When we arrived at Sheba Hospital this morning, we just saw Abed leaving for Gaza in an ambulance.
We are happy that we could see him and his wonderful mother in the last days, and we are also happy for them, that they can already go home again.
In one or two months Abed will come back again to see if it is possible once again to remove his tracheostomy. Let’s pray for blessings for this lovely family!
Today coworker Yukako and I visited our little Abed, who yestesday arrived via ambulance from Gaza to Sheba Medical Center in Israel.
Everyone in the hospital was so excited to see him and his mom! A bit ago, they spent ten months in the hospital for some heart surgeries and since Abed’s mom speaks English well, they borrowed her translation skills and really became friends with her and with Abed.
Our little boy is doing well and was discharged today! The doctors said that he has to keep the tracheostomy though because he has some pulmonary pressure.
We had some trouble finding an ambulance to take him back to Gaza today, so he will be staying at Sheba for one night more and hopefully will go home tomorrow.
Let us pray for Abed and for his health, for the Lord is good and powerful to heal him!
Today we welcomed our good old friend Abed and his amazing mother back at Sheba hospital.
After half a year back in Gaza I was very excited and happy to see them again! Abed has grown so much, he is breathing on his own now and is still so cute. He will stay for a few days at Sheba to see if his tracheostomy can be removed ,and in the meantime we enjoy having him and his mom back here. All the nurses and other staff in the ICU have been very happy to see him again and came to his room to talk with Abed’s mother.
Please pray that doctors can successfully remove the tube and that Abed can go home soon again!
After nine months in the Sheba Medical Center, little Abed was discharged today. An ambulance came this morning to pick him. There was finally a free bed for him in the hospital in Gaza, so he can be close to his family.
Before they left the hospital I played a little bit with him, fed him and his mom dressed him in completely new clothes for the occasion. Now a new chapter in his life will begin. His mom was very excited to return home, but also a little bit worried how everything will work. But first things first, this evening she will have a welcome party at her home and she is really looking forward to it.
We will miss Abed and his wonderful mother, but we are so happy for him that he could finally go home. We enjoyed the time with them here, especially as we could talk English with his mom.
Let’s thank God for everything He did in Abed’s life and pray for Abed’s whole family!
Everything on this end is together for Abed to return home to Gaza. He has his new ventilator and all the things that were missing for it. He also has the milk he needs. Now we are just waiting for the information that the hospital in Gaza has a room for Abed.
We are very happy for Abed and his mother, as they can go home very soon, finally, after this long journey. Living in a hospital for such a long time, and waiting without seeing an end in sight, is very hard to do and can also be difficult on one’s mental health.
At last, Abed’s mother will be reunited with her husband and children. We wish her and Abed all the best and hope that Abed can adjust to the new ventilator very well.
Let’s pray for them and for the last piece to fall into place, that is, a room in the Gaza hospital, and the final go-ahead discharge from Sheba hospital.
Today, when coworker Joanne and I visited Abed in Sheba Medical Center, we found his mother sitting crying next to him.
Under tears, she explained to us that the doctors took him off the ventilator in the morning to see how he is breathing on his own. She talked shortly with a doctor and when she entered the room again, she said she found her son black and lifeless. Doctors reacted immediately and now Abed is back on the ventilator.
This step back is very difficult for Abed’s mother. She is depressed and really wants to go back to Gaza. She said her daughter is sick at home and she has not seen her family for nine months. We are already working on getting them back to Gaza. Today, we sat a while together, listened to her, encouraged her and prayed for Abed.
Please pray for strength and healing for Abed, that he may learn to breathe on his own. We also pray for his mother, that God encourages her and that she gains new strength. And finally, please pray that God makes a way for them to return to Gaza. Thank you for your prayers!
When I visited Abed today at Sheba Medical Center, the physical therapist was doing some exercises with him. It was funny to see how he has his own will, not doing what the physical therapist is asking from him, and with a smile on his face.
He was learning to lay on his sides and he is trying to sit up more. Abed’s mother is happy with a new machine for his tracheostomy which gives Abed more moving freedom. His mother can now hold him and hug him.
Abed is ready to go back to Gaza, but there is no place for him yet in the hospital over there. Also we are waiting for an approval of a doctor in Gaza which will enable Abed to cross the border with his life-saving equipment.
The last stretch is the hardest. Abed’s mother would love to go back to the rest of her children and her husband. She is almost there, but there are some last things to take care of.
We ask for your prayers for patience for this family.
Today I went to Sheba Hospital and saw little Abed for the first time. He is so cute and was smiling very much today. While we were talking a little bit to his mother, we played with him and he was laughing a lot.
Sadly, his new portable ventilator does not work right. The doctor said that the hospital has already contacted the manufacturer to see if there is an electrical problem. God willing, we will have an answer within two days.
Thank you for praying for the ventilator situation to be corrected and that Abed and his mom can go back home soon.
Abed is getting used to his new portable ventilator in preparation for his possible return to Gaza. Meanwhile we are also working with the hospital in Gaza to prepare for his arrival. We have to be sure he has access to a long list of medications as well as ancillary medical equipment.
Today was suggested that one of the ICU doctors in Gaza will come to spend a day or two with him in Israel in order to learn about the portable ventilator, and also establish a relationship with the Israeli doctors which could be very helpful in the case of future questions.
And we’re also still in discussion with the special respiratory rehabilitation hospital in Jerusalem about the possibility that they may step in and help Abed. Only God knows the end of this matter from the beginning, we trust it will be good.
We found Abed asleep in his chair this afternoon, still waving his little right hand back and forth as he dozed.
His mother is more anxious, as her other son Mohammed is hospitalized in Gaza and calling out for his mother. Tomorrow a portable ventilator will be delivered to Sheba hospital and Abed’s mother will be trained in its use. God willing by the end of the week Abed can be safely back in Gaza, the family’s unity restored after eight months in the hospital in Israel.
Today I visited Abed and his mother still at Sheba Medical Center.
Abed’s mother is very exhausted. She told me her mind, heart, soul, and body is tired. It’s very hard to live in the hospital for such a long time, being inside most of the time in the little room and seeing children passing by in the ICU right next to her room.
In addition to that, Abed is still stable. From a cardiac standpoint, he doesn’t need any support, except the ventilator. All the nurses and doctors are just waiting until he can be discharged.
Also the nurse mentioned that this week was difficult, but I’m glad to see that Abed’s mother has a good relationships with the nurses who are around the clock present.
We really hope that soon the final decision is made for Abed to go to the Alyn Rehabilitation hospital in Jerusalem or to buy the ventilator. His mom definitely prefers the first option. Also she said she waited for so long, continually very patient, and she really wants the very best for her child still.
After she told me she is doing everything for her child, even accepting the feeling of being imprisoned, I think she is a great mother and I admire how well she deals with the situation. She told me I would experience these strong feelings only as a mother, maybe one day with my own child. It made me also think of Jesus and how much love he has for his children, willing to be nailed to a cross, to suffer for them, for their sake.
Please pray for strength and patience and the final decision to be made soon.
At Sheba Hospital today, doctors and Abed’s mother were trying to make the decision whether to move Abed to Alyn Rehabilitation Hospital in Jerusalem or to procure a ventilator for him, which, with great effort, she could use for Abed at home in Gaza. There are problems with electricity in Gaza so this would not be easy for her.
This decision involves many aspects to consider and is a difficult situation from every angle. We really want the best for Abed and I think we need God’s wisdom here.
Also it might be difficult for Abed’s mother to continue still being in Israel for so long and this may affect her decision-making.
Let’s pray for strength and patience for her so that the best decision can be made for Abed.
Handsome little Abed is still waiting for a solution after many months at Sheba hospital.
His father is hoping that the Palestinian Authority will coordinate permission for him to go to Alyn Rehabilitation Hospital in Jerusalem, and if this doesn’t happen, that it would be possible to get a ventilator to send home with Abed.
Abed’s mother is eager to return home, but hopes that her son can go home without the tracheostomy. She told me today that she thinks God can make this possible.
Indeed, let’s continue to trust God for this precious little boy’s future.
When coworker Nour and I visited little Abed today at Sheba Medical Center, we found him awake and happy.
His mother showed us that the doctors are slowly lessening the amount of oxygen support Abed receives through the ventilator in the hopes that he can eventually breathe on his own.
In the meantime, please continue to pray for patience for his family as they wait for a good solution for Abed’s situation.
Today was a big day for Abed. He went outside for the first time in his life! He has been in the hospital for his whole life. His mother was very happy about it.
Also Abed is learning to eat little bits of food. It is nice to see that Abed is progressing. That gives hope for his mother, who has been in the hospital with him for more then seven months now. Hopefully, he will be able to go to a rehabilitation clinic soon.
Today Jonathan was supposed to have the conversation with the Palestinian ministry of health to see if Abed is able to get back to Gaza to get medical help there. Unfortunately there was no chance to talk with them.
We pray and hope that there is another solution for Abed to have medical help and be closer to his family. Please pray with us for a suitable solution.
Today Abed’s mother had a nice day off with coworker Sabrina. They went to see the sea and had a lunch together,
while I had a nice day with Abed, so his mother could have her time out.
I met Abed and his mother for the first time today at Sheba hospital. His mother is a lovely woman who was very welcoming. She has been so patient in waiting for the next steps for her and Abed.
Sweet Abed has such a full head of hair and a gentle smile. This coming Tuesday Jonathan will be speaking with the Palestinian ministry of health to see if there is a possible avenue for Abed to return home.
Please be praying that God will clear a path for the next steps for Abed’s treatment and life.
Abed has been recovering well since his surgery over a week ago. His mom told me that for five days or so, he wasn’t feeling well and was very unhappy. Yesterday, however, he began to improve, and today I found him sleepy but content and playing with his mom.
As he’s recovering from surgery, Abed’s mother is still hoping for him to be transferred to a rehabilitation hospital. By now, little Abed has spent most of his life in Sheba hospital, and his mom has waited patiently for many months. Even so, she is still so sweet and gracious every time I see her.
Please pray that the transfer process will begin moving forward for Abed soon.
Abed is still in the pediatric ICU in Sheba hospital. Doctors don’t have any news other than to wait and see if he improves.
Abed’s mother is friendly as always and it’s nice to have a little chat with her in English. Please pray for Abed’s improvement and for his mother to continue to walk in patience. She is a strong woman.
Today at Sheba hospital, Abed had his surgery to repair a hernia and at the same time have a circumsicion completed for him.
Abed’s surgery took around one hour, which was very fast and it was successful.
Abed’s mother and I were very thankful when Abed came out of his surgery. She is still hoping that Abed will be able to be admitted Alyn Rehabilitation Hospital in Jerusalem, but this is taking some time.
Abed is still receiving some medicine post-surgery to keep him calm. But he is doing well, thank God.
Today at Sheba hospital, I visited chubby little Abed and his mother. I found him sitting on his bed in a car seat. I asked his mother why he was sitting in it. She said she believed it to be helpful in strengthening Abed’s muscles and preparing him for sitting up on his own later on. He also gets his milk in this position because it helps him to swallow better. Little Abed has a Inguinal hernia and therefore he needs to have a surgery soon.
His mother is a bit worried about this surgery because of Abed’s other health issues. Please be praying for little Abed and his lovely mother. I really always love to visit them. It feels like visiting a friend. They are like family to me. At the same time, it makes me sad they are here for such a long time and can’t be reunited with their family. So please keep praying for them.
This afternoon, co-worker Sabrina and I stopped by the Sheba hospital pediatric ICU to visit little Abed and his sweet mother. Abed has grown so much since his arrival in Israel four months ago— he looks like a completely different boy from the tiny two-months-premature baby in the pictures his mother showed me.
The first thing Sabrina noticed was how round and chubby his cheeks have gotten, and his mother was excited to tell us how he’s begun to recognize her and respond when she plays with him.
Abed is still waiting to be transferred to the Alyn Rehabilitation hospital in Jerusalem, and his mother is quite anxious about the possibility of him getting another infection in the ICU at Sheba. In the meantime, though, the nurses in the ICU love having this sweet little guy around— during the fifteen minutes Sabrina and I spent in his room, several of them stopped by to wave and blow kisses to him, and one assured his mother that they were happy to keep him as long as they could.
Thank God for such a kind and caring team of nurses, and please pray that Abed’s transfer to the rehabilitation hospital would happen soon.
When I visited Abed and his lovely mother today at Sheba hospital, Abed was wide awake and she was talking to him. He lifted up his little hands and was smiling back at her. It was so nice to see them together like that, it showed that they have a blessed relationship with each other.
Two weeks ago, Abed had an infection which delayed his transfer to the Alyn rehabilitation hospital. His mother was worried about that and told me again today that she is really looking forward to going to this hospital. Please pray that that departure for Alyn will be possible soon.
I haven’t seen Abed and his lovely mother for quite some time now, and to see him responding and waving with his hands today was really enjoyable. His mother and I shared how very happy we were with his improvement and remembered his first days in the hospital when he was so small.
Even though he is still quite small, he is already very smart, responding to the sound of the voice of his mother, waving and making eye contact. I’m thankful for moments like this where we get the opportunity to share the joy with these dear parents (aunts, uncles, grandparents). Praise the Lord for this.
Please continue to pray for Abed, that if it is in God’s will, he will get transferred to Alyn hospital soon and shortly after be able to go home. It also hasn’t been easy for his mother to be so far away for such a long time, now five months, from her family.
Abed has grown so much since he came to Sheba hospital four months ago. He is still with his tracheostomy which is attached to mechanical ventilation, and for this the doctors are recommending him to be transferred to a long-term rehabilitation hospital in Jerusalem for children on this machine.
His mother, who is an amazing woman, expressed her desire for this outcome as well, as she said there is no rehabilitation in Gaza, and that if he goes back on this machine, he will be on it for the rest of his life, which is not what she wants for her boy.
Please pray that this will come through for Abed, there is hope that with the treatment at this hospital, he will be able to breathe without the machine.
When I visited little Abed and his lovely mother at Sheba hospital today, I was very happy to see that he has grown a lot since the last time I visited him. He is improving very well even though the improvements have taken him a long time. His mother and I agreed that as long as he is improving and gaining weight, it’s fine if it takes him a long time.
His mother showed me with joy that he is finally wearing clothes which wasn’t the case for a long time. Even though he is so small, having been born premature, he is moving a lot which is lovely to see and his brain-function is very good as well which can be seen by him looking in the eyes of other people and reacting to noises around him.
It is really nice to witness how God is healing this little boy slowly and to see that he is getting better step by step. Doctors are hoping that after some time he will be able to produce enough oxygen with only one side of his lung. But it will take a long time and Abed’s mother needs ongoing patience.
Every time I go to Sheba hospital to visit Abed and his mother, I really enjoy being with them. Abed’s mom is like a sister to me.
Her little Abed is doing better step by step. A few weeks ago, they did start to give him a small amount of milk orally and so far he is doing well in taking it. Slowly, they add more liquid to his bottle.
He definitely needs to gain weight as you can see in the pictures, he almost looks smaller than his bottle. Please continue to pray for this lovely little boy and his mother who is patient, but it isn’t always easy.
When I went to visit Abed and his mother at Sheba hospital today, I saw her sitting on a chair with her beloved son wrapped in blankets on her lap. I captured that beautiful moment in a picture, and I think it shows the love she has for him in her eyes. It is difficult to see little Abed however.
Abed is extubated again now, as the doctors want to observe how he is doing in his breathing and general behavior without being intubated. His mother shared with me today that he was crying a lot yesterday, therefore he lost weight which is not good for him, as he already is so small.
But we know we can trust God in the whole situation. Please keep Abed in your prayers.
Baby Abed had his tracheostomy last week, and is now on mechanical ventilation to help him breath. It is has been very difficult for this little one with high lung pressure and only having one lung.
Abed’s mother was able to visit Jersualem this week with co-worker Sabrina. They are very close and it worked out that Sabrina was able to drive her there so Abed’s mum could have some prayer time.
Please join with Abed’s mother in prayer for his life and recovery.
There are always a lot of things happening at the same time at Shevet with all the children and especially in the hospital. It was the same today when I went with one of our mothers who’s child just finished his surgery and was brought up to the ICU as I found another mother looking worried standing on the side. It was Abed’s mother.
I went to her and greeted her with a warm hug and asked her if something happened with Abed. She told me they are doing a Tracheostomy for him in his room in the ICU. The reason is his lungs are not working properly.
It was quite surprising for me that they did the surgery for him in his room. But the whole procedure took around one hour and thank God it went well.
Abed’s lovely mother told me a few days ago when I visited her, that Abed is taking backwards steps in his healing process and was sad about it. So please continue to lift little Abed and his lovely mother up in your prayers.
Abed has been extubated for a few weeks now, and has been taken to the other side of Sheba hospital’s ICU a few days ago. This is really good news as it means he is improving in his health.
Abed’s doctors want him to gain weight now. He needs to be at least two kilos before they decide if they can take him to another department. His mother is saying that he is gaining weight slowly, but it takes a long time for him since he is crying quite a lot which burns needed calories.
But thank God, there is hope for this little boy. God knows what’s best for Abed and is doing everything in His time. Please continue to pray for little Abed and his lovely mother, who is having a beautiful attitude in the whole situation and is never complaining about anything.
When I visited tiny Abed and his lovely mother today, I was happy to hear that he is stable now and that he is a bit better. His lovely mother said he needs time now to recover as there are still many problems for this little boy.
He has fluid in his lungs and heart and is still on a lot of medicines. His mother and I agreed today that it is good he is doing a little bit better now and that we can be thankful to God for that.
Abed’s mom is a very strong woman, always saying and knowing that everything is in God’s hands; that God knows what is best for Abed. Please continue to pray for this little baby boy’s life, that he may be able to recover well from all of this, and as well for his mother to continue to appropriate the strength God has provided so far.
Today at Sheba hospital, little Abed had his surgery today to repair a lung problem. The surgery took around three hours. During it, doctors had to remove a portion of the left side of his lung because it was completely damaged and not working. They want to analyze the lung portion to better understand what damaged it. The next 48 hours now are critical for him, not only for post-operative recovery, but because Abed is still dealing with and being treated for a bacteria.
Abed’s mom and I spent a nice time waiting together during Abed’s surgery today. She showed me pictures of her other beloved children who are all beautiful and waiting for her back in Gaza. It was really nice to have spent this time with her, getting to know each other better. She was quite worried about her tiny little Abed, but I encouraged her that everything is in God’s hands and she agreed. It is really a privilege to belong to Him. He definitely knows what’s best for us all and we can find relief in that.
Please continue to pray for Abed. His mother is taking her son’s condition with a lot of personal strength. It is a difficult time for her now and she was crying a bit today. She loves her cute Abed so much. Your prayers are needed for this family now.
Today when I visited the lovely mother of Abed at Sheba hospital, she told me doctors are planning to do a surgery for baby Abed to correct a lung problem, possibly this week. He is taking antibiotics at the moment because he has the hospital bacteria in his blood that many children get when they are there. Abed is really a small baby; you can’t see him very well in the pictures as he is often under his blanket and I’m not allowed to enter his room when I visit due to this bacteria.
Understandably, Abed’s mother is worried about him. Medical staff has reassured her they will take proper steps in the right order for Abed, lung problem or not, to the best of their ability. Please join me in prayer that she may feel God’s peace in the whole difficult situation, and will practice patience during all her time in the hospital. Abed’s little life is in God’s hands, for which I’m thankful. I hope his mother can have the same point of view.
Seeing Abed is always shocking because he is so, so small. The nurse taking care of him asked how his mother was doing with the exchange of rocket fire between Gaza and Israel, and this is very characteristic of the care of the medical staff at Sheba. They show compassion not just for the child as a patient, but for all aspects of the child’s life, and are ready and willing to treat everyone.
Abed is stable, but he is recovering after last week’s bronchoscopy which they had to do because his catheterization done previously in Gaza, a vessel was closed which stifled the blood flow to his lungs. He lived like that for two months.
It is true that there is this sense of renewed fervor for what we are doing because even with all the conflict, we are drawn together over this one little life.
Little Abed and his lovely mother got moved to an underground parking garage ICU this past weekend at Sheba hospital because of the potential for incoming destructive missiles hitting the hospital.The hospital must be equipped for such circumstances and are taking the greatest care for all their patients, including their families from Gaza.
Last Thursday, the medical staff at the hospital took little Abed to many tests. He had to do an X-ray, a CT scan and a bronchoscopy.
Today, his mother told me that he was not stable for some time yesterday, but thank God they could stabilize him again. She told me as well they will probably have to do two more surgeries for Abed, but they still have to talk about it since there is always a high risk included. His mother also told me his heart is lying on one of his arteries, and that his artery is very narrow. So the first surgery would be to move his heart to another place, and the second one to widen his artery. But the Medical staff still have to decide what they are doing for little Abed.
Please pray for wisdom for the medical staff and also for their family back in Gaza. The mother showed me lovely pictures of two more sons her husband and her daughter. They look like a very nice family. All siblings are older than little Abed.
I visited Abed and his mom at Sheba hospital today. She said her little boy is still intubated but stable. I was happy to hear that news after yesterday’s difficulties stabilizing him. Abed’s mother was in quite a good mood today. She has demonstrated much strength throughout Abed’s illness and subsequent surgery.
Please continue to pray for little Abed, that he may recover well and can be extubated soon.
The day for little Abed and his mother started early at eight this morning, heading for his surgery. The surgery took about five hours. His doctor said the surgery was successful and they fixed his heart problem, but Abed is having another problem with his lungs which may require time to improve. Therefore they want to do a bronchoscopy for the little boy in the next few days and see how he is doing.
His mother is a very lovely woman and we had a nice time waiting during surgery together because she speaks English well which made it much easier for me to communicate with her. She was fine during the waiting time. We went to one of the shops in the hospital because she wanted to buy some things she needed which she couldn’t bring with her from Gaza.
After Abed’s surgery, he was taken back to the ICU. It took the medical staff there quite a long time to stabilize him. His mother handled this waiting time very well also. Other Kurdish families in hospital came to her side and encouraged her. In this time also, co-workers Alena and Georgia joined us and we really had a nice time together, talking to Abed’s mother and getting to know her more. When she could finally go inside to see Abed, she said, “thank you for waiting with me; you are very tired, my sister.”
It was really lovely to be called sister. Yesterday we were practically strangers to each other and after today, we are like sisters. It was a very nice gift from God that he let us know each other and we can learn to love each other so quickly.
Your prayers are much appreciated for little Abed.
Last evening, the two and a half month old Abed and his mother came from Gaza to the Sheba Medical Center in an ambulance. They were admitted into the ICU.
Abed is a cute little baby boy and very small. His heart surgery is already scheduled for tomorrow. I went to the ICU today to visit his lovely mother and little Abed. I introduced myself as well as I could in Arabic. She told me she could speak in English so I was very happy to do so. She told me that she has two other sons and one daughter back in her home in Gaza and that she already misses them. We had a nice chat with each other and she is a lovely mother.
She told me that the heart problem of Abed causes him bad breathing and low blood pressure almost all of the time. So thank God that he can have his surgery already tomorrow and your prayers for this are much appreciated.
Abed was born two months premature in the Gaza Strip, and immediately put on a respirator due to respiratory distress. After two weeks doctors were able to wean him from this breathing support, but when he was still cyanosed an echocardiogram was performed which revealed his congenital heart defect, a severe narrowing of the aorta.
Doctors have agreed to accept him for emergency transfer to Israel on Sunday.