Nadia's Heart Surgery

Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Two Fingers Amputated
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We brought Nadia back to the hospital on Tuesday, April 8. She waited at the Erez crossing for seven hours for permission to enter Israel. By the time she arrived at the hospital, she couldn't walk, so her mother had to carry her.

Dr. Alona said Nadia's heart looked very good. Her fingers were examined, and the decision was made to amputate two fingers, and to cut off the fingertip of a third finger. Before the surgery, Nadia and her mother seemed to be in good spirits, though nervous. Nadia, like Wesam, has to have an expensive medication for several years. Please pray that doors will open for Nadia to be able to receive the financial help she needs to keep taking this special medication.

The amputation on Sunday, April 13 was successful, and Nadia was released from the hospital today. She's invited back for a follow-up appointment for both her heart and her hand, next Tuesday, April 29. There's a little bit of water around her heart, and the doctors want to find out what is causing it.

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Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Hand and Fingers Still Intact
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Nadia has been released from the hospital, and will return for a follow-up appointment in April. Before her release, she was checked by an orthopedist and angio-surgeon who decided not to do anything at the moment; that is, her hand and fingers are still intact. She is taking medication, which doctors hope may improve her condition.

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Wednesday
February 27, 2007
Doing Much Better
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The past few times that I have seen Nadia I was surprised to see how great her hand is looking and how she is improving. Over the past few days she has had another catheterization and they are really being strict with her diet. She is doing much better. They were able to drain all of the fluid from her lungs, stop the spread of gangrene to her body, get her oxygen levels up and she’s on a diet that is helping her with the fluid in her lungs and her oxygen levels.

Yesterday after she was moved from intermediate ICU, I sat with her as her mother moved their bags over into the children’s ward. On her bed with her, Nadia had a stuffed animal and a Barbie that the staff has given her. I began to play with her and this was the first time I have ever heard words from her. She was

smiling and saying that the Barbie was her grandmother. It was amazing to see her talk and interact with me. She was only distracted a little bit with her problem hand. She would pick at it a bit, but then she would leave it and play with me.

As of right now they are still planning on amputating some of her fingertips because it is not responding to the medication and it’s already “dead.”

Her mother was sharing with me that the doctors told her she will be there for a few more weeks because they want to keep an eye on Nadia and try to help her so this will not happen again. Please keep Nadia and her young mother in your prayers. They both are not sure of the future and they need our prayers.

Brenda gave the following update Thursday night:

The doctor told me, "Nadia's heart is doing well. The discoloration and bluish color of her fingers appears to be responding to medication." Specialists were called in to determine the next step in Nadia's care concerning the threat of gangrene in her fingers. On Thursday, the consultation team was to meet and the outcome of that meeting is unknown as of tonight. Nadia has been moved to a semi-private room in the children's ward and is waiting for the results.

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Wednesday, February 20, 2007
Sad and Distressed
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I really didn't know what to expect today when I visited Nadia. This is the first time I had seen her since December before I went home. As I entered Nadia's room she looked very sad and depressed. I remember when she was at the hospital the last trip she seemed to always be sad. When she saw me just a little bit of a smile came to her face but she was distracted by one of her fingers. I asked one of the nurses how she was doing and she said that the medication she is on is working o.k. but that she will probably lose some of her fingers. I asked the nurse if she could wrap her fingers that were already "dead" so she wouldn't play with them and cause other problems, and she said that she has been trying to do it but Nadia will pull off the gauze and start playing with her fingers.

The nurse also told me that when they first brought Nadia in from Gaza they drained 1/2 liter of fluid from her lungs. This was one of the reasons she was so tired and needing oxygen. Before Nadia left the hospital in December they put her on a diet and I explained this to her grandfather. Well, the situation in Gaza is not exactly up to date with health food products, etc. We are lucky to get what we can get there. She is to stay away from oil and products with a lot of fat. In Arabic cooking almost all food is prepared with oil and fat. I reexplained this to the mother yesterday so she said that she will try but what can she do when they return to Gaza.

Please continue to pray for Nadia and her mother. Her mother is very young and very inexperienced on a lot of issues. Pray that her mother will have a clear understanding of how to care for Nadia now and when they return. Pray that the borders will once again open for Gaza so others and Nadia will have the right
type of food for their special diets.

Brenda adds:

Yesterday, Nadia was under observation in the Step Down Unit of Wolfson Hospital. Her advocate from Gaza visited her and Mom and noted that this little girl was starting to decline on the roller-coaster ride of what appears to be the malady of insidious illness. She is not eating again, and her strict diet of zero fat content is not very enticing to the palate of a child.

The nurse told us that they had removed 500cc of fluid from her body trapped in adema and her overall health was severely compromised.

Today, February 20th, we find her back in ICU and struggling with a state of discomfort. When trying to soothe and encourage her with an outstretched hand of love, she responded with great sensitivity to human touch, causing her further distress. It was unclear as to whether she was experiencing any painful irritation but she is certainly conscious of her own distress and strain.

The doctor will give an update and report further findings.

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Monday, February 18, 2008
A Hard Night,Then a Turn for the Better
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Upon entering the ICU Isolation Unit Sunday evening, I found little Nadia from Gaza was crying and obviously uncomfortable as her mom tried to get her to eat something. She refused and was tossing and turning in her bed rubbing her little hands against her hair on her head. In addition to the gangrene in her hand, Nadia has also had a recurrence of lice that was causing her much discomfort, so we stood by as the bathing and shampooing began and Nadia cried out in a despondent anguish.

Today I found her out of ICU and in a 'Step-down' Unit for observation and care. After a long day of sleeping, she took a turn for the better and she is eating some and took a great and inquisitive interest in her new dolls.

Um Nadia ('mother of Nadia') dressed them with stylish outfits as Nadia looked on and then herself, took hold of them and decided tend to them herself. A new spark of interest and delight came over her face as she took possession and tucked them in bed with her. An answer to prayer as the night before we learned that many were praying for this child and the depression she has felt.

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Sunday, February 17, 2008
Nadia Depressed and Refusing to Eat
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Going into Nadia's corner of the ICU today was very difficult. Her mom left almost as soon as we went in, and we found Nadia was absolutely very depressed. I tried several means of entertainment, but didn't succeed in getting her to crack a smile. She looked very unhappy, and from time to time looked down dejectedly at her hand. Hank went down once to the ICU before both of us went, and he told me that the nurses and mom were trying to feed her. But feeding her was not so simple...she refused, constantly spitting out her food and being totally unmotivated in it. Hank said that he understood where she was coming from. She wasn't convinced that she really wanted to live. Who cared if she ate or not!

When I visited her in the unit, this was evident; she looked as though she had lost hope. At one point though, Hank and I prayed for her. We prayed that God would bring healing to her hand and grace to her no matter what happens. We also prayed that God would really rest His spirit upon this daughter to help her walk through this time and walk through the rest of her life knowing that she is beautiful. Please join together with us in that prayer.

After we prayed, I brought Nadia chips and cookies, and saw that her mother managed to feed her a little yogurt. And one doctor told us her hand was improving slightly since she arrived, although he thought it likely she would still lose some fingertips.

Nadia's mother was a very sweet young woman, please be praying for her also--that she will come to an understanding about the heart of Jesus through this whole experience. I am amazed to see the grace she has had to walk through this already.

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End of Sabbath, February 16, 2008
Fighting to Save Nadia's Hand
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After several weeks of silence, we heard from Nadia's family again this week when her father called to say that continuing poor circulation was causing gangrene in her left hand. Our staff worked all through the day Wednesday to arrange the permit and ambulance transfer to get her back to Israel for treatment. But at 5 pm, just when success seemed near, the crossing point was closed off by the military due to continuing tension in the area.

Thursday morning they started again. Uncounted telephone calls went back and forth. Still stymied by mid-afternoon, we checked with Nadia’s doctor in Gaza. Just how serious was her condition?

“I’m afraid she might lose her hand,” Dr. Bashir told us. “She is deteriorating day by day. I’m telling you frankly—you know me—this is really urgent.” Our staff pushed on with new determination, and—thank God—word came after sunset that Nadia had made it across and was in an ambulance heading to the hospital. If she hadn’t made it out just then, three more days might well have been lost due to the weekend.

Tonight I saw Nadia in the ICU at the Wolfson Medical Center, her gangrenous hand tied to the bed railing to keep her from using it.

I asked Nir, the physician attending Nadia, whether she would lose her hand. “I think just the fingertips,” he told me. “We’re giving her medication, and waiting to see.”

I told him I’d ask her supporters to pray. Then I went to her room, took her cold, rough, blackened fingers in my hand, and asked that Jesus who gave life to the dead would do the same with Nadia’s fingers. Please—would you agree with me in this prayer?

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Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Nadia Returned Home to Gaza
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After a lengthy hospital stay, Nadia has been released. We'll update you again when our staff member Autumn visits Nadia at her home in Gaza.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007
She Deserves A Star
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Nadia well deserves a star today. When her grandfather saw me talking to some of the mothers along the corridor of the children's ward, he carried Nadia out, set her on her feet and told her to show me she can walk now. And she did!
And of course her latest achievement was recorded on video for all of us to enjoy... Click on the arrow below to watch the video.

The next thing both Nadia and her grandfather have to work on will be her diet. She is supposed to eat food with low-sugar and less oil but it seemed to be an overwhelming challenge for her to resist the offers of doughnuts, sweets and chocolates during the past week of Hanukkah celebrations. Nadia was chomping on a chocolate-layered (not just 'coated') wafer when she was looking at the photos I brought.

Do you remember how Nadia used to look, with her mop of thick hair sometimes bundled up in two cute pony-tails at the top of her head? Check out the October blogs to get a good look of her hairstyles then. It will probably take some time before Nadia can make use of her cute clips and fluffy hair bands again. But more than looking good is the fact that she is looking better and healthier by the day, praise be to GOD. And I'm personally so blessed to see her walking today, on my last visit to Wolfson hospital before flying back to Singapore. I have been duly rewarded... to have Nadia walking on her own, coming towards me and smiling, and then shaking hands with me and allowing me to pat her face without turning away shyly.

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Monday
December 10, 2007
Singing Happily
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Nadia is beginning to feel more at home at the hospital ever since she was transferred to the children's ward. She will be staying on for a while yet, as she continues to receive treatment for her leg and is being put on a special diet.

Yesterday, when I walked into the room which she is sharing with Diyar and one other patient, I heard Nadia singing happily. The curtain was drawn, so she did not notice my presence. I got my camera rolling and managed to record a few notes of her song before Nadia looked up, stopped short in her singing and smiled at me shyly. It is good to see Nadia cheerful and active... that is, if she does not get to see you first! (Click the arrow below to watch the video I took.)

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Wednesday
December 5, 2007
Swollen Ankle, New Diet
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As I walked into Nadia's room today, I saw a little girl with a huge smile on her face. I asked her where her watch was from last week and she just looked up at me with a smile. She is looking a lot better today but still has a bit more to go. Her grandfather is very anxious to get home, but Nadia has a swollen ankle due to a calcium shot they gave her a few days ago and she can’t walk on her leg. The nurse said that they will not be sending her home until she is able to walk again and the swelling is gone. Also, the nurse told me that they are putting her on a special diet for the next month. She is not allowed to eat things with oil or with a lot of sugar. The nurse mentioned to me that she eats a lot so this a good sign. Most of the time right after the surgery the children don’t want to eat so I am so happy to hear that she has her appetite back. She is on her way to recovery but still needs your prayers.

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Thursday, November 22, 2007
A New Watch!
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What a blessing to see Nadia smiling and happy today. When I first walked down the hall to the intermediate ICU, I saw Nadia's grandfather pushing her around in the wheelchair so she could get out and about. Nadia is still in intermediate ICU but hopefully she will be moved to the children's ward soon. The nurse told me that they had removed a tube from her stomach that apparently had been misplaced. Right now she has some fluids leaking but all in all she is doing very well.

Nadia wasn't very happy when the nurse had to change her diaper bandage. So afterwards, I gave her a watch I had brought along for her. When I took it out of the package and gave it to her there was such a smile on her face. She would open the face to see what time it was and then close it. Then a few seconds later she would reopen it and close it.

I thought I would entertain her with some stickers. So I gave her a sheet of stickers and a sheet of plain paper and she went to town placing the stickers on the paper. She was smiling and enjoying herself. (Click the arrow below to play a short video clip.)

Nadia is well on her way to being released, so let's keep her in our prayers.

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Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Surprise Visit from Clowns
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The last time I visited with Nadia, she had just been moved into intermediate ICU and was alert. She still had some fluid in her lungs but the fluid levels have dropped a bit today. (If you are wondering what happened to Nadia's beautiful curls, there was outbreak of lice in the ICU a few days back.)

Nadia hasn't had much of an appetite the past few days. This is very common once the children are moved from ICU into intermediate ICU. We have to really fight hard for the patients to eat. So since she hasn't been in the mood for food, we thought that she might like to have a wonderful chocolate snack. So we tried to give her chocolate pudding and she did eat a bit but then after a few minutes she didn't want any more of it.

Today she was bright eyed and wide awake. There was a surprise for the patients at the hospital today. A group of clowns visited and Nadia was able to participate in the fun. They brought many activities with them. This was a great surprise for Nadia. She was so excited and happy to see the clowns. Her grandfather also joined in on the activities. One of the clowns made a dog balloon for Nadia and this brought a big smile to her face. I have only seen Nadia smile twice. I'm happy to see her smiling and happy.

She has a very difficult home life and it's great being able to bring joy to this child. She still has a lot of medical issues and needs a lot of prayer. Please continue to pray for Nadia.

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Thursday, November 8, 2007
Chest Closed Today
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Nadia is still in ICU. Her chest was closed today, which made her grandfather very happy. The doctor told me that the past few days there has been a lot of drainage and they couldn't seem to find where the problem was coming from. But today they were able to fix the problem. He said that within a day or so she should be moved into intermediate ICU. Her grandfather didn't seem as worried today when I saw him. He seems very concerned for her and he doesn't know how to take care of her right now. He seems very helpless and lost. Please keep Nadia and her grandfather in your prayers. Pray that during thistime of feeling helpless that God will give him strength.

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Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Chest Closure Expected Tomorrow
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Before I could even get to the hospital today Nadia's grandfather called me to tell me that Nadia had her surgery and was doing well. I told him that I had heard she had it and I was on my way to visit them. I was talking with Dr. Houri when Nadia's grandfather passed by. He saw me and he decided to come in and say hello. I told him that I would go visit Nadia next but he decided to stay with me to make sure that I didn't forget or get sidetracked with another project. So after visiting with Jamal's grandmother and Dr. Houri, Hank and I went to visit Nadia. Her grandfather seemed a bit relieved that the operation was over but anxious to know if she would have another operation soon. I spoke with one of the nurses there and they said that her surgery was great and she is doing well. She is stable and there is a possibility that they will close her chest tomorrow. Dr. Tamir explained to me that every five years Nadia will need to have her pacemaker evaluated and every six months she will need to have a followup visit. When I explained this to the grandfather he looked a bit disappointed that this was not the end, but thankful that there is help for her. Please keep this anxious grandfather in your prayers. He wants Nadia to be completely well and we can believe God for a complete healing for her.

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Monday, November 5, 2007
Nadia Pulls Through Complex Surgery
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Nadia's grandfather paced anxiously outside the Wolfson ICU all day today. Finally Nadia and chief pediatric heart surgeon Lior Sassoon returned from the operating theater--Nadia's complex Fontan surgery was successfully completed! They're pictured together above as Nadia was stabilized in the ICU.

The grandfather's chief question: will she need yet another surgery, or is the job finally complete? The doctors reassured him that today's was the final repair that Nadia has needed, and hopes are high for her good future.

Please pray with us for Nadia's complete recovery, and thank the Lord for another expression of his grace toward the people of Gaza.

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Thursday, November 1, 2007
First Smile
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Once again when I walked in Nadia's room I saw a little girl sitting beside her grandfather and still no sign of surgery. I thought that a change of scenery might do the trick so I took Nadia and her grandfather to the computer/toy room. There Nadia was able to color a little bit, play with a top and help me put a puzzle together. This was the first time I saw her smile. I explained to her grandfather that he could take her there as much as she wanted until her surgery. He was excited to get out of the room and to see Nadia so happy. On our way back to Nadia's room I stopped by to see what the status of Nadia's surgery is. One of the nurses told me that she will have her surgery on Monday. They checked her pacemaker and it is going well. Please keep Nadia and her grandfather in your prayers.

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Thursday, October 31, 2007
Runny Nose; Surgery Postponed
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When I first walked in to visit Nadia I was surprised to see her asleep, because she was scheduled for surgery today. I spoke with her grandfather for a few minutes to find out why she didn't have her surgery today. He told me that she had a runny nose so they ran some tests on her to see if she had any infection or a virus. The nurses didn't have the results back from the lab work by the time I left the hospital, so I don't know if she will have her surgery tomorrow or they will postpone it again.

When I went back to talk to the grandfather again, Nadia was awake and sitting beside her grandfather. Her grandfather wants to move around the hospital because he is unsure what to expect and is a bit antsy. He is tired of sitting in the hospital room but he seems nervous to leave Nadia alone. If he wants to go for a walk, he has to physically carry Nadia because she isn't walking very well and this is very difficult for him. I told him to go for a walk while she was sleeping, and I would watch her, but he wanted to stay by her side. Nadia cries a lot so this is very frustrating and tiring for her grandfather. Her grandfather seems to have some health issues as well and doesn't seem to have a lot of strength or energy. Pray that the Lord will strengthen him during these next few weeks that are ahead.

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