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Ahmed's Heart Surgery
Wednesday,
January 20, 2010
Wide-Eyed Ahmed Flies Off
to His Future
Filed
by
Ahmed was
excited and ready to go at 4 am this morning for the ride to the
airport for the start of his journey home, and tonight we have word
that he and his mother have arrived safely in Iraq. We're so grateful
to have witnessed the grace of God touching this precious boy and his
family, and prayed with him last night that he will grow to be a great
man in Kurdistan!.
Tuesday,
January 19, 2010
A Wonderful Last Day in
Jerusalem
Filed
by
Lano and
Ahmed have officially been released to go home to Iraq, and as such we
had to have a last day celebration. Mary and I along with a bilingual
friend, Vincent, took the two kids and their moms out to the Biblical
Zoo in Jerusalem after much excited anticipation. Everyone bundled up
for the overcast and chilly day, which meant to our delight
we had the entire zoo to ourselves. The children giggled and squealed
with happiness, pressing their faces up to the glass of exotic fish,
tigers, leopards, elephants, monkeys, and exotic birds. We even passed
through the petting zoo, where Lano chased a goat but Ahmed decided he
was safer in his mother's arms!
Rain
spattered throughout the trip, but thankfully never came down hard. At
one soggy moment, the children wanted to pull out the umbrellas, and
had more fun just carrying them open over their shoulders, even when
the rain stopped. Next we approached a huge green house, filled with
tropical plants, a stream, a waterfall, and lots of jungle birds. Being
inside the green house itself, we were able to get up close to the
birds, as you can see in the video below:
The player will show in
this paragraph
Strolling
through the zoo and delighting over the animals was a
wonderful time. Afterwards, we took the group over to the Garden Tomb
for a chance to share the gospel and the significance of the site.
Back at the
Shevet Center in Jerusalem we shared a homemade chocolate
cake with all the families to celebrate the homegoing, and Ahmed joined
with Lano to dance along as we sang our thanks to God:
The player will show in
this paragraph
Please
continue to pray for their families, for safe travels, peace,
healthy prognoses, and the hope and love of Jesus growing in their
hearts.
Monday,
January 18, 2010
Ahmed Released to Go Home
Filed
by
While Ahmed was having a calm and cheerful time, I noticed his mom
sitting on her own looking rather weary. I had just added a favorite
Kurdish worship song to my Ipod, and remembering it I pulled it out for
her to listen while she waited. As she did, she closed her
eyes and sang softly along throughout the whole song, a song to Jesus-
about how he knows our lives, how he is our salvation, and how we are
waiting for him because only he can give us
life. And it's a song about our love for him. How beautiful it was to
hear her sing those words to herself, and to know those words were in
her mind as she brought Ahmed in for his final echo. Pray that
God will continue to comfort her heart with his presence these next few
days, and that she would truly know the love that He has to give.
Once they were in
the echo room Ahmed began to get a bit anxious, but with the help of
his mother (who sat, so full of peace, beside him) and the cookie she
gave him, he was soon quite content and even fell asleep during his
echo.
After
confirming that his heart looked healthy and everything was fine, the
doctor gave the happy news that Ahmed is now released to go home to
Iraq! What a wonderful work God has done in this little boy's heart.
Let's pray that he will continue to bless this precious family as they
prepare to return home within the next few days.
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Ahmed and his mother.
Notify
me when Ahmed's page is updated
at this
email:
 Monday
January 11, 2010
One Week
To Go
Filed
by
Ahmed, who
was once one of the bluest little boys I have seen, is a joyful,
outgoing and sometimes even mischievous little ball of
energy. As we prepared to leave for Wolfson Medical Center
today for another round of echos for five of the children, I was
surprised to see Ahmed's mother bring a stroller along. The
little boy never slows down! Soon I realized the stroller was
no longer needed because he couldn't keep up with the others, this time
it was needed to help us keep up with HIM!
We are very thankful for all the wonderful changes we have seen in
Ahmed. As his heart has been healing, he no longer displays a
"just leave me alone" attitude. In fact, he seems to pop in
and out of the office and kitchen many times throughout the day and
evening just to smile and wave and say "Hello." I saw that
same big smile on his mother today when Dr. Alona (above left) told her
"Very Good! One more echo next week then back to
Iraq!" Please pray Ahmed's healing process continues and this
change of heart will follow him wherever life takes him.
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Ahmed and his mother.
Notify
me when Ahmed's page is updated
at this
email:
Monday,
January 4, 2010
Ahmed's Amazing Energy
Filed
by
 Ahmed left
the hospital several days ago, and it's amazing how much energy this
little boy has! He often seems to be everywhere at once,
walking through the kitchen to smile and say "hello!" or strumming on
his little guitar with the happiest grin you could imagine. Here's a
short video of when he first left the hospital, still not
quite himself by this time, but you can see the sweet anticipation just
shining on his face.
The player
will show in
this paragraph
Today Ahmed
had a follow-up echo which showed that everything looks good.
They've lowered his medications and it looks like, if everything
continues to go well, he'll be soon on his way home to Iraq.
Thanks so much for all your prayers and support for this precious
child. Please continue to pray in the next few weeks that God
will continue to bless this little heart, strengthening and healing it
with His grace and His love.
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Ahmed and his mother.
Notify
me when Ahmed's page is updated
at this
email:
 Monday
December 28, 2009
Blue No More
Filed
by
Ahmed
has improved so much that he has been moved to the ward. He
is
all smiles and ready to play. His cardiologist Dr. Alona said
if
all continues to go well he may be released tomorrow to return to the
Shevet house in Jerusalem. Ahmed's mother has had him up and
walking a little to help build his strength.
His fingers and toes are the prettiest shade of pink a person would
ever want to see on a "blue boy."
Thank
you for your prayers and support for Ahmed and his mother. We
are
so thankful for this gift. There was a time when Ahmed was
thought to be inoperable. We can plainly see that prayer
changes
things!
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Ahmed and his mother.
Notify
me when Ahmed's page is updated
at this
email:
 Sunday
December 27, 2009
Ice Cream and Kisses
Filed
by
It
was good to Ahmed looking refreshed and disconnected from tubes
today. As I entered the intermediate ICU I saw a smiling
little
bright-eyed boy enjoying an ice cream sundae.
I didn't
get too spend much time with him this trip but I was happy to receive a
sweet little kiss blown toward me as I finished showing him his picture.
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Ahmed and his mother.
Notify
me when Ahmed's page is updated
at this
email:
Friday,
December 25, 2009
Ahmed Adjusting to His New
Heart
Filed
by
Christmas
afternoon the Shevet team made an unexpected trip to Wolfson
Hospital. We had medication to pick up for one
of the children here at the house. It made
a great opportunity to visit the families and children who have  recently
had surgery. Ahmed had already been released to the ward on
our last visit, but today we were told that there had been some fluid
building up around his heart so he was returned to
the intermediate ICU to be monitored continuously.
Please
continue to pray for Ahmed that his body will adjust to the changes
made in his surgery. We pray that God will give the formerly
blue little boy a heart healthy enough to hold all the joys life has to
offer him.
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Ahmed and his mother.
Notify
me when Ahmed's page is updated
at this
email:
Wednesday,
December 23, 2009
Waking Up After Surgery
Filed
by
Today we
found Ahmed resting quietly with the mechanical ventilation tubes
already removed from his airways. He was asking for water, as
children commonly do on teh day after surgery, but they couldn't give
it to him yet. Ahmed is still being sedated to keep him resting but is
expected to improve daily, with Mom at his bedside. You can tell she is
very grateful and thankful.
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Ahmed and his mother.
Notify
me when Ahmed's page is updated
at this
email:
Tuesday,
December 22, 2009
Thanking God After a Good
Surgery
Filed
by
When
I arrived at Wolfson at 7:45 a.m. this morning, they had not come to
take Ahmed down for surgery yet. On my way I had prayed that I would
get there before they came to take him down. It was around 8:15 when
they came to get him (pictured above). He seemed fine while we were
going down, but when they went to take him into the the operating room
he wouldn't let anyone touch him, so they had his mother put on scrubs
and carry him in.
When
we finally went in together Ahmed's mother checked him and was looking
up with raised hands praying. I believe she was thanking God. We stayed
for a short while. Before I left I asked them how everything was and
Dr. Houri said "everything was good." Thank you all for
praying; our
God is an awesome God.
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Ahmed and his mother.
Notify
me when Ahmed's page is updated
at this
email:
 Monday
December 21, 2009
Excited to Go to Surgery
Filed
by
At
a moment's notice late this afternoon, there was an opening for another
child to have surgery tomorrow. Ahmed was chosen by the
doctors
to go first, perhaps due to his severe and life-threatening cyanosis.
As the sun was setting, Ahmed set out from our Jerusalem center
excitedly pulling his suitcase and leading his mother. 21-year-old
Hezhan, also waiting for his surgery, followed Ahmed out to give him
the thumbs-up as he drove away.
Only
after arriving at the Wolfson Medical Center did the happy little boy
begin to show concerns for what was going to happen next when it was
time for shirts to be removed.
But
up until the last possible moment, we kept his mind on a little
childish fun by blowing bubbles for him to catch. Please keep
Ahmed and his mother in your prayers.
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Ahmed and his mother.
Notify
me when Ahmed's page is updated
at this
email:
Monday,
December 14, 2009
Two Reasons to be Glad
Filed
by
1) We
learned today that Ahmed has had no exposure to tuberculosis;
2) a McDonald's ice cream cone outside the hospital!
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Ahmed and his mother.
Notify
me when Ahmed's page is updated
at this
email:
Wednesday,
December 9, 2009
Ahmed Starting to Relax in
Jerusalem
Filed
by
We visited
Ahmed at Wolfson today and he still appeared to be rather unhappy to be
in the hospital. He was determined not to be photographed in
his state of grumpiness.
But once the doctors released him to return to Jerusalem and he found
himself in the middle of tea and sweets with many children to play
with, the camera shy  youngster put much less effort into
avoiding the camera. We hope Ahmed wll have an opportunity to
settle into his new enviroment and make a few friends before he has
another hospital stay. Please pray for God to give him a
calmness as he proceeds through the neccessary tests and steps to
correct his heart problem. Tomorrow he will return to have
his TB test read. We pray the next trip to the
hospital does not cause him so much fear and distress. His
situation is very serious and he needs a special touch from the Creator.
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Ahmed and his mother.
Notify
me when Ahmed's page is updated
at this
email:
Monday,
December 7, 2009
Ahmed Hospitalized Due to
Cyanosis
Filed
by
Our new
families arrived here at Shevet Achim around 12:00 a.m. this morning.
Their first appointment was this afternoon at Wolfson Medical Center
for their admission which includes blood work, TB screening, x-rays and
echocardiograms. Ahmed (three years old) was so terrified that when
they started to do the blood tests they could not hold him down and he
was screaming. At first I noticed his lips getting blue and his feet
and then really he was getting blue all over. After they made several
attempts and were through with the others they told us to go on to get
further tests for the other children and they would bring Ahmed up
later. We had finished the x-rays and they were having their TB tests
word came that they were in fact admitting Ahmed due to his low oxygen
levels.
The player
will show in
this paragraph
Please be
praying that God will take the fear away from him. Ahmed has episodes
of increased cyanosis which are very
serious and life threatening. Pray that the Lord will heal his heart in
a way that only He can do.
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Ahmed and his mother.
Notify
me when Ahmed's page is updated
at this
email:
Sunday,
December 6, 2009
Blue Ahmed Reaches
Israel
Filed
by
Three-year-old
Ahmed crossed into Israel late this evening together with four other
Iraqi children. Ahmed stood out as by far the bluest of the children,
meaning that his heart is not nearly providing enough oxygen for his
body. We're grateful that already tomorrow morning we are scheduled to
bring Ahmed to the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon for his first
examinations.
Click
to send an e-mail
message to Ahmed and his mother.
Notify
me when Ahmed's page is updated
at this
email:
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