Diar's Heart Surgery

Saturday
February 23, 2008
Safely Home in Iraq
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After our big group of six patients with mothers and one father left in the morning to go to

Israel

, we had a couple hours to clean up everything for our new/old guests coming back from

Israel

at night. We all were very excited to see them again. Back in January they waited at our house in Jordan for the “o.k.” for traveling. Diar, Tara, Heleen, and their mothers arrived at 9 pm, just in time for a little cake-and-tea-time. All the mothers described how beautiful Haifa and Tel Aviv are, and that I really have to go there. Heleen was shy, as I remembered her being from our last meeting, but Diar was smiling all the time. Hopefully he will never lose this.

After we finished eating, we sat chatting for a while. While the mothers spoke about their experiences with hospitals, surgeries and nurses, little Tara responded to everything with a "ja" (German word for “yes”).

During this time, Heleen found a little notebook with a pencil on my desk and wrote me several notes. Hopefully it was nothing important, because none of us were able to read it afterwards. Diar was “reading” a book his mom had lying next to her. He carefully turned every page (the whole book was without pictures), looked a few seconds at it, and then kept going on. Every child ignored the toys Manuela brought for them. But this time of sitting together and talking about the last weeks and months wasn’t as long as we wanted it to be, because Heleen, her mum and Manuela had to get up very early the next morning to get their flight back home. Heleen's mother said that she enjoyed the time here in Jordan and Israel very much, and the little tears in her eye told that she wasn’t ready to leave yet. We hope that she will be able to return to Israel (maybe in the summer?!) to have a surgery for her ears. The specialist in Haifa said that he would be ready anytime to help her.

The other morning, Diar, Tara and their mothers left our house. During the time that Tara and her mother were here for surgery, her husband worked two jobs to have enough money for their flight back home. He hopes to be able to quit one of them when his family is back together. Both moms had a lot of stuff with them and even in the morning they packed and unpacked their things so their luggage wouldn't be overweight. May the Lord bless them all in their journeys home.

Tonight Manuela called the mother of Heleen and she told us that they arrived in Iraq safely.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Diar Has The Sniffles
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The brothers and sisters in Haifa enjoy hosting Diar and his mother. As you may have read, Diar had a fast recovery after his open-heart surgery. He left the hospital last Sunday and went back to stay with Shantal and her mother Ferial. But soon afterwards, Diar came down with a cold and a cough. The next evening, I visited Diar in my friends' home, along with my daughter Sharon, who is studying to be a doctor. Sharon examined him and found out that he was running some fever. Sharon suggested to take him back to the hospital. We took him and his mother. There he had some blood tests and chest X-Ray. Praise the Lord, his lungs were clean and his heart was fine--it was not related to the surgry. The doctor says that Diar got a cold and it is viral, so it will go away without medication. Diar remained in the hospital the last couple of days for observation. As I was writing this blog, I received a telephone call from the hospital to go and pick up Diar. I'll take him back to our friends' home.

Please keep praying for Diar's full recovery and for his pregnant mother.

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Sunday, February 3, 2008
Released from Hospital
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Today Diar was released from hospital, and will be staying at his host apartment till next Sunday when he will undergo another echocardiogram. After that, the doctors will be able to be decide when Diar can go home to Iraq.

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Friday, February 1, 2008
Sitting Up for Rice and Beans
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Monday Diar was in the ICU in Haifa recovering from that morning's open-heart surgery; by Friday he was sitting up in the visitors room with all the other Iraqi kids eating some rice and beans that was brought in by a believing sister in Haifa!

Diar was shy and it was pretty hard for me to get a picture. His mother was concerned because he refused to talk today.

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Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Seeing the Glory of God
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It is quite windy and stormy this morning in Haifa. It is very cold and rainy and the sea is roaring, but God is our refuge and strength... Inside the hospital, it's quite peaceful and warm. You can feel God's presence there. I know that when we go into the hospital, as God's messengers, He goes before us, and supernatural things take place! Praise the Lord.

"Jesus said to her, did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God" (John 11:40).

Indeed God is being glorified on Mount Carmel. Two more Iraqi children have passed an open heart surgery successfully yesterday. Everything is going as expected, said the doctor in ICU.

I made a quick visit to the hospital this morning. It was nice to see Diar doing well. His mother did not sleep during the night, but when Diar went to sleep, a little bit before dawn, she went to her room to rest. She really needed that.

After a short prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord, Diar started moving. He almost stood up on his bed, but the staff nurse came and calmed him down. The nurse asked me to get Diar's mother from her room to be with her son. I went upstairs to get her. She looked grateful and well. She was ready to go down and be with her awakened son.

Please keep praying for Diar as he gains back his health and strength.

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Monday, January 28, 2008
The Lord Heard
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I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fear (Psalm 34:4).

Yesterday Diar was admitted to the hospital. His blood pressure was taken and his blood saturation was examined.

This morning at 7:30, Diar was the first child to be escorted to the surgery room. Shantal (Diar's hostess), and Um Helen (a Kurdish lady) joined me to be with Diar's mother.

In this kind of situation, just your presence with the mother and your prayers are really what is needed. We stayed with Diar's mother for the whole time, waiting and praying, while she was reading Psalm 34. I encouraged her to cry out and lift some of the promises of that psalm as prayers to the almighty God. I watched her reading in her heart and "only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard."

I could feel that the hours were so long for the mother though, relatively speaking, it was a fast and perfect surgery. Diar was hastily escorted to the ICU. After 45 minutes, Diar's mother and I were allowed to go in.

The staff assured Diar's mom that her son's condition was stable.

Diar's mother received a room in which to rest, so we left her in peace. Please pray that she will indeed sleep as His beloved...

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Thursday, January 24, 2008
Diar to Surgery Monday
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Diar was in the doctor's office today while his mom was being treated for a change. Mom is about six months pregnant and has been suffering some discomfort related to her kidneys. Diar on the other hand looked quite good and will be admitted on Sunday morning for his surgery which is now rescheduled for Monday.

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Thursday, January 17, 2008
Resting After Catheterization
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Though it is quite cold these days in Israel, the city of Haifa is providing a very warm home for a few Iraqi children.

On Tuesday Diar, a handsome 3-year-old boy, made a short visit to Meyer Children's Hospital of Haifa. He had a heart echo that showed his heart condition. His diagnosis is Tetrology of Fallot, sub-valvar + valvar pulmonary stenosis, aortic valve deformity, and mild aortic regurgitation. Though the diagnoses seem to be big and complicated, Dr. Khoury assured me that it will be a relatively simple surgery and, by God's grace, a successful one.

Yesterday, Diar was admitted to the hospital for blood tests and for general preparation for his catheterization. Today he had his cath as a preparation for his surgery. Please pray that Diar will have his surgery soon, on this coming Wednesday. His mother is very pregnant. They both need to go back home soon!

Staff member Simantov adds:

Diar was resting after his catheterization this morning. It appeared he was in a bit of discomfort...

...but resting and okay.

His mother appeared to be concerned, and was assured he will be just fine.

Pray for Diar and his mom as the heart surgery is being scheduled for next week.

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Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Preparing for Catheterization
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Diar was in hospital for his first check-up and testing. The tests all looked good, so it looks like Diar will be admitted into hospital tomorrow in preparation for a catheterization. If all goes well, he will then return to hospital next week for surgery.

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