Dear friends,
I want to let you know that enough funds have now been pledged for emergency
medical care in Israel for the two Gaza newborns Mohammed and Juma.
But our prayer is needed urgently now. When Mohammed arrived in Israel
Sunday his kidneys and liver were no longer functioning. Moments ago Dr.
Tsion Khoury from the pediatric ICU called and said, "Mohammed is
going to die on us. Why wasn't he given prostaglandin in Gaza?" This
medicine would have kept open a ductus which was supplying critical oxygen
to his organs. Twice I passed on word to the hospital in Gaza that prostaglandin
was needed while Mohammed awaited transfer, but there they felt it was
unnecessary. In hindsight I should have insisted. The doctors in Israel
are still trying to pull Mohammed back; our prayers, says Dr. Khoury,
may be the only thing that will help.
Meanwhile Phil Berg is working on Juma's urgent transfer today. Here is
his update:
A few days ago Jonathan wrote to you and mentioned two emergency cases
that we were working on here in the Jerusalem office. It is hard to believe
that Mohammed and Juma were unknown names to me just 48 hours ago. I feel
intimately involved with both families now. There have literally been
a hundred phone calls in the last two days as we tried to expedite the
security clearances for each of these critically ill babies...
Juma is the little baby who has a metabolic disorder which needs to be
treated as soon as possible. There is a possibility that he may go into
a coma at any time. Dr. Orly Elpeleg is one of the top doctors in Israel
dealing with metabolic diseases and she has been very helpful in the past
two days as we attempted to find the best place for Juma to be treated.
For serveral reasons the logistics of getting Juma into Israel has been
especially difficult. Just last night we were able to finalize the arrangements
for Juma to come up to Jerusalem this morning via ambulance. I will be
meeting Juma and her mother at Mokassed Hospital on the Mt. of Olives
to arrange the financial matters for her stay. Thanks to many of you this
will be able to be taken care of.
A note, that any funds coming beyond what is needed for Mohammed and Juma
will be used for another Mohammed from Gaza, very blue, who has also been
admitted to the hospital in Israel for heart surgery this week, and toward
our outstanding 2002 commitments for medical care, and for the costs of
maintaining our volunteers in the field.
Thankful that the body of Messiah is standing by these little ones,
Jonathan Miles
Shevet Achim
