Lano's Heart Surgery

Tuesday, January 19, 2010
A Wonderful Last Day in Jerusalem
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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 Ahmed decided he would rather be held, and Lano chased a goat!

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:

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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 Lano loved the opportunity to dance along as we sang our thanks to God:

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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 11, 2010
Lano and Mom Both Happy as Homegoing Nears
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We took five of our children to Wolfson for their post-surgical echos today. It was a very busy and successful day. I went in with Lano and mother for her echo. She started out crying but soon Mom had her talking and playing and laughing. Dr. Abrahim was smiling and Lano was blowing him more kisses. Every once in a while she would tense up and act as if she was going to cry, but her mother would quickly draw her attention away and she would perk right up. When the echo was over Lano was happy and applauding. Dr. Alona came in and checked her and as she finished she said, "Good, and Goodbye." She told us that Lano would have one more echo and then could fly to Iraq.

I thank God for these doctors. They are an awesome team. They are always smiling and really love these children and the children and moms love them. I think of them when I think of Galatians 6:9: Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Let's pray that these doctors do not grow weary.

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Monday, January 4, 2010
Lano Loves Her Doctor
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Lano was this first of five children from Shevet Achim to have her echocardiogram this morning. She was wonderfully cooperative and blowing kisses at the doctor most of the time. She also seemed quite interested in watching the beat of her heart on the monitor.

Once again, the doctor said, "There are absolutely NO residual problems left since the surgery. She is 100%!" Orders are to discontinue two of the three medications and come back next week for another echo. We thank God for such a wonderful and quick recovery for Lano. Thank you for your prayers.

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Sunday
December 27, 2009
Lano Is Healing Quite Quickly
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What another encouraging day for Lano! She has been recovering beautifully, and was released to come home from the hospital today. Next Tuesday she is due for a follow up echocardiogram, and if all goes well she will be on her way home! What an incredible joy this little girl has been to the doctors, the nurses, and especially to her mother! At times Lano had become uncomfortable with the nurses checking up on her scar as they do, but with her mother's hand ever near she always made it through smiling. Lano would never say goodbye to the nurses without blowing them a kiss!

During Lano's quick echo today she became nervous, but the doctor would gently tickle her and sing to her to keep her smiling! Her mother, of course, was always there singing soft songs and cheering Lano on while she tried her hand at harmonica. In the end the echo wasn't so bad after all for little Lano.

Please pray that God would continue to heal Lano in these coming weeks, and that God would continue to reveal His great love in ways we can't even imagine!

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009
A Very Good Doctor
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Lano was really doing excellent today! When we walked into her room she was sitting up on her bed and was even smiling and blowing kisses.She also seemed to be so peaceful and calm. Her mother looked very happy at Lano's bedside.

This was surely a successful surgery and Lano's mother made the statement that the ICU head Dr. Houri was a very good doctor. We know that he is but we also know the greatest physician who is Jesus was the one in charge. Thank you again for all your prayers.

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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Already Discharged from ICU
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Lano is really doing well! When I went in to the ICU to see her with her mother today, Lano was awake, sitting up and free from all oxygen support. I sat with them a good while and when the nurses came and were doing their normal procedures I slipped out to visit with other patients.

Then Lano's mother came down the hall calling my name. They were bringing Lano down to the ward in a wheel chair!

Lano's mother was really excited that she was out of the ICU so soon. They had given her a Hannuka box with candy in it and she was eating it and sharing it with everyone to celebrate.

Lano is really doing well, she hasn't smiled much but she is real alert and even playing with toys and receiving visitors.

When we left she was sleeping. I have a feeling it won't be long before they send her back to the Shevet Achim center in Jerusalem, but please do remember to keep praying that all goes well with her healing.

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Monday, December 21, 2009
Strong-Willed After Surgery
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Lano's first day after surgery was not too pleasant for her, but who's is! When we went into the ICU she was awake and crying, wanting water. They had her hands strapped down so she couldn't pull the oxygen mask off and her mother was trying to comfort her. She kept trying to move around. They gave her a liquid sedative that finally made her go to sleep.

Later when I went in they had removed the oxygen mask and just had the tube going around her nose, she was awake and seemed to be doing better. One time she was even smiling a little. They said she couldn't have water until later in the evening. She kept saying "Mama, Ow!" (this means water in Kurdish.) Please pray for her. It seems she's doing well, but she's a very strong willed child and she was even trying to sit up a few times already. Her mother will need prayer also. Pray that the Lord will give her rest when Lano is sleeping and that the peace of God would be on both of them.

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Sunday, December 20, 2009
Lano's 100% Good Surgery
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I arrived at the Wolfson Medical Center at 7:30 this morning just in time to catch Lano and her mother before she went into surgery. Lano was wide awake and was not crying, but looked a little bewildered, probably wondering what they were going to do to her now! The nurses came and carried her in and Lano's mother was wiping the tears away, holding her daughter's favorite doll.

We spent the next hours having coffee, looking around the hospital shopping center, eating together, visiting with one of the Gaza mothers and just talking. I mostly listened because I don't speak Kurdish, but that was o.k. We cried together, laughed together and walked holding hands some.

While we were going to the cafeteria for lunch we saw Lano's doctor and he told us that the surgery was over and that all went well. We went to the I.C.U. waiting room with ever-present Hamza (whose own surgery as delayed today), and he asked if we could see Lano and the doctor said yes. He even let Hamza go in, and he was really a comfort. Hamza stayed with Lano's mother and after a short time he took her hand and told her we should leave.

As we were leaving I asked the doctor about Lano's surgery and he smiled and said it was good. Later Lano's mother was talking to another doctor, and when I asked her what he said she wrote on a paper "100% good." She's a math teacher so she can figure out numbers pretty well!

Lano is on artificial respiration tonight in the ICU, and should be weaned from the device tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers and your support. This is another life saved and another family touched by the grace of God.

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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Lano Next in Line for Surgery
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Lano is now scheduled for heart surgery on Sunday, to be followed immediately by little Mohammed. We were struck tonight in Jerusalem at how closely these two are bonding in advance of their surgeries:

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Monday, December 7, 2009
Lano Loves Everyone
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Today was the first appointment for the five new Iraqi families at Wolfson Hospital. Lano (age 3) did very well, crying some when they were taking her blood but other then that she was very good. She has Down syndrome and seems to love everyone. She was blowing kisses at me not long after they had been holding her down to take her blood. Watch the video below of her taken when they were taking her blood pressure and you can see what a happy child she is.

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The children also had their PPD (tuberculosis) tests done today, and at that point the doctors decided to delay the first echocardiograms until next week, as the children really were tired from their long journey and arrival late the night before. Their heart surgeries are tentatively scheduled for the first two weeks of January.

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