Today Jamal came back to Sheba Hospital for follow-up echo and neurology appointments. Many children are shy and frightened at first but settle as the day progresses, but not Jamal; he remained unfailingly shy and frightened the entire day. I couldn’t get near him without his bursting into tears and screams.
That’s what a lot of life is at Shevet, with our children from Gaza. They come too young to know us, and then we become strange presences in strange places when they are older. Sometimes the children are comfortable with us, especially the older ones, but for every one of them there are three screaming, terrified one-year-olds. I can’t blame them for it. They are being exposed to environments they have no comprehension of while they’re poked and prodded with cold metal tools by faces they don’t remember. I’d scream too. But it is easy, at least for me, to become discouraged with such cases and to lose hope in the possibility of having meaningful relationships with these children.
But even with them we find blessings, and today coworker Max and I found blessing with Jamal’s extended family who came to assist with his procedures. They also brought a platter of rice and chicken to eat together in the hospital and they insisted Max and I join them. So we sat and ate with them, and Jamal was calm in the presence of faces he knew. And it was a good time. His family honored us in this place for his sake. The Arabs, who remember well their families, know that what is done to one of them is done to all of them.
Jamal is now ready for his next surgery, which, God willing, will be a complete repair. He’ll be back in a month for it. I hope at that time we’ll be able to form some relationship with the little boy. Pray that he remains well until then!
Yesterday we collected Jamal and his mother at the Gaza border and brought them to Sheba Hospital. Jamal had a CT-scan today and we always need to arrive early for that. Everything went well. He is a happy baby, even after fasting for six hours. We didn’t have to wait too long before the nurse called him in. He received some anesthesia, fell asleep and woke up after the scan. He ate and drank with joy after the nurse cleared him to go.
The doctors will use this CT scan to have all the information they need for Jamal’s next surgery. Please pray for him.
Today Jamal came To Sheba Hospital for his next follow up echo. He is doing well so far but his oxygen levels are getting lower and he will need his next surgery soon. His cardiologist wants him to have a CT before that and wants to discuss his case in their meeting.
After the appointment was done, his mother got a visit from some relatives who live in Israel and was happy about the time we had to wait for another child before we could bring them back to Gaza. Please pray that Jamal will get the appointment for his CT soon and that he will stable until he can get his surgery!
Our cute Jamal came today together with his father from Gaza for a follow up appointment at Sheba hospital. We as volunteers were all really happy to see him as we know him since he was a few weeks old. We enjoyed the time with Jamal waiting for his echo as much as he did. But once he was called into the examination room for his echo, he suddenly became very hungry and wouldn’t stop crying. And the echo didn’t enlighten his mood at all! But soon afterwards once he got his milk and the echo was finished, he fell asleep immediately.
Jamal’s father is taking good care of his son and it was great to see how much he loves and cares for him. He always made sure to check on Jamal while we volunteers were spending our time with him. Once we came to Ashdod on our way back to the Gaza border, several volunteers came to see Jamal. We even joked to take Jamal into our own house to care for him which made his father laugh a lot.
Jamal is in a good condition and only needs to come back for another follow up appointment in three months. May the Lord give him health and growth as he and his family waits for his next appointment.
Jamal had an appointment with the neurologist today to follow up on the EEG he had last week. He stopped his seizure medication back in January, and the doctor was happy to see that his EEG looks completely normal even without the meds. He still has some delays in movement, so the doctor wants to see him in six months just to make sure everything is okay.
Jamal is the cutest little guy and was all smiles until it was time for a picture.
He loved hanging out with Nozhdar from Kurdistan after his appointment, and was hoping to get a taste of lollipop. We’re looking forward to seeing Jamal again in a couple of weeks when he comes for his next cardiac check up.
This morning we picked up six month-old Jamal and his mother from the Gaza border for his EEG this afternoon at Sheba Hospital. What seemed to become a long wait since they were pretty early arriving to the hospital, turned out to go faster than we thought. Before Jamal was even checked in at the secretary’s desk, the doctor called us already in for the EEG.
Unfortunately it took a long time until the doctor could do the test, as Jamal had to be asleep for it. But this afternoon, Jamal wasn’t even slightly interested in sleeping. He was moving around and making noises as if he wanted to talk to us. After a long series of crying, playing and calming down again, he finally fell asleep slowly. Once he was sleeping the test started and for the rest of the time his mother and me were staying as quiet as possible to make sure he wasn’t waking up. Thank God the rest of the test went all well. In the end we were finished with the appointment even before the time it was scheduled.
After Jamal woke up again he was just as happy as he was before his appointment and showed me again and again his beautiful smile. He and his mother also met their relatives who are living here in Israel and they spent some time together with them. It’s nice that they have relatives here whom they can meet. Because Jamal has another neurology appointment in one week, he will stay with us in Ashdod. We are all happy to have them in our house and look forward to our time with them.
Today our cute Jamal came again from Gaza, this time for a neurology follow up. It was especially sweet because he could come with both of his parents. He has grown so much already and I loved how his parents were so willing to give me their little boy. His neurology appointment went pretty fast and his doctor was very happy with him. Jamal will slowly stop taking the medicine he takes and then after one month he will come back to do again an EEG to check if everything is okay. After this he will need another follow up with his neurologist in three months. Those are really good news and we are glad that Jamal is doing so well. Please pray that he will stay safe until we see him again next month!
Today we collected Jamal and his grandmother from the Erez Border Crossing and brought them to Sheba Hospital for his follow up appointments.
Jamal means ‘beautiful’ and how fitting is his name. Beautiful in all his ways. What a happy little man is our Jamal and you can clearly see he is fearfully and wonderfully made by Abba.
First up an Echo ( Echocardiogram) he was so beautifully peaceful during this appointment, I was so amazed. Next came the ECG (Electrocardiography) and weighing. Wow Jamal has put on weight. So everything was excellent.
The doctors want Jamal to practice more being bottle feed so they will be able to eventually remove his (NG) nasogastric feeding tube. So I am looking forward to seeing this beautiful little man again in a month’s time for his brain MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) and a follow up Echo in three month’s time.
Father we pray all will go well with Jamal and that he could grow more into the beautiful calling you have on his life.
After a long time in the hospital Jamal was finally allowed to go home today. He is doing very well a month after his surgery and we are very glad to send this healed boy home. His dad came today to help the grandma to get everything organized and so they were all very happy once we were finally sitting in the car and could start to drive back to Gaza. Jamal will come back in one month for another echo and we are looking forward to seeing him again then. Thank you God that Jamal is doing so well!
Our little Jamal was very calm today. Jamal’s grandmother welcomed us so warm and lovely, especially coworker Tineke, with whom she already made friends.
Jamal just got moved out of the ICU into the pediatrics which is a big step for him. The doctor even said that only his neurological condition is not at its best, but that’s no reason for him to stay in Sheba any longer. So apparently there’s a discharge in sight for him and his grandmother. We’re so looking forward to it.
Heavenly father, thank you for our little Jamal, who is very fine and can probably go home next week. Please give him and his grandmother strength until then to keep patient and trustful in the doctors who are caring so much for them!
Jamal is finally receiving medication to reduce his brain activity. Beforehand, he wasn’t so calm, and the last time I visited him, his grandmother said that he was crying a lot and only slept a little. But with the help of the medication, he seems to be calm.
He was nearly falling asleep when we walked into his hospital room, and his grandmother tried to communicate with me that we should be careful with him so that he can sleep. She even put on some Arabic music for him to fall asleep and soon afterwards he slowly closed his eyes, more and more.
Please pray for Jamal as he is still not so well and needs a lot of care. Lord, we pray that you give the doctors wisdom so that they can make good decisions regarding Jamal’s treatment.
At our visit to Sheba Hospital today, we were able to see sweet little Jamal and his grandmother. We received the report from the latest MRI on his brain. It showed ischemia which leads to a limited oxygen supply to parts of his brain! This condition can also bring hypertension which little Jamal is now also experiencing.
Please keep praying for the staff at Sheba hospital, that our Lord will continue to guide them in their excellent care for their little patients.
We were happy to see our sweet little Jamal doing well today at Sheba Hospital! He has a nice color to his face and when we talked to his grandmother, she was also really happy about Jamal being as stable as he is!
When we talked to the attentive staff they told us they are planning for a brain MRI tomorrow for little Jamal. Prayers for good and clear results there.
When we visited little Jamal today the first thing we saw was that he’s extubated! Fortunately he was awake so we could talk to him a bit and he held on to my finger all the time. It was so great to see him that active and lively.
When we talked to the doctor she told us that Jamal had a seizure on his forehead yesterday so they made a test to examine his brain function. They are still waiting for the results.
I pray God holds little Jamal in his hands. I thank God for the extubation and that Jamal is doing so well. I pray for good results from the brain function test, that the seizure is nothing to worry about. Feel free to join me in theses prayers.
It is always nice to visit Jamal and his grandmother at Sheba Hospital. Today we found Jamal lying on his stomach. Grandma said he was feeling a little better and that he will be extubated soon. Grandma says that God willing, Jamal will wake up tomorrow. The doctor confirms this.
Later we find grandma in the waiting room, together with the other parents. Nice to see she has good contacts now. We pray that tomorrow will be successful and bless Jamal, Grandma and the family.
Upon arrival to Sheba Hospital, having found Jamal’s room, his grandmother told me that he had had a bad night. Jamal had difficulty breathing and needed a ventilator. Grandma was very shocked and worried. We prayed together and asked God to be close to Jamal and to his grandma.
Grandma also admitted to feeling a bit alone. Another lady from Gaza who is also in hospital with a child, has offered to visit grandma every now and then. The doctor said that Jamal’s situation is fairly stable. Thank God for that and let’s pray for further recovery.
When I visited Jamal at Sheba Hospital today, he was sleeping peacefully. Even when the nurse cleaned his oxygen tube, he kept on sleeping. I talked a bit with her and she told me that they had the plan to extubate him today, but at the moment he has some fluids in his body, especially in his face. And indeed, he looked very swollen. The plan now is to extubate him tomorrow, hopefully it will work out.
Please pray for this little boy, that the fluids will disappear and he can finally be extubated!
Jamal is doing well!! His chest is now closed and tomorrow doctors plan to extubate him. During our whole visit with Jamal and his grandmother at Sheba Hospital, Jamal was sleeping soundly. That gave his grandma and me the chance to talk to each other, via Google translate. Grandma also speaks some English. We talked about God, that Jamal is in the hands of God and that God is great and full of love.
This morning the doctors at Sheba Hospital finally closed Jamal’s chest! It’s so great that they were able to do it without any complications. Jamal’s grandmother was waiting very patiently until we could talk to a doctor, who was able eventually to tell us that Jamal is on a very good track. When we told his grandmother the good news she seemed to be so relieved!
Thank you, Lord, so much for this successful surgery and thank you, that you’re holding Jamal in your hands all the time. Please be with his grandmother and give her strength for this rough time!
Baby Jamal is still stable after his surgery. His chest remains open, but he is doing well. The doctors tried to reduce his hemodynamic support (mechanical regulation of pressures in his heart), but he wasn’t ready to come off of it yet. The doctor said that this isn’t bad news, it’s very normal, and that he just needs a little more time. His grandmother is doing very well, and was explaining to me what some of the tubes attached to Jamal are for. It is hard for her to see her sweet grandson like this, but she is very strong. Please pray that Jamal will stay stable and continue to improve, and will soon be ready to have his chest closed.
Today little Jamal finally had his big surgery day at Sheba Hospital. After a 5 and 1/2 hour long surgery, Jamal had the position of his pulmonary artery and the aorta switched. This is a serious procedure and sweet little Jamal now has his chest still open. In three to four more days, Jamal will have another surgery to close it.
We are so thankful to see the amazing men and women who work at Sheba do their absolute best for all the children in ICU and pediatric departments!
We pray baby Jamal, who is so loved by our great Father in heaven, and also his devoted grandmother both come through this ordeal victoriously!
Our little boy Jamal is still waiting in the Intermediate Pediatric ICU of Sheba Hospital for his surgery to switch his great arteries. He was scheduled for surgery today, but again it got delayed because of another emergency surgery.
As there are holidays starting in Israel now, Jamal’s surgery is now scheduled for next Wednesday and we are praying that it will finally take place! His grandmother is waiting patiently with him and always greets us with a smile when we are walking into her hospital room.
Little Jamal didn’t end up having his surgery at Sheba Hospital today to switch his great arteries. The doctors aren’t sure yet when his surgery will be, though hopefully tomorrow or the next day.
Jamal’s grandmother is great friends with another grandmother also at the hospital, and it was fun to see them chatting with each other and asking about each other’s grandchildren.
Jamal is stable for now, and still enjoying his sister’s pink pacifier. Please pray that the doctors will be able to give him his surgery soon, and that it will go well.
The name Jamal means beauty, charm and grace in Arabic – and that’s so true, just look at this picture!
Jamal is waiting for a big surgery at Sheba Hospital, of at least six hours in length. It will take place tomorrow or the next day. Jamal’s grandmother is doing a great job being with her grandson!
Today, we also had some danish volunteers, it was so great to see how Jamal’s grandmother really was moved when one of them prayed for Jamal. Her name is Hedi. We are praying with her for God’s grace over Jamal and for his upcoming surgery!
This afternoon we welcomed little Jamal and his sweet grandmother at Sheba Hospital. The little boy, just a few weeks old, arrived by ambulance and was directly admitted to the ICU.
The doctors began some tests to get to know his case, he will get an ECG and an echo later this day and then we hope that the doctors will soon start to make a surgery plan for him.
Please pray that God would comfort him and his grandmother and also for wisdom for all the medical staff at Sheba!
Today Jamal came back to Sheba Hospital for follow-up echo and neurology appointments. Many children are shy and frightened at first but settle as the day progresses, but not Jamal; he remained unfailingly shy and frightened the entire day. I couldn’t get near him without his bursting into tears and screams.
But even with them we find blessings, and today coworker Max and I found blessing with Jamal’s extended family who came to assist with his procedures. They also brought a platter of rice and chicken to eat together in the hospital and they insisted Max and I join them. So we sat and ate with them, and Jamal was calm in the presence of faces he knew. And it was a good time. His family honored us in this place for his sake. The Arabs, who remember well their families, know that what is done to one of them is done to all of them.
