Rohat and his mother went home to Kurdistan today. Rohat had a hard start when he arrived in Israël. He suffered from a virus and was intubated for a long time.
The big surgery could not happen fast, but in the end he got the surgery he needed. Then there was a little concern about his neurological condition, but this also was resolved.
We praise God that Rohat can go home, bigger and stronger. We are going to miss this sweet boy and his mother, who has been so kind to us. It was encouraging for us to see that whatever happened, Rohat’s mom first thanked God before anything or anyone else.
We pray that God goes with them, blesses them, and keeps His careful watch over little Rohat.
This morning, we brought Rohat and his mum to Sheba hospital for another echo and ECG. His mother has been eagerly awaiting this day and praying that it would be his last appointment before going home to Kurdistan.
Sure enough, the doctor took one look at the echo images and said Rohat is ready to go home.
His mum was absolutely overjoyed and called her husband right away to give him the good news.
I first met Rohat on the day of his first echo at Sheba, and I was struck today by what a difference these past three months have made. Rohat has grown bigger and much more alert and responsive.
It’s so good to see the progress he has made. As his mum said in Arabic over and over today, “praise be to God!”
Today cute little Rohat had a neurology appointment at Sheba Hospital.
The reason for this appointment is that while Rohat was hospitalized, the doctors suspect he had had some seizures and his brain development is not as it is supposed to be for a child his age.
Luckily, the neurologist we saw today told us that Rohat is doing great. To be safe, Rohat still needs an ECG, but that’s something that can also be done in Kurdistan. So he and his mom are getting closer and closer to going home.
It was really nice to spend time with Rohat and his mother. I really like his mother, she’s always happy and in a good mood. Keep praying for these two and for the next appointment, which, God willing, will be Rohat’s last appointment in Israel.
Today Rohat had a pulmonary appointment. The reason for the appointment is that the doctors have been worried about his lungs; there were some troubles with the intubation in the ICU and Rohat was dependent on the ventilator for some time.
Our Coworker Moshe helped with the translation and after some questions and an examination, the doctor was content. First the doctor was a little worried about Rohat‘s oxygen level, but after the measurement, the result was very good as well: 100%.
The kind doctor explained to us, that Rohat is very small for his age and not very far developed. The reasons are the big procedures, huge surgeries and a long time is the ICU, which has a big impact in his development. Anyway, the doctor is optimistic and thinks Rohat can gain weight and more muscle now.
The doctor encouraged Rohat’s mother to really listen to her feelings and watch Rohat carefully for unusual breathing noises, and problems while eating. It was also suggested also not to hesitate and go to the pulmonary doctor with Rohat, as soon as there is any concern.
After the good news, Rohat’s mother was very happy, especially because she now feels one step closer to going back to Kurdistan.
Also Rohat was in a good mood and was giving me a cute smile sometimes.
I enjoyed spending time with both of them in the hospital and hope that the next cardiac appointment (an echo) will go as well next week.
Please pray for the next appointment in Sheba hospital and that Rohat’s mom comes even closer to her dream of very soon returning to Kurdistan.
Rohat had an echo today, the first since his discharge from Sheba hospital last week. His cardiologist is very pleased with the condition of his heart, and asked to see him again in two weeks.
I first met Rohat and his mum in the waiting room on the day of his very first echo at Sheba over two months ago. So much has happened for this little guy since then, and I was glad to translate such a good report for his mother.
She is, of course, eager to know how many more check-ups he needs before he can go home to Kurdistan, but as she told me today, “first, we make sure Rohat is doing well.”
Before his next echo, Rohat will have appointments with a pulmonologist and neurologist to check on the condition of his lungs and brain. Please pray for good outcomes from these appointments next week.
Rohat is in very good condition, so today he was discharged from Sheba Medical Center to our guesthouse in Jerusalem. Rohat’s mother said goodbye to the nurses and doctors who have taken care of Rohat and have grown to love him.
It is so nice to see how Rohat went from really sick to really well. We praise God for what He did. Rohat has to return to the hospital for some check-ups for his heart, his brain and his lungs.
We ask for your prayer that Rohat will remain stable.
Today, we found Rohat snuggled in his mom’s arms and breathing completely on his own for the first time in a month! He has improved enough to be moved to the secondary ICU, and he is very close to being discharged to our guesthouse.
After the difficult time Rohat has had over the last two months, it’s so good to see him doing so well. We’re looking forward to spending time with him and his mother at our guesthouse soon.
As soon as Rohat’s mum heard I was in Sheba hospital today, she hurried to the waiting room where I was with some other families, and asked me to come find out how Rohat is doing.
I was glad to translate a good report from the doctors. Rohat is doing a bit better today and the lung that has been giving him trouble is open now.
Rohat’s mum then asked when they will be able to leave the hospital, and while the doctors aren’t sure yet, they are glad to see Rohat’s slow but sure progress.
When we came to the Sheba hospital today we met Rohat’s mother in front of the ICU. She really wanted to know how her child is doing and what’s going on. So I went to ask a doctor and he told me that Rohat has a little fever and they did some tests to find out if he has a virus.
But overall Rohat’s condition is stable and we are very thankful that he is doing quite good. Thank you for praying for little Rohat and his strong mother in the hospital!
Doctors at Sheba Medical have determined there is a problem with one of Rohat’s lungs. He had a bit of trouble breathing today, but he is still stable with oxygen support only through his nose.
The doctors are still conducting tests to decide on a course of treatment for the problem in his lung.
Please pray for a good solution for Rohat. Prayers for his mother also who continues in hospital, waiting on God and on each day for her little Rohat to come through this.
Today I found Rohat in the Pediatric ICU of Sheba Hospital, looking around and happy.
He was extubated this morning and the doctor told me that he is doing really well. He is stable, his blood tests are looking good and this evening he will try to eat a little bit. He still has some oxygen support through his nose.
Rohat’s mother was so happy. She praised God.
We ask for your prayer for the recovery of Rohat. And we thank God that Rohat came so far already.
Rohat was extubated over the weekend in Sheba Hospital, but he had some trouble breathing so he is once again receiving oxygen support from a ventilator.
The doctor in the ICU explained that while at first glance, his diaphragm seems to be functioning, it is possible that this trouble is caused by a problem with the diaphragm. Rohat had an ultrasound today and the doctors will use the results to determine the cause of his difficulty.
Rohat’s mum is still in relatively good spirits. As she told me in Arabic today, “God is great and Rohat is in his hands.”
When Co-worker Rachel and I arrived at Sheba hospital this morning, we were met by Rohat’s mother, absolutely exuding joy and insisting that we come see him right away.
The doctor in the ICU said they are very pleased with Rohat’s surgery and recovery, and they plan to extubate him soon. Rohat had an echo this morning, and his cardiologist says it looks pretty good and she wants to do another echo tomorrow.
“I prayed and prayed for this,” Rohat’s mom told us in Kurdish with tears of joy in her eyes.“Every day I prayed and I didn’t know what would happen and the doctors didn’t know and you didn’t know. But God knew, he always knew.”
Indeed, God has not forgotten little Rohat, and he never will.
We celebrated Rohat’s good outcome with a little bit of lunch, hospital waiting-room style.
It was a big surprise to everyone this morning when the doctors came to take Rohat into the surgery to switch his arteries. His mother wasn’t expecting the surgery to be so soon, but she was glad that he wouldn’t have to wait any longer.
After six hours, the doctor arrived to tell us that the surgery went well and Rohat is stable. It was so good to see his mother’s relief and joy when I turned to her to translate the doctor’s report. “Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah,” she kept saying– “praise be to God.”
As with any major surgery, the next 48 hours are critical. Pray that Rohat will recover well, and thank God for a successful surgery!
Rohat had a very quick and successful diagnostic catheterization this morning at Sheba Hospital. His doctor said there were no complications and that they think surgery is a good option soon. We are now waiting for the surgeon to decide when to do the operation.
Rohat’s mum is still very anxious about him, but it’s reassuring to her that things are moving forward and there may be a surgical solution for his situation.
Please pray for wisdom for the doctors as they make the next decisions for Rohat.
Rohat still needs oxygen support through his nose, but he is stable and doing quite good in Sheba’s Pediatric ICU. On Tuesday he will have a catherization. The doctors want to decide then if they do his next surgery right away or if they will wait some time.
We sat together with Rohat’s mother, talking, snacking on some nuts and laughing. It was so nice to see Rohat’s mom laughing and being happy. Thank you for praying.
We can also pray for Rohats catherization on Tuesday, followed by the doctors’ collective decision as to when Rohat’s surgery should be.
Rohat is now extubated and breathing on his own with oxygen support through his nose. He is stable for now and doctors at Sheba Hospital hope he will stay that way. If not, he will need his next surgery right away, but the doctors would prefer to wait until he is a little bigger and stronger.
Rohat’s mum is having a very difficult time with all the uncertainty. Please pray for comfort for her and answers for Rohat’s condition.
Rohat’s doctors at Sheba Hospital said today they will try to extubate him tomorrow. If Rohat cannot breathe on his own after that, they will go ahead with his next heart surgery, which has been postponed now for a couple of months.
Rohat’s mother is very anxious for him, and always eager for news from the doctors. It’s difficult for her right now because she hopes he is well enough to breathe on his own, but also hopes he can have his heart surgery sooner than two months from now.
Please pray for peace for her and that the extubation attempt tomorrow will have the best outcome possible for little Rohat.
Rohat’s virus swabs have all come back negative, so the doctors at Sheba Hospital are still searching for the cause of his trouble breathing. They took a chest CT today to examine his lungs and heart, and we are waiting for the results. Please pray that this will provide answers.
Rohat’s mother is growing increasingly anxious about her baby boy as the days stretch into weeks. She told me today she is sad because Rohat doesn’t respond to her when she says his name and she’s worried about his brain function.
Please pray for strength and comfort for her while she awaits news from the doctors.
Please pray for Rohat. He has fluid around his lungs and therefore his oxygen dropped low at Sheba Hospital today. He is reintubated now. His mother is really tired and worried. I understand just a little how she must feel.
Today, the doctors said the Corona test for Rohat was negative. That was good news, but they still don’t have the results of the other swabs they took on Sunday. They’re hoping to have them by tomorrow.
Rohat’s mother is a very lovely and unusually funny woman who likes to joke around a lot. These past weeks really haven’t been easy for her, as she is still in Sheba hospital and Rohat is not improving yet. Therefore her mood isn’t always the happiest, but in everything she keeps having a lovely attitude and is never unfriendly. She is spending the night in our community home in Jaffa to take some rest and eat some Kurdish food with the other families at the house.
Prayers for her to remain strong and courageous are appreciated.
Last night, Rohat started having some trouble breathing and the doctors at Sheba Hospital found a bit of fluid in his lungs. He may have a virus – again, so they took swabs and are waiting for results.
Rohat’s mother is really struggling with his situation right now. She seemed very discouraged when Doro and I visited her today, and she told me she’s worried about Rohat’s neurological state and disappointed that he won’t have his next surgery yet.
The doctors are hopeful that when he stabilizes, he can be discharged to Jaffa to wait for his second surgery. In the meantime, let’s pray that his virus tests will be negative and he’ll recover soon.
Rohat had an MRI in Sheba hospital on Sunday because he was weak and it took him longer than it should usually take a child to wake up after his surgery.
Today the results of this MRI scan have been discussed with Rohat’s mother. The neurologist said that Rohat’s neurological development is not in the condition of a normal three month old child, they suspected as much but confirmed it today. The doctors do not yet know if it is a temporary or permanent problem.
However, he has improved in the last two days. They still want to keep Rohat in the hospital and continue to monitor how he develops. It is important now to give him time and it needs to be silent in his room and not too much light. Rohat still needs to have his second heart surgery at around two months, but for now it is not urgent.
It was one of the first times today that I saw this cute boy awake after his surgery. He is a really sweet boy with beautiful eyes. His mother is a lovely and funny woman and is by Rohat’s side all the time as she doesn’t want to leave him alone. She is taking the best care of her beloved son. In general, she is a good-minded and it is nice to spend time with her. She is quite worried about Rohat’s neurological condition and therefore not so happy anymore.
Please pray for her to trust in God in the whole situation and for Rohat to recover well.
Over the last few days in the Sheba Hospital Pediatric ICU, Rohat has been waking up and becoming more alert without the sedation medication.
His mother was a bit worried because he cried all day yesterday and much of this morning, but the doctor in the ICU told me this is actually a good sign because it means he’s awake and responding normally.
Even so, the doctors are a bit concerned about Rohat’s neurological state, so they will do an MRI on Sunday to check and make sure everything is okay. God willing, they will proceed with his second surgery next week.
When I visited Rohat this morning at Sheba Hospital I found him wide awake and breathing on his own! His mom was excited to tell me he’s beginning to eat again and doing very well. The doctors plan to perform the second stage of his arterial switch next week after he’s had a little more time to recover from the first surgery.
Rohat’s mom is a lot of fun to be with, and I’m glad to see she’s in good spirits waiting for the next surgery. She’s very excited that Rohat’s awake now and responding to her.
Rohat is improving. The sedation medication will be decreased so that Rohat will be more awake. He also needs less oxygen and the doctors want to try to feed him today. Rohat’s other medication levels are also being a bit decreased.
All in all, everything is looking better than it was for little Rohat and the doctors are happy for this development. Rohat’s mom is also much relieved with Rohat’s improvement. Rohat will be ready for his second surgery soon hopefully.
Please pray for continuing improvement and for a successful upcoming surgery.
I visited cute Rohat and his mom in the Sheba Hospital Pediatric ICU. I saw that her beloved son is still intubated. That is normal after the surgery Rohat had yesterday. Even before the surgery, he was intubated for quite a long time, because of his virus.
He is doing well overall after his surgery yesterday. His mother was in a good mood and would just like to know when he is having his next surgery and after that, how long they will have to remain in the hospital.
I told her that no child is like the other child and no surgery like the other and no recovery like the other, so I don’t know and the only one who does know exactly is God.
That being said, let us pray that she might know that as well and that she continues to be the lovely and patient woman that she has been until now.
Pray for healing over Rohat’s precious little life.
After three weeks in Sheba Children’s hospital fighting a virus, little Rohat went into surgery today to correct the transposition of his great arteries.
After beginning the operation, the doctors decided that the full transposition surgery was too dangerous for Rohat at this point. What was planned to be a one-stage correction of his condition, turned into a preparatory surgery in which the doctors placed a BT shunt and a band on the pulmonary artery to prepare Rohat’s heart for the big surgery. God willing, the second operation will take place within two weeks.
Rohat’s mother was initially very anxious when the surgeon came out to explain that they could not complete the big surgery as planned, but the doctor reassured her that this will be better for Rohat.
For much of the time during the surgery, Rohat’s mom was surrounded by other mothers of children in the ICU, who were so kind and encouraging to her.
Praise God for a successful surgery! Please pray that Rohat’s heart will be strengthened by the interventions today and will have been made ready for the big surgery in a couple of weeks.
Little Rohat looked very peaceful today when I visited him at Sheba Medical Center. Sleeping in his tiny hospital bed.
He is still fighting the virus, but the hospital is trying to extubate Rohat tomorrow and if he is able to breathe on his own, without needing oxygen, they will wait until he has recovered from the virus to have the surgery.
If he can’t breathe on his own, they want to attempt the needed surgery this week. Rohat’s mother is aware of the situation and keeps a positive outlook. She is adjusting well to the hospital and was joking a bit today. She seems to be a funny mother.
Please keep praying for her and her cute beloved son Rohat.
Coworker Margarita and I visited little Rohat in Sheba Children Hospital’s Pediatric ICU. He was hardly visible in the hospital bed.
Margarita got a closer look.
Rohat was given a chest x-ray today, other than that, there has not been much change for him.
Doctors cannot say exactly how long it will take the virus Rohat has to run its course, but hopefully once they see the virus is getting better, they can extubate him.
Please pray for Rohat and pray for patience for Rohat’s mom who has been in the hospital one week now, and Rohat still not recovered from this virus yet.
Finally doctors at Sheba Children’s Hospital discovered what kind of virus Rohat has and are now able to treat him appropriately. The Virus is called RSV. The doctors are suggesting to postpone Rohat’s surgery until he overcomes the virus.
Please pray that Rohat is well very soon and for patience of his mother.
Rohat was placed on a ventilator today. There was a problem with his lungs, so the doctors needed to intubate him.
After running a couple of tests, the doctors think he has a virus. It will take a while for the body to heal from the virus, so they will keep Rohat intubated until the virus is gone.
The good news is that the heart is not worse then before. So there are no changes in that area, thank God.
Please pray for this little boy. And also for his mother who is very concerned.
Little Rohat was having some difficulty with his feeding and breathing while still in quarantine at our Jerusalem Guesthouse which became more acute during the evening on Friday. Coworker Jonathan and I brought him and his worried mother to the Sheba Pediatric ER at about 7:00 Friday night, where Rohat was given thorough and immediate care in every quarter.
They began with a blood test to determine the existence of a possible virus or bacteria causing some respiratory distress,
followed by an ear and throat exam, a chest x-ray, and an IV drip containing sugar and salt was ordered as an electrolyte restorative measure.
He was then wheeled away to the intermediate ICU.
There, they gave Rohat a nebulizer to help with his breathing, set up the IV and would watch him around the clock, which they began doing the moment we arrived:
We are thankful for a caring facility in Sheba Hospital that responds in a state of readiness toward those in need whether by day or, in this case, by night.
Rohat from Kurdistan just arrived at the Ben Gurion Airport and went to the hospital immediately with his mother today for his initial assessment. He had an appointment for an echo so that the doctors can make the decision about the next steps.
Rohat is stable and will have a surgery, but we don’t know the date yet. His mother was very tired from the journey by plane, but she seems very friendly and I’m looking forward to spending more time with her together after their quarantine in our Guesthouse in Jerusalem.
Please pray that Rohat’s mother will feel welcome here and that Rohat will remain stable until his procedure.
Rohat and his mother went home to Kurdistan today. Rohat had a hard start when he arrived in Israël. He suffered from a virus and was intubated for a long time.
The big surgery could not happen fast, but in the end he got the surgery he needed. Then there was a little concern about his neurological condition, but this also was resolved.
We praise God that Rohat can go home, bigger and stronger. We are going to miss this sweet boy and his mother, who has been so kind to us. It was encouraging for us to see that whatever happened, Rohat’s mom first thanked God before anything or anyone else.
