Dear friends,
My family and I have returned to the Gaza Strip following a month in the U.K. and U.S. We found two precious little ones, Arsula and Oday, clinging to life in the neonatal ICU in Gaza, born the same week that we were being blessed and refreshed at a camp high in the Rocky Mountains.
The cardiac surgery team at the Wolfson Medical Center in Israel is on a mission to China until Sunday, but the acting director of the pediatric ICU, Dr. Eli Gilad, agreed to take the two yesterday for evaluation and supportive treatment. Last night he phoned from the hospital: "Arsula is going to die on me. We have to transfer her immediately to Tel HaShomer [another large government medical center in Tel Aviv] for emergency surgery."
Working together with the Palestinian Authority we were able to arrange the transfer. Arsula arrived at Tel HaShomer, Dr. Gilad still at her side, at 3:00 this morning, weighing just 2.4 kg (5.3 pounds), completely blue and with negligible blood pressure. Tel HaShomer's chief pediatric heart surgeon was waiting for her, having come down through the Judean hills in the night from his home in the settlement of Efrat, near Jerusalem. He was joined by the chief pediatric cardiologist, who had also left his bed to evaluate Arsula by echocardiogram in preparation for surgery. They took her immediately to the operating room and worked on her until 8:00 this morning. She is now recovering in the ICU.
At 10:00 this morning Arsula's young father came to our home. He told me that even though his own father heads the office of Dr. Saeb Erekat, one of the chief Palestinian negotiators, he'd been unable for 15 days to find anyone to help his firstborn child. His eyes watered, and mine, as I told him how these leading Israeli doctors had worked through the night to save Arsula, who until yesterday had been treated as expendable.
With thanksgiving,
Jonathan Miles
Coordinator
Light to the Nations
POB 46
Ashkelon 78100
Israel
Tel. 050-402535
Fax 07-2141095
e-mail: LTTN@netvision.net.il
Non-profit association 58 025 750 9.
