing of the past for Rayan. She signed
her response, "Inshallah" (GOD willing!).
When
we got back to the ICU after lunch, Rayan seemed more alert. His eyes
appeared to focus better and he even reached out to pinch his mother's
nose with his left hand! Both his mother and I savoured the moments
when
Rayan was reaching out to touch and grasp with his little hand.
 Later, when my
friend from Singapore came over to visit at the hospital, we prayed
over Rayan and his mother, and his dear mother bent over to kiss him
over and over. As we left the hospital, we encouraged her to
take good care of herself, to rest while Rayan is asleep, so as not to
over-extend herself as she is advanced in her pregnancy. Thankfully,
tonight she will have the company of two other Iraqi mothers at the
hospital, as Soz
and Hedi
were warded in the late afternoon to prepare
them for their operations, taking place Monday.
Please
keep Rayan and his family in prayer during this critical phase, and may
the LORD our Healer touch Rayan in the critical 'problem areas' in the
parts of his body where neither the doctors nor technological equipment
could detect.
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Rayan's mother.
Notify
me when Rayan's page is updated
at this
email:
Thursday,
November 15, 2007 Rayan Opens His EyesFiled
by  When I arrived at
Wolfson today, Rayan's mother was sitting in the waiting lounge with a
friend and she looked relaxed. This was a good indication for
me that Rayan is much better today, even though he is still in the ICU. I offered Rayan's mom
some coffee but she declined, saying, "No coffee. No good (for) baby"
and pointed to her big tummy. To which I responded, "Ah, Mama
Rayan good mummy!" and we laughed together and shared some chocolates
instead. When we went to the ICU
to see Rayan, he was asleep. As we chatted by his bedside, the
boy started to stir and soon after, he opened his lovely big
eyes. Rayan's mother lost no time in whipping out a fluffy blue and
yellow chick which Autumn had given him yesterday, and dangled before
him a little angel from me. (Click the arrow below to play a video
clip.)
As Rayan is slowly
coming out from the sedation medicine he was given two days ago, he did
not react to his mother's attempts to make him smile. But the little
boy gazed at his mother, who later held his hands and stroked him
tenderly.Dr Houri told
me that the CT scan on Rayan was alright and that it showed up
nothing unusual. As such, the cause of
Rayan's seizure remains a mystery and he is still
under observation. Nevertheless, Rayan's
mother is more at peace now that Rayan is coming out of his "induced
coma" state. When I showed her pictures and video clips taken of Karwan's
trip to Jerusalem before leaving for home, Rayan's mother was
able to believe that just as Karwan had quickly recovered from
a sudden negative turn of events (when he was all puffed up because of
fluid build-up), so too would Rayan make it through
the present uncertainty. When I left the
hospital, Rayan's mom was reading the Koran and praying by
Rayan's bedside, and she promised to have sufficient rest. She
has chosen to remain in the hospital this weekend, to be with
her son when he awakes. Click
to send an e-mail
message to Rayan's mother.
Notify
me when Rayan's page is updated
at this
email:
You may
help bring more Iraqi children to Israel for heart surgery by clicking here.
 Tuesday
November 13, 2007 Induced ComaFiled
by Today was a
heart-rending day at the hospital. Rayan's mother is heartbroken over the
condition of her son, even while she, along with everyone else, rejoices
over the news of Karwan's
dismissal to go home. When we arrived,
she was sitting in the ICU waiting room, clearly distraught and
exhausted. We went in together to visit Rayan, and I saw how extreme
the change was from our pleasant evening just Sunday night. That
evening he was happy, playful, and had a great appetite. Today he is
lying in the ICU in an induced coma. His mother was in high spirits on
Sunday night, anticipating going home very soon. Today
she is pale and anguished beyond words... (Click the arrow below to
play a video clip.)
What I understand is
that after we left on Sunday night, he complained of a headache, as he had
done a few times in the previous days. Later in the night, he was
unresponsive to his mother's voice when she checked on him, was
checked by the doctor at the house, and taken to the ICU. He had not had
fever, but when he arrived was found to have high fever. He had a
seizure at the hospital, and a test was done to determine the cause of
these symptoms. The test results did not show the cause. He has been
sedated to keep him in an induced coma until a diagnosis can be made.
Both Dr. Houri and Dr. Alona said he is somewhat better today,
praise God.
Rayan's mother needs our
prayers for strength and perseverance. Because she is 5 1/2 months
pregnant, we need to pray that she does not go into early labor
due to the physical and emotional stress of this situation. She
spent the time when I was with her in the ICU kissing Rayan, speaking
quietly to him, crying, praying, and reading the Koran.
She allowed me to pray
for Rayan, and it was a special time of the Lord's presence.
We took her back to the
Save A Child's Heart house so she could get some rest. All of the mothers surrounded
her with their love and compassion when she walked in, and
encouraged her to rest so she could be strong when Rayan wakes up. It seems
at the moment she is fearful that this may not happen... let us
cover her in prayer as we lift this precious boy up to the God who heals.
Please pray fervently for Rayan's healing, his sweet mother, the
doctors and nurses treating him, his family back home, and those who will
be ministering to him. May God show Himself mighty in
this family's lives. Click
to send an e-mail
message to Rayan's mother.
Notify
me when Rayan's page is updated
at this
email:
You may
help bring more Iraqi children to Israel for heart surgery by clicking here.
Monday,
November 12, 2007 Rayan in ICU; Prayer NeededFiled
by We've
just learned that Rayan was admitted to the ICU in the middle of the
night when he became sick. He is currently intubated to help him
breathe, and sedated. Dr. Houri, the head of the ICU, said he does not
know what is wrong but they will know in the morning after waiting 24
hours for results from tests done this morning. He said he does not
believe it is from the fluid buildup he had last week. Please pray for
his mother as well. She is resting at the Save a Child's Heart house at
the moment after being at the hospital with Rayan. She is pregnant, and
although she didn't want to leave Rayan, was convinced to get some rest
while he is sedated.
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Rayan's mother.
 Sunday
November
11,
2007 Good MannersFiled
by Rayan
was at Wolfson today for another echocardiogram, and Dr. Tamir
determined that he should have another one on Thursday to see if Rayan
is ready to return home. When we visited him at the Save A Child's
Heart house this afternoon, he was sleeping, but awakened in time to
share a delicious meal among all six of the Iraqi mothers and children
now at the house. Rayan was in a very lively mood after he ate, and
enjoyed playing with the other children. He continues to amaze me with
his good manners for such a little boy, rarely becoming upset at the
things which other children cry about. He was quite affectionate, and
we had lots of fun being together as we visited all the children.
Please
keep praying for Rayan and his mom as they wait these few more days to
be sure Rayan is fully ready to be released to go home. They are
looking forward to it with great anticipation, and so are we!
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Rayan's mother.
Notify
me when Rayan's page is updated
at this
email:
You may
help bring more Iraqi children to Israel for heart surgery by clicking here.
 Sunday, November 4,
2007 Dismissed from HospitalFiled
by | |
