What a nice farewell party last night! Together with the whole team we sat under the open sky in our sukkot, which we set up for the Feast of Tabernacles.
It was time to look back and reflect on the past two months that Lalo and his father spent here. Two months full of ups and downs, but overall, a very blessed time.
After such a long wait it’s a gift of God that they can finally return to their family. You could see how happy they were because their faces shone with joy.
As a team we are very happy for the family. But we will also miss Lalo and his father a lot. Lalo’s father was always a great help to us – whether as a translator, contact person for the new Kurdish families who have arrived, or simply with his warm personality.
This afternoon we finally had to say goodbye to them and after the farewell, coworker Simona and I set out to take them to the airport. Lord, please bless their journey back home and their family reunion.
So many times we had to tell Lalo’s dad that he has to wait longer and that he can’t go home yet. Two times Lalo was called for a cath, first they placed a stent on his right pulmonary artery, then in the left one. Today we brought Lalo and his dad again for an echo to the hospital, his dad filled with so much hope that after today they could finally return home.
Lalo was very brave for his ECG,
and echo today, barely crying, especially if I compare it with his first echo exactly two months ago. The first news that the doctor shared with us is that everything looks good so far but that he needs to talk to the doctor that has seen Lalo the last times cause only she can make the decision what’s next.
We waited outside and after an hour his doctor came again and shared with us the great news that Lalo can go home! I never saw his dad that happy as he was so excited to finally see his wife and other kids again. Lalo will need more caths in his future cause the stents in his pulmonary arteries need to be widened as he grows but no one knows if it will be one or four years until he needs the next cath.
For now Lalo is doing very well as we can all witness when we see him running around. Thank you Lord for this amazing news!
Lalo and his father are eagerly looking forward to the meeting Monday with doctors at Sheba Hospital on October 3. This is the day doctors should decide if Lalo has recovered sufficiently to be allowed to return home to Kurdistan.
Also this Sunday, just one day before possible discharge from the hospital, Lalo will turn two years old. We’re sorry he can’t celebrate his party at home in Kurdistan, but we’ll throw him a fun party at our Ashdod home, Lord willing.
We pray for a speedy recovery and strength for the time they are still here.
As coworker Tineke and I entered the Pediatric ICU of Sheba Hospital where Lalo was staying, we recognised that his father was already beginning to pack their things. We were really happy after we heard from the doctor that Lalo will be discharged today and that he is doing well after his cath yesterday.
Because Lalo doesn’t like hospitals that much, he was restless in his room since yesterday. His father told me that he and Lalo were eagerly waiting to go back with us to our community home in Ashdod. By noontime, they were finally able to leave the hospital.
Because some other kurdish families who came together with Lalo and his father to Israel were flying today for Kurdistan, Lalo’s dad really wanted to see them before they left to the airport. Thankfully that worked out for them. These families have been staying together for quite some time now and it is really hard for Lalo’s father to see them go and not be able to join them.
After his next appointment in one and a half weeks, the doctors will see what still needs to be done in Lalo’s treatment before he can also return to Kurdistan.
Please pray for strength for Lalo and his dad for the next weeks and for patience as they walk through everything that is still ahead of them. Especially Lalo’s Dad hopes that they can go home soon to see their family again.
This morning before we arrived to Sheba Hospital, Lalo had been taken into his second interventional catheterization during his time here.
His dad was very worried especially because the doctors said earlier that probably Lalo will need a lot of more caths in his lifetime. It was good that we could talk to each other as he speaks German fluently and he could also talk to another Kurdish mom who was in the hospital for the appointment of her child today.
After only three hours, Lalo was already back in his room. The cath went all well and the doctors placed another stent in Lalo’s left pulmonary artery and widened the stent in his right pulmonary artery. Lalo has had troubles with a too-high blood pressure before, but now only a short time after the cath, they could already see a great progress. Lalo’s blood pressure in his right atrium is lower and he is doing better. His doctor also told us that probably Lalo will need another surgery in a few years, but we will hear more about this during his next echo.
We thank God for this successful catheterization and ask a blessing on Lalo and his dad for much strength!
This evening Lalo from Kurdistan was admitted to Sheba Hospital for his second catheterization with us. While waiting for his x-ray, Lalo enjoyed playing with coworker Lena on the toys in the waiting area.
After the x-ray he had to get a blood test, which he really did not like. He finally calmed down a bit after the IV was inserted and his dad played some of his favorite songs. In his cath tomorrow, the doctors hope to further widen Lalo’s pulmonary arteries and possibly place a stent to hold the left one open.
Please pray that all will go well for him tomorrow, and that he and his father can go home to their family waiting in Kurdistan after this.
When we went to Sheba Hospital today with Lalo, his father told me they recorded Lalo’s blood pressure every morning and evening this past week so that the doctors could see how the new medication Lalo was taking was affecting his blood flow.
Doing the echo, Lalo was crying very much and felt uncomfortable with the procedure, so his father did everything he could to calm him down. After his doctor saw the echo results, she told us that the new medication isn’t helping as much as they hoped it would, and Lalo needs another catheterization on Tuesday. She wants to do the procedure as soon as possible because his condition won’t get better with time and she knows that Lalo as well as his father really want to go home to their family in Kurdistan.
The doctors also ordered an ECG today, during which Lalo still required a visual distraction which this faithful father was ready to supply.
We pray for strength for Lalo’s dad and for Lalo, for the remaining time they have to stay with us, and for the procedure on Tuesday and for Lalo’s recovery in general.
Today, Lalo finally had his next echo at Sheba Hospital, but again it didn’t bring very good news for him and his dad.
Lalo’s blood pressure is still too high, as his left pulmonary artery is too small. He has some scar tissue within his stent after his cath and the high pressure is in his right ventricle. It’s not dangerous for him right now, but his doctor doesn’t want to send him home to Kurdistan like this, as they don’t know how it will develop.
For now, Lalo’s medications are increased so that his blood pressure decreases and he will have an echo in two weeks again. If his situation doesn’t improve enough by then, Lalo will also probably need another cath.
Lalo is getting more and more happy as he gets to know us volunteers, but for his dad, this was still very hard news as he his hoping to go home to his wife and other kids soon. On the other side, he only wants the best for Lalo.
Our handsome little Lalo from Kurdistan has been becoming more and more comfortable with the volunteers. Last night I was able to take his blood pressure without him crying once! He loves to listen to the song, “The wheels on the Bus go Round and Round.” He is a very active little boy, and enjoys kicking around a soccer ball and riding the scooter.
His favorite toys are the ones that move – cars and trucks and balls. He’s still waiting for a check-up echo at Sheba Hospital before we know when he can return to Kurdistan.
His father definitely wants to go home soon, though we will miss this cute boy and his kind father when they do go. Please pray that Lalo will have a good result following his echo and will be able to return home soon!
Today Lalo had his first echo at Sheba Hospital after his discharge from the catheterization last week. While his dad hoped very much that everything will be fine and he can already go back home to his family, the doctors discovered that Lalo’s pulmonary arteries are still too narrow.
For now they started giving him a new medication which should lower the blood pressure and in two weeks he will have another echo to determine Lalo’s development and to decide about future treatment plans. The doctor told me that Lalo’s problems with the stenotic arteries will most likely stay for some years and if he would live in Israel, he would probably get a cath every six months. As this isn’t really a solution for Lalo, they are trying to make a different plan.
Lalo’s dad of course was very disappointed about this news and we are very sorry for him. Please keep praying for Lalo and his dad who is caring so wonderfully for his son!
This noon, Lalo and his father were discharged from Sheba Hospital and are living in our family house again. Both of them are very relieved that everything went well. They don’t have to return to Sheba Hospital until next Wednesday when Lalo has an Echo-Appointment.
“Heavenly father, thank you for Lalo’s discharge today! Please keep him safe and let him recover very well from his treatments!” – feel free to join our prayers!
Last night we admitted our cute Lalo for his cath at Sheba Hospital. We left with a prayer for protection for Lalo and peace for his father.
In the morning, we were back when he was taken to the cath lab. His dad was very worried while we waited, talking a lot on the phone to his wife, who has been in Israel one and a half years ago for Lalo’s first surgery. He said he always knew his wife was very strong, but now he can finally really understand how much strength it takes to be in the hospital with your sick child. We tried to distract him a little bit by letting him teach us Kurdish and Arabic.
The cath was successful and the doctor was very pleased with the outcome. They widened Lalo’s left pulmonary artery where he already has a stent and placed another stent in the right pulmonary artery. In the future, they will have to widen or replace the stents again, as Lalo grows.
Let us praise God for the successful intervention and ask for quick recovering and patience for Lalo because he doesn’t like all the medical instruments too much. And thank you so much for praying for the Shevet Achim children! And let’s not forget their parents who also need the strength and patience of our almighty God.
Today we took a train trip to Jerusalem as a special treat for some of our Kurdish families. Lalo’s Dad was speaking on behalf of the families and asked me if we could do a little trip by train, so today was the day.
During our trip, we had more time to see how lovely and well Lalo’s dad takes care of his son and also of all the kids he had around him. In the middle of the train, Lalo’s dad was sharing different biscuits and chips with the Jewish kids that were seated there, practically demonstrating ‘love our brothers.’ It was a good reminder of the verse “Do not forget to do good and to share with others,” written in Hebrews, chapter 13.
During our trip, we received news that Lalo needed to be admitted today to Sheba Hospital for a Catheterization in the afternoon.
So, we made arrangements to get to the hospital on time and Lalo was admitted for his cath tomorrow morning.
Please pray for Lalo’s procedure and for his dad, who is anxious right now.
Lalo loves to be outside. Inside the house he is still a little bit shy and he is missing his mother a lot. But as soon as he is outside, he is happy, running around and exploring the world.
Together with the other families we had a lot of fun at the playground.
Today we went to beach with all the families. They all had a lot of fun, but Lalo was the most enthusiastic. As soon as we arrived, he was directly running towards the sea. He sat down in the water, throwing around sand. Even when waves were rolling over him, he was laughing.
Let‘s continue to pray for this sweet boy as he is still waiting for the doctors to decide on the details of further diagnostics and his surgery.
After arriving in Israel just yesterday, Lalo already had his first echo at Sheba Hospital today. The doctors still remember him as he was here a little over a year ago.
Lalo loved to run around in the waiting area, to play with everything he could possibly find and was smiling a lot the whole time. But as soon as he had to enter the echo room, his smile was gone. He is afraid of the doctors, the nurses, and all their equipment.
Lalo’s father speaks perfect German and so translation was for me today very fun and easy. Lalo’s pulmonary artery is very narrow and his doctor was a little shocked how bad the numbers have been, but at the same time he was very happy and surprised at how well Lalo is doing. He is active, doesn’t have any symptoms and his oxygen was 100% today.
Lalo will have a CT scan as soon as possible and will probably have a cath already next week. This is most likely the only procedure he will need here in Israel. The doctors want to make everything very fast for him so that he doesn’t have to stay away from his mother for too long.
Let us pray for Lalo and his whole family because they are missing each other very much!
Today we picked up Lalo and his dad at Ben Gurion airport. They were so happy to be with us! Lalo was a little bit scared because of the new situations so his father was very tired and they both slept in the car when we were driving to our community home in Ashdod.
Lalo´s father lived in Germany for a while so we could talk with him in German, which made the communication so much easier!
After arriving home and settling everyone in their rooms to have a bit of rest, five of us volunteers and the families ate lunch together. We had a very good time in a table full with all different languages, German, Kurdish, English and Spanish! Tomorrow Lalo will have his echo at Sheba.
This last Wednesday we celebrated the farewell party for our cute “Balou” and his lovely mother. Co-workers Sebastian, Alena and Georgia joined us, including our community dog Shevie.
It was a lovely farewell party and the best present given to Lalo’s mom was the long awaited Shevet T-shirt. She loved receiving it.
We watched a beautiful video together and shared some inside jokes. Lalo’s mom expressed her great thankfulness to all of us working at Shevet, including all the people that were not with us at the moment. She was so thankful for everything, and expressed her appreciation for all the help given. It was a lovely farewell party.
On Friday night, Co-worker Berith and I had the privilege of bringing both her and Lalo to Ben Gurion airport for their flight home after almost four months with us here in in Israel.
In the car, she told us she couldn’t sleep well since she is so excited about surprising her three other children waiting back in Kurdistan. She has not told them she is coming back. What a lovely surprise. If you look at the joyful face of Lalo, you can tell how happy and ready he is to see his family again.
“All of you were with me in my difficult times. Thank you so much for everything and thank you that you are with me now in my happy time.” These were the words that Lalo’s mother said to me, with tears coming down her face as we hugged each other deeply and for a long time before we had to leave her. We weren’t allowed to go inside the airport with her.
It was lovely to hear these words for me personally because it meant we reached one of our main goals for this mother and her child. We wanted to make the difficult time here a little bit easier for them both. It was special and a privilege to meet her and spend so much time together with both of them. We really love them and have them in our hearts. We are thankful for what God has done in their lives. It is a great opportunity to be a living and active witness for others of His great work. This happens again and again. May God protect little Lalo and his family now in Kurdistan and give them a lovely time with their family. Please join us in prayer for that. Little Lalo will need both follow-up in Kurdistan and to continue with some of his medicines the doctors have recommended.
When we arrived at Sheba Medical Center today, the Echo and the ECG for our little “Balou” went very quickly. He was very calm and didn’t cry at all. When finished, the doctor took some time to decide if today’s was the last echo for Lalo in Israel. During the waiting time, one of the kind nurses offered us something to drink. Praise the Lord, it was decided “Ballou” and his lovely mother are ready to return back to their family in Kurdistan. Lalo’s mother was very happy to hear this news. She told me she wants to surprise her other three children waiting for her in Kurdistan, and that she is extremely happy she can give this news finally after four months of Lalo’s treatment here. We are very happy for them, though it’s sad for us to let them go, as they have a big place in our heart.
It is just beautiful what the Lord has done in Lalo’s precious life. His mom is very thankful to God, but also to the hospital. She said her thanks to everyone she has seen in the hospital today, over and over again.
When Lalo is back in Kurdistan, he will need follow-up appointments there and will need to continue with his medicines he is taking at the moment. Thank you all so much for your prayers for this lovely family.
Today I was in the hospital with two other families but then I also looked for Lalo to see if he could be discharged after his long-awaited and successful catheterization. So I asked a nurse and Lalo was just having an echo and the doctor told me that he is fine and can come to our house in Jaffa today. The mother was very happy because he will just have another echo next week and then God willing go back to Kurdistan.
Arriving at the house, my coworkers Georgia, Sabrina and Alena came out and welcomed Lalo and his mother with a voice that is probably three octaves higher pitched than mine and all were very happy.
Thank God that Lalo is well now and pray for the return to his family!
The long anticipated catheterization for Lalo was today, and it was truly a day of joy. Doctors placed a stent in his left pulmonary artery to widen it; the procedure only took about an hour. It was a joy as always to be with Lalo’s mum who was keeping in touch with her husband throughout, as well as old friends like the mother of one of the Kurdish children who recently returned home. This particular mum said to Lalo’s mother, “My heart is with you, my sister.” We kept laughing at our joke about dubbing the stent “stent khan,” which, by the way, is only 6mm to fit into Lalo’s tiny heart.
When one of the staff told us that the cath was done his mum jumped out of her seat and started to jump up and down in excitement. She said ana murtaha which means “I am relieved,” and she noticeably exhaled a sigh of relief when the news washed over her. When Lalo was brought out she ran over to him and to the doctors. She hugged one of the cath doctors whom she knew and said, “Thank you, I love you!” to her.
Her joy was contagious and for good reason. The doctors were very happy with how the cath went, and so a homecoming to Kurdistan is on the horizon for Lalo and his mum.
“Sabr ayoub” (The patience of Job) is one of the few phrases I have learned in Arabic from Shevet so far. Nevertheless, this sentence accompanies me every day, just as it did today. When we drove to the hospital with little Lalo this morning, everything went very quickly and well at the beginning. He had an ECG and an echo, during which, he did not cry. After that, I thought it was so nice that we just haD to wait for a room and it wounldn’t take long. But I probably rejoiced too early, because we waited about seven hours until little Lalo and his loving mom could finally be admitted to their room on ward five. It was a long time to wait, but it was a nice time that we spent together. Lalo’s wonderful mother speaks English. We talkED to each other and passED the time. Lalo is a very active boy and we took turns holding him. After some time, he got tired and slept.
All of us in Jaffa have enjoyed little Lalo together with his mommy very much lately and have taken him to our hearts.
When one of the friendly doctors explained to us the risks involved with any cath, Lalo’s mother was very worried and is still worried about her little son. Nevertheless, his cath is scheduled for tomorrow. Therefore, your prayers for the cath tomorrow are greatly appreciated.
We have had Lalo and his mother staying with us in our community house in Jaffa for quite some time. The other families with whom they came to Israel, have long since left, now almost two weeks ago. But both Lalo and his mother are a beautiful blessing to us; here we are pictured all together at our morning meeting.
Lalo’s mother shared a personal reflection about her relationship with God. She said that she knows God loves her very much as he gave her Lalo, with his heart problem. She says that through the hardship, she has had to rely on God so much more, and knows even moreso that He is wise above all.
This past weekend, we were also very happy to celebrate the Kurdish New Year with Lalo’s mum. The Kurds call this holiday “Newroz,” and the ladies dress in lovely gowns.
Her long-time prayer for blessing arrived this week. It was a special stent, sent for from Germany, or the “Stent Khan,” we joyfully declared in Kurdish. The “dear stent” for which we have been waiting, has finally arrived. And even better, Lalo has been scheduled for catheterisation this week!
We went to the hospital today to have a corona test in preparation for his admission. He didn’t cry at all.
As we drove to Sheba Hospital for Lalo’s echo appointment today, his mother showed us the videos of her wedding. She is missing her family back home very much, and this was one of the things she is reminiscing about, as she thinks about her family.
Lalo was a changed man today, during his echo he didn’t cry and it was easy to keep him calm using a video and milk. The doctor also heard from mum and me that he is a changed boy at home as well; sleeping well, not crying or screaming, and generally sociable and happy.
The doctor explained to us thoroughly that Lalo’s echo showed that the right ventricle is showing signs that there is very high pressure in his heart, and it means that following a meeting with the medical team, they are sure that Lalo cannot return to Kurdistan with his heart in this condition, and that they think a catheterisation will help him by dilating his pulmonary arteries again; they are very small. The doctors would like to place a special stent which will keep the arteries open.
Thank you for your prayer support for this family and especially for Lalo.
Lalo was discharged to the Jaffa communityu home today from his stay in the hospital after he was taken to the ER earlier this week due to a rapid heart rate. His mum celebrated her homecoming to Jaffa with blasting Kurdish music with the windows down in the car!
We got some strange looks at traffic stops, but it was worth it as she was overjoyed at the sense of freedom. It is wonderful they are back to celebrate our ‘Shabbat Shalom’ dinner with all of us tonight.
We last shared that little Lalo had a very high heart rate. We are happy to report today that the doctors were able to bring the high rate down with some medicine. Also, the doctors told her that for now, there is no surgery nor a pacemaker-placement necessary for her little “Ballou.”
These are some of the reasons why Lalo’s mother was in such a good mood today and why she mentioned that she wanted to have a “hafla” for Lalo (a Kurdish and Arabic word for ‘party’). So she was filled with a lot of joy today.
Lalo will need another catheterization either this week or next week, it is not scheduled yet. His pulmonary arteries are still too small so with the intervention of the catheterization, they hope to widen these. Thank the Lord that our lovely “Ballou” is better now. We are so thankful for the decision yesterday evening to take him to the ER.
Please continue to have this lovely boy and his happy and patient mother in your prayers.
Lalo’s mum noticed that there was something not quite right with him today. He slept a lot more than usual and this evening, she noticed that the pulse in his neck seemed to be racing. Despite being asleep, his heart rate was over 200 bpm. The heart rate did not calm down, so we took him to the emergency room at Sheba hospital.
I messaged our contact nurse from the Cardiology department, and she wrote back saying that there was one of the Cardiologists working in the ER tonight. In fact, it was Lalo’s Cardiologist, who specialises in electrophysiology, working his one shift per month in the ER. What a blessing that the very person who could help Lalo, the bestchoice happened to be there at just the right time.
He was even waiting for us when we arrived, and despite the hugely busy ER, Lalo and his mum were brought immediately through into the department. I stayed behind to check them into the reception, and again, what a blessing to just be able to say the words “Shevet Achim,” and have all the administration fall immediately into place.
I caught up with Lalo in his own room surely less than a minute later, already surrounded by about six or seven members of the ER team. The room was busy, and the machines were bleeping, telling us that his heart rate was very high. Lalo was screaming and a cannula was put in his neck. The ECG was brought over, and something about it made this the most dramatic experience I have ever had in the ER, much more like something you might imagine from the television. Lalo received medicine which brought the heart rate under control, and slowly, slowly over the hours which followed, he started to smile and become interactive and happy.
The doctor explained that it can be very dangerous for Lalo’s heart rate to be at or above 200 bpm, and that he should be brought immediately to the hospital in such an event. Thank God that today, he arrived safely to Sheba hospital and was treated with excellence by the staff there.
His beautiful mother was so worried, and thankfully she is able to feel more peace as she sees that Lalo is much more stable. Still, they must spend the night in the hospital, in the Intensive Care Unit even, as his problem is so potentially severe.
Please pray for lovely Lalo who is really having a difficult and traumatic time. Pray that God would heal his heart and protect him from all fear during this time in the hospital.
When Lalo’s mother and I were on our way to the hospital this morning, she told me how she and her family spend their time in Kurdistan. They live close to the mountains and often go there to have family picnics. Lalo’s mother and her husband have four children together, so he is back home with three more. When they picnic together, there are only the six of them and they spend a precious and lovely time together. She told me with pride and love how much they enjoy their time together. She loves and misses her family a lot. I can imagine this wonderful family of six very well, as there are also six of us in my family in Germany.
This last Sunday, it was Lalo’s mother’s birthday, which made it even more sad for her to be separated from her family. But she had a nice day here as well, and went to a few local shops to get some T-shirts for herself.
Our precious little Lalo and his loving mum had to return to Sheba hospital today for an Echo and an ECG which, of course, Lalo didn’t like at all. His mother tried everything to calm him down but sadly it didn’t go so well. One of the very friendly nurses took him and managed to calm him down at least a little bit, for a short time.
Unfortunately, the doctor said they cannot return to their home and family in Kurdistan as yet. He told me that Lalo’s arteries are very small and that they won’t grow that fast. While they are fine for now, the doctors want to discuss this little boy’s situation and need to decide what they want to do for him next, including a possible surgery or a catheterization. The doctor reminded us that everything they are doing with Lalo is a risk for him.
Let’s pray for this worried and lovely mother to be calm about the whole situation, and that if it is in God’s will, pray there won’t be a need for this little boy to have another surgery or catheterization. But the life and plans for Lalo are in God’s hands.
It is a happy day for Lalo and his mother today. After three weeks in Sheba Hospital, they could return back to our Jaffa community home. Another Kurdish family also staying at our community home, came outside to welcome us as we arrived in Jaffa. There was so much joy, like a very special moment.
“Ballou’s” recovery took some time. After his last Catheterization, he needed oxygen, a blood transfer, his hemoglobin was too low or his heart was beating too fast. But the doctors wanted to wait and see how Lalo’s condition would develop. The balloon dilation did bear its fruit after all, which is what the doctors had hoped to see. The mother of Lalo had waited for her beloved son to improve and when she did not see improvement, she became discouraged.
But thank you all for your prayers. The happy day did eventually come. Ballou is doing well, without oxygen assistance and has been discharged to Jaffa. Oh happy day!
For volunteers serving at Shevet who don’t speak much Arabic or Kurdish, it’s always very nice when the parents of the children we are caring for, speak a bit of English like the mother of Lalo does. It makes it easier to get to know each other. We all miss little Lalo and his mother a lot in Jaffa.
When I went to Sheba Medical Center to visit her and our lovely “Ballou” today, it was nice news to hear that Lalo was moved to the Secondary Pediatric ICU over this past weekend. His mother is always happy to have one of us visiting her and is always telling us to give her greetings to everyone back at the Jaffa community house. When co-worker Carina or I are visiting with her, she is often communicating in German, which is lovely. She learned a bit from her husband who lived in Germany for ten years.
She was able to tell me that a balloon dilation procedure that the doctors used during last week’s catheterization, did not produce its wanted result, and that Lalo’s heart is beating very fast.
Now the doctors want to wait over the next few days to see if the procedure will yet bear fruit. If it doesn’t do so, he will need another catheterization. She is very worried about it and wears a lot of concern on her face. When I asked her how she is and if she is sleeping well at night. She told me, ” If Lalo is good, then I’m good. But if he’s not, then I’m not, and the same with my sleeping.”
Please keep this lovely mother and our lovely “Ballou” in your prayers.
Precious Lalo had an interventional Catheterization today at Sheba Medical Center. It was a success, thank God.
The day started early for Lalo and his mother. We were waiting about three hours for the surgery to finish and Lalo to return. While we were waiting, one doctor was so nice to write a text message from the Catheterization room, so Lalo’s mother wouldn’t worry. Such care for the mother!
And thank God, it was good news. Doctors made two balloon attempts in Lalo’s pulmonary artery. This should allow Lalo to receive better oxygen throughout his body.
After so much worry, we are so thankful to God, that He has everything in control, and now our lovely baby boy is doing well. He doesn’t need oxygen assistance now.
Lalo’s mother thanks everyone who is praying for her baby. We heard that during the night last night, Lalo was taken upstairs to the 6th floor Pediatric ICU of Sheba Medical Center, due to a fast and irregular heartbeat, and low blood pressure.
His mum has been so sad, telling us about the cannula placed in his neck, and full of worry for her baby. He is so precious, and we assured her that we will continue to pray for him.
Tomorrow he is scheduled for a Catheterization. Thank you all for your prayer support for this little one.
Our little Lalo is always called “Ballou” by his loving mommy when he cries and she takes him in her arms to help him calm down. Lalo’s mom is very worried about her little precious son because last night he experienced some Tachycardia. To get his heartbeat back to normal, Lalo was given medication twice during the night. Thank God that worked out well.
Another thing that worries Lalo’s mother, is that our little Lalo has problems with swallowing and because of that, he’s not eating enough. For this reason he has already lost 700 grams. In addition to oral feeding, he is now fed through a stomach tube to prevent little “Ballou” from losing even more weight and to regain his strength quickly.
It is always nice to see how much his mother loves him and cares for her “Ballou,” taking him lovingly in her arms when he cries and comforting him. Thank God, the little man does not need supplemental oxygen, his oxygen levels are very good.
Please pray for our precious “Ballou” and his worried mommy, that her beloved son will get better little by little, and that she will have peace and trust in God.
Our lovely Lalo was moved to the Secondary Pediatric ICU on the fourth floor of Sheba Medical Center this past Friday. He is getting better.
When I came today for a visit, his mother was worried about her beloved son. She was telling me that he had an EEG done today and one doctor from Neurology examined him. His mother did not understand why and with insufficient communication between herself and doctors, her heart is rushing with concern for Lalo.,
But a nurse who spoke Arabic was able to help with some translation. Lalo’s mother received long sought-after information as to what is happened with her son, also what the doctor has so far done. Doctors believe that Lalo has failed some reflexes. But after his examination today, they found our small boy healthy! What a blessing it was! His mother calmed down directly after receiving this news and was smiling before the end of it.
Lalo’s heart is working very well after the surgery last week. But he has developed some edema in his lungs. He is getting some medicine against it every day.
We hope to see our lovely Lalo soon coming back to us in our community home in Jaffa, as a result of all your prayers. Thank you for your support.
A different woman greeted co-worker Carina and I today when we visited Sheba Hospital. Compared to the worried and tearful mother I met two days ago, Lalo’s mother was a joyful sunbeam today! She is very happy to tell us that the chest drains have been removed, and that she can hold her baby again after these difficult days apart from him. She is very grateful and feeling positive now, even on the topic of hospital food, which can sometimes be trying for our Kurdish families. She was excited that she tried sweet potatoes for the first time. What a blessing to see someone with an overflowing heart of gratitude. Its impossible to be with her and not feel good and encouraged!
Her son Lalo has been moved now to the Intermediate Pediatric ICU, which is really good news as he is recovering well. She later sent me this photo, introducing her handsome new baby, the New Lalo, no longer blue!
Thank God for his healing, and for his mother’s infectious joy. May God give all of us a grateful heart like Lalo’s mum.
It was a special moment to see Lalo’s mother this morning at Sheba Hospital. Despite not seeing her for only one day, I truly had missed her. So when she responded to my and co-worker Alena’s message, asking if she wanted to come and sit with in an upstairs waiting area, we were very pleased. I was not expecting her to burst into tears as she hugged with Alena. A long embrace, with so much said, silently.
Lalo’s strong and beautiful mother has apparently come to realize it is not the case that Lalo’s surgery yesterday would fix his problems for life. Instead, she learned that as he grows, the newly-placed valve of yesterday’s surgery will need to be replaced, a few times perhaps, during his lifetime.
Lalo’s mum was very upset to think of Lalo’s future, filled with surgeries, for which she would have to travel each time, making the situation so difficult for her family.
Thankfully Lalo is recovering well from this surgery. She sent this photo, cuddled up in a blanket, and now he is extubated. He has started to drink milk already!
Please pray for peace in the heart of this beautiful mother.
Our beloved Lalo had his big surgery today in the morning. His mother was waiting for this day for so long a time. Thanks be to God, she had the patient endurance and could a little bit enjoy the time with us in our Jaffa home.
Lalo’s surgery took about five hours. His mother was in tears in the waiting room. I could feel the whole weight of worry about her son as we hugged each other. She needed some support. Our Lord was with us. We prayed together for Lalo’s heart, for the doctors and nurses. In the midst of this, I received a text message from a co-worker,“ This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” ( Psalm 118:24). This was truly God’s provision.
After we prayed, the mother wanted to have breakfast with me. The day before, she made an extra cake in anticipation of this event! So we spent the time talking, looking at family pictures, and sometimes conversing with other mothers in the hospital. We had such a good conversation while waiting for her blessed boy.
Two hours before Lalo came out of the surgery, a doctor visited us. He told us that the surgeon was almost finished the intervention successful. What a great announcement it was! The doctor explained what they did for Lalo’s heart, that it could be everything was repaired. But what Lalo’s mother did not expect, was that the pulmonary valve was replaced by a biological valve, which after some years, would have needed to be replaced. This was a stunning piece of news as well, the mother was so thankful for this skillful and insightful help! She was saying this again and again.
Now Lalo is recovering well in the Pediatric Cardiac ICU at Sheba medical centre. Please keep praying for his recovery and for the strength of his mother to be renewed as well.
Lalo’s mum has been a joy to have as part of our Shevet family over the month or so that she has been here. She is always hopeful, and kind to think of others before herself.
As she has three other children in Kurdistan who are missing her, she has been keen to know when the surgery for Lalo will take place, so it was good to bring her and Lalo today to the hospital, so that he can go into surgery tomorrow morning!
Lalo hates every procedure at the hospital, and so it was a difficult time for him. He cried a lot, but his mother comforted him with her whole heart.
Just before I left her in the room at the hospital, she commented to me ,”I never thought I would have to do this.” Her reflection on being away from her family, with a baby who is very unwell, requiring urgent life-saving surgery, and in Israel. Thank God that is has been made possible, and that He has strengthened her to do everything for the sake of Lalo.
Please pray for Lalo ahead of tomorrow’s big surgery.
Even before the sunrise today, little Lalo, his lovely mother, and Co-worker Carina and I had to wake up. It was 5:30 am when my alarm clock was ringing. We left our house in Jaffa at 6:30 am because Lalo had to come to Sheba Medical Center for a CT-scan today.
The mother of Lalo speaks English which makes it easy for us to communicate with her. In the car she told us that she couldn’t sleep well in the night because she was worried about the CT-Scan for her beloved son today and because one of her other children in Kurdistan was admitted to the hospital in the night because he was sick. So she was worried about two children which caused her not to sleep very well.
When we arrived at Sheba hospital, we had to wait for an hour until Lalo was called into the CT scan room. Co-worker Carina had left us to visit some of our other children that are in the hospital at the moment. The mother of Lalo and I spent the waiting time with talking together and teaching each other English and Kurdish words and little Lalo was asleep in his mother’s gentle arms. She didn’t want to wake him up because before his CT scan was completed. He wasn’t allowed to eat anything since midnight, and if awake, he would have been hungry of course.
The CT scan was done very quickly, maybe between ten and fifteen minutes. During that time, we had to wait outside. We spent a lovely time together, the mother of Lalo showed us pictures of her family.
So after the short waiting time, we were allowed to go into the room where we had to wait until Lalo was being prepared to awaken. It took about another ten minutes and he was awake and crying because he was hungry. Finally he was allowed to eat again after a few hours. After this, Lalo was allowed to return to his home.
We also discovered that Lalo’s brother, the one in Kurdistan, was in the hospital for only one night and is doing better now. The lord is good all the time and all the time he is good.
Please keep this lovely mother and her whole family in your prayers.
Lalo had his first appointment at the hospital, and endured a big day with many assessments, which he didn’t enjoy! He had a long echo, an ECG, an X-ray and a blood test, the outcomes of which will be discussed by the team of doctors tomorrow. The cardiologist today was sure that he would need a surgery. It was very lovely to be able to spend some time with Lalo and his mum, and have the opportunity to start to get to know her, as they have now returned to quarantine.
Lalo and his mum travelled to Israel, arriving last night, with four other Kurdish families. Lalo’s mum is very happy to have arrived, firstly as she is concerned for the health for her baby. Lalo is her fourth child; she has two boys and two girls, and all the others are healthy and well. Just Lalo, who is almost two months old, has been diagnosed in Kurdistan with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). His oxygen levels are very low. He looks very blue, and he needed oxygen on the flight, although he is stable now.
The other reason mum is happy to have arrived is because she likes to meet new people, and practicing her English and German. I told her that although she is an Arabic and Kurdish speaker, maybe she would also learn Hebrew in the time she is here, as she is very clever with languages. Please pray for Lalo and mum’s time in Israel, for a good surgery and for peace in their hearts.
What a nice farewell party last night! Together with the whole team we sat under the open sky in our sukkot, which we set up for the Feast of Tabernacles.
This afternoon we finally had to say goodbye to them and after the farewell, coworker Simona and I set out to take them to the airport. Lord, please bless their journey back home and their family reunion.
