Juliana 's Heart Surgery

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Juliana

Juliana to Surgery Monday Morning

Posted on Sun, 05/15/2011 - 07:47 by Jonathan_Miles


When I visited Juliana last night after the end of the Sabbath, her mother exclaimed that they had been in Israel 50 days (Pentecost?)--when would Juliana have her surgery? The answer came today; Juliana is finally scheduled for her heart surgery Monday morning. Please pray with us and watch this page for a report Monday night.
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"The Wild Child"

Posted on Sun, 05/15/2011 - 07:47 by Hank_Dannecker



Juliana is awaiting her surgery back at the Save a Child's Heart children's home near the hospital, and the staff there are calling her "the wild child." They say she doesn't sleep, and keeps her mother awake until three or four in the morning.

Indeed, it was a coup today to get the photograph at right, as Juliana turned away or cried each time I came near. Often the younger children who come for heart surgeries fear that any stranger who approaches may be another doctor with more needles to poke them with!


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Second Visit To Juliana's Home In Iraq

Posted on Fri, 01/16/2009 - 00:00 by



Only about one hour away from Elkosh we come to the village of Bashika, a Yezidi village not so far away from Mosul.


Juliana is doing very well. It was especially important to our team from Germany to see her since they had been supporting and praying for her surgery.


This is the second time we had visited the family and we were welcomed warmly. The girls of the family quickly connected to the girls on our team and practiced their English language skills.

Marina, another heart patient who is 18 years old and who lives almost next door, came over with her parents. She is invited to the next screening and we would like to ask you to lift her up in your prayers, She will probably need a "new" aorta blood vessel.


We were also invited to see the Yezidi holy sites where the elders of the community pray at ancient graves.





Please thank and praise the Lord for the gracious help she received. Continue to lift up Juliana, her family and their community in prayer.

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Great Heart

Posted on Mon, 01/28/2008 - 00:00 by Hank_Dannecker


I met up with Juliana and her mother as they were waiting at the echo room for her turn to be evaluated by cardiologist Dr. Alona. The wait was long and uncomfortable for her because she has been battling a fever for several days. The doctor said the echo was good but her heart is great! She informed Juliana's mother that when the fever is gone she will be transferred to the Save a Child's Heart house outside the hospital for the rest of her recovery. It was good news, but the fever has got to go!

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Running A Fever

Posted on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 00:00 by



Juliana has been running a fever for six days, with a temperature of 39.3 degrees Celsius this evening. Her mom is extremely concerned and is asking what is wrong. Blood tests were ordered and as of this evening we are waiting for the results. One very kind nurse placed a call to the lab to try to obtain information to comfort Juliana's mother, but assured her that the fever is unrelated to her recent surgery.

These moments are extremely difficult for both moms and their children, and their fears are heightened when they see their child so fragile. It is our privilege to come along side them and cover them with the prayers of those who believe in the mighty hand of our Great Physician. Please join us in prayer tonight on behalf of this precious family.

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Juliana Leaves Israel

Posted on Thu, 01/24/2008 - 00:00 by Elly_Miles



Juliana's mother spent her last day in Israel by herself. Mustafa and Sarah and their mothers were settling in at Tel Aviv, and we were awaiting the other three mothers coming down that night to leave in the morning.

As Juliana's mother and I sat talking (we had a nice long afternoon!), some interesting things came up. She talked with me firstly about her excitement to finally leave! Day after day for close to a week, she had been receiving false alarms about leaving the next day, and she joked about packing every night over again. She was relieved to finally be going home; she has a five-month-old son waiting for her when she gets back!

We also had a chance to discuss the heart behind our ministry's work. She really fully understood that the Jewish doctors operating on her daughter was a sign of their desire to help, not destroy. Our conversation took some interesting twists and we found ourselves discussing the impact Islam has had on Arab culture. We talked about how religion doesn't really help mankind; praying five times a day out of religious obligation doesn't transform the heart. We talked about the Pharisees who prayed out loud to be seen, and did everything to be noticed by man--Jesus condemned them. God didn't honor that, but He did honor the heart that sought Him in the secret place. When a heart loves God, then it is also possible to love both one's neighbors and enemies. The stance of the heart is what is truly important in God's kingdom. She really saw all of this, and it was neat to discuss with her.

We hope that the seeds planted during this time will produce a great harvest in the lives of these women.

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Juliana Flying High Four Days After Surgery

Posted on Tue, 01/22/2008 - 00:00 by Brenda_Giangregorio


Right on target, and running her race with zeal, little Juliana has now been promoted from the Intermediate to the Children's Ward next door. She is roommates with Rebar and their room is 'buzzing' with their high energy. All her post-op testing is coming back positive, both echo and xray, OK. Her mom reports that she cannot keep up with her daughter who is eating like the grocery store is going to close.

She is constantly laughing, talking, running & dancing (oops! watch it Mom)....Although a very strong little girl, she was running an intermittent fever last night and taking it a little slower today. She also had all the remaining tubes removed late this afternoon. It won't be long before she is out of the hospital. Wonderful to look forward to.


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Juliana Already Out of ICU

Posted on Sun, 01/20/2008 - 00:00 by Jonathan_Miles


Today we found Juliana already out of the ICU and into intermediate care on just the second day after her surgery, definitely a sign that she is making good progress.


Juliana is a different young lady after her operation. The blue pallor to her face is gone; and as you can see by clicking on the play arrow below, she looks wary, but no longer afraid, of the camera.

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Juliana Comes Through Lengthy Surgery, in ICU

Posted on Fri, 01/18/2008 - 00:00 by Brenda_Giangregorio


Little Juliana and Mom arrived at the hospital last night for a shower, tests, and fasting in preparation for surgery scheduled to begin early this morning. Juliana's diagnosis of Tetralogy of Fallot is one of the most common heart disease in children. It is a combination of heart defects--narrowing of the vessels and a hole in the interior wall of the heart--which causes the mixing of oxygen-poor blood with the oxygen-rich blood being pumped out of the heart. The repair requires a lengthy surgery of a minimum of seven hours.

I sat side by side with Sima (Juliana's mother) this morning after Juliana was taken to the operating room, and I encouraged her with the probability that she would only need this one procedure to place Juliana on the road to recovery. The clock ticked by, hour by hour, as we waited, pacing the floor, calling her husband in Iraq for encouragement, drinking tea, and visiting the other mother's children traversing the hallways between ICU and the children's wards.

The other moms (Um Rebar, Um Nadia and one other mother from the Save a Child's Heart organization) stayed together, clinging in unity of love and compassion to this young mom who needed the intimacy of committed love, one for another. It was beautiful to see them supporting each other and waiting as the hours passed. We played word games, attempting to communicate by listing the English for a word, then Arabic for the same word, and then Kurdish. Laughter, bellowed out the hallways as these moms heard my pathetic attempt to understand their dialects and repeat after them. Twisting my tongue in a contorted effort to accentuate the strategic emphasis and oriental sounds, I think I am a candidate for Berlitz in the near future. The fun of all this today, released us of monumental stress that only distraction, laughter and words of comfort can. Around three pm Juliana returned from surgery, but we were only able to see her after about one hour.

Juliana's mother was not prepared for the shock of seeing her little girl with her eyes taped closed and started once again to cry. The nurse explained that the reason for the procedure was because Juliana was being administered oxygen post-surgery and it would dry out her eyes, so for a while she would have to have this. Tears began to flow and flow as Mom struggled with releasing her fears to the trust of the capable hands of the hospital and the dedicated doctors of Wolfson.

Tonight she called her family to let them know the outcome of Juliana's surgery and just hearing their voices brought a calming effect at a time of great need. We look forward to tomorrow and the days ahead when little Juliana returns to her world of wonder and curiosity. In the meantime, we are here at Wolfson, by her side.

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New Shoes for Mom

Posted on Thu, 01/10/2008 - 00:00 by Brenda_Giangregorio



During the last visit to Azur this past Wednesday, we learned that two of the mothers (Juliana's mother and Mustafa's mother) needed new shoes. One pair had broken; the other was worn out. Stopping at Shuk HaCarmel in Tel Aviv today, we found some leather sandals to bless the moms.

They were delighted and said it was beautiful to have such a special gift. Usually, there is such a focus on the child that the mother forgets to tend to her own needs sometimes, resulting in being distracted during this time of medical crisis. The moms said they are not used to thinking about themselves or someone asking, "What do you need?" This small gesture spoke volumes of the compassion and attention of those serving and caring about their needs.

For several months now, women from a local church have volunteered to come along on visits to the families both at Wolfson Hospital and at the house where the families reside while waiting, both before and after surgery. Today was a special day for all. New toys donated to the church from an organization in the United States were taken by taxi to the moms and kids, along with new shoes and lots of hugs.

We are very happy to have taken part in making these Iraqi families' lives a little brighter. You can see the delight in their faces.

We thank everyone who has had their heart touched for this work, and responded by giving freely of their abundance.

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