Today my Coworker Joanne and I picked up Rifan at Erez Crossing point and brought them to Sheba Medical Center. She had an Echo and an ECG today. For now she is doing pretty okay and has to come for an echo in three months. Rifan is a very cute little Girl and I really enjoyed the time with her today. Please pray for blessing and protection for this little girl.
Today coworker Lilly and I drove to the Erez border crossing point to pick up Rifan and her mother to drive them to Sheba Medical Center. We went together to Rifan’s scheduled ECG and echo.
Rifan possibly has an infection and a little bit of fluid around her heart, but it looks good so far. She is a really cute little girl and I enjoyed the time with her and her mother a lot.
After the appointment we brought them back to Gaza. We will see her in three months again for Rifan’s next check up. Please pray for Rifan and her family and that the fluid and the infection will be cleared up the next time we see her.
When I saw little Rifan in her beaming mother’s arms today, I almost couldn’t believe this is the same tiny baby who was struggling to hang on to life just three weeks ago. What a long way she’s come– today, she was discharged from Sheba hospital to go home to Gaza.
Rifan’s mom was exuding joy all day. It’s been so lovely to get to know her during these last weeks and I’m so happy to see her going home with her beautiful daughter. We’ll see Rifan again in a month when she comes back for follow-up.
Little Rifan is still in the Sheba Medical Center Pediatric ICU; it has been a long stay for her here, but through the incredible care she has received, she has been brought through very harrowing circumstances.
She has an infection in her blood, which she is being treated for, and is doing better today than she was doing over the weekend.
Little Rifan was peacefully sleeping today when I went into the Sheba Hospital Pediatric ICU. She is extubated now, which is really good and shows that she is improving.
During my visit, a nurse came into the room and told me that Rifan is doing really well overall and that her amount of medicine is getting decreased a bit. Praise the Lord. This is really good news. They also wanted to try to give her milk today via mouth rather than nasal tube, at least to begin this transition.
Rifan’s mother was smiling a lot today. It is always really interesting to see how much the happiness of the parent is dependent on the health circumstance of their child. For example, when I asked Rifan’s mother how she was doing, she said better because her beloved daughter Rifan is doing better, and that if Rifan is not doing well, then she, Rifan’s mother, is also not doing well.
Please pray for ongoing healing for baby Rifan and for peace for Rifan’s mother in every situation.
Rifan had diaphragm surgery at Sheba Children’s hospital yesterday to address the slight paralysis doctors found in the diaphragm earlier. She is better, post surgery-wise, and doing well today.
Rifan is still receiving oxygen support however, it is hoped that she will recover even more in the next days, and extubation can be attempted again.
Rifan’s mom was really sweet and also joined us later outside in the waiting area with other mothers.
Rifan was placed back on mechanical ventilation over the weekend, and her doctors saw that one side of Rifan’s diaphragm was paralyzed; today they took her into a short procedure to correct that. She will be recovering for sometime before they try extubation again. Thank you for your continued prayers for her life.
Yesterday at Sheba Medical Center Pediatric ICU, Rifan was struggling to breath on her own and needed to be reintubated as a result.
Her mother is continually hopeful for her beautiful daughter even if this is a step backwards; may Rifan have a beautiful and bright future ahead of her.
Please pray for baby Rifan to be able to be breathing without mechanical ventilation again soon.
Baby Rifan has been with her chest open since her surgery at Sheba Hospital last week.
It’s been a difficult and turbulent time since then, but she has stabilized through the weekend, and this morning the surgeons were able to close her chest.
Please pray for a good week for this sweet girl and for many more milestones to come.
When I was about to go into the Pediatric ICU of Sheba Hospital today to visit the mother of cute little Rifan, her mother came towards me. She looked a bit sad but very calm. I asked her how Rifan is doing and she told me that she is improving a bit. I was really glad to hear this news because it means that for now, it is not necessary to put her on the ECMO machine, praise the Lord.
I went into the ICU to see Rifan but I also wanted to ask a doctor if I understood her mother correctly, is Rifan really improving? The doctor reassured me that she really is improving and that the procedure she underwent yesterday did really help her.
You can barely even see tiny little Rifan on her bed in the ICU, but she’s there! Please keep praying for her to improve step by step and for her lovely mother to have ongoing strength and peace in the whole situation.
After a surgery at Sheba Children’s Hospital yesterday to investigate why her blood pressure is so low, Rifan’s doctors were still unsure as to why she was so unstable. She is in a very fragile condition, and the doctors are doing everything they can for her.
Then today, Rifan went into another surgery because she was still not stable. They were able to change the patch that is on the hole between the left and the right ventricle. But still her blood pressure was and is yet unstable.
Please pray for Rifan. If there are no more options, they will put her on the ECMO machine. Also please pray for her mother and the rest of the family. May God’s healing hand be on Rifan.
After a CT scan today, doctors at Sheba Children’s decided to bring Rifan into the OR once again to investigate why her blood pressure was so low despite so much support.
They were also prepared that Rifan may have to come out of surgery on the ECMO machine. The operation took about two hours, and when she was brought out, it was a relief to see she was not on the ECMO machine. She was stable after surgery and now, tonight, the staff will see how Rifan does after the operation.
Little Rifan had surgery at Sheba Children’s hospital this morning to correct coarctation of the aorta and a VSD.
The surgeon explained to me and my coworker Sabrina, that Rifan initially did well on the bypass machine during the operation, but then her blood pressure began to drop and her condition deteriorated.
She is currently unstable, and the doctors are deciding whether to put her on the ECMO machine. We’re trusting in God and his love for this little girl.
Rifan is in the hospital now for two days and he is stable enough to have surgery tomorrow. The surgeons decided on a surgery plan today and they explained it all to the mother.
We ask for your prayers for tomorrow. That Gods healing hand is on this child.
I got to know the mother a little today, she is very kind. We bless this mother in this difficult time.
In the last few hours, we’ve learned of a six-day-old girl named Rifan with a narrowed aorta, whom doctors are keeping alive with mechanical ventilation and prostaglandin in Gaza.
Israel’s largest hospital, the Sheba Medical Center, has already agreed to accept her tomorrow, despite the Sabbath, and we are working now on her transfer papers.