When coworker Joy and I walked into the ICU today at Sheba Medical Center, we found Mohammad’s mother and grandmother by his side in his room. They had cheerful faces as they came out to greet us. This can be attributed to the fact that Mohammad is doing a little bit better as we would discover later on. Those smiles turned bigger when we handed them some maqluba, a classic Arabic meal, and pita bread we had made at home to share with them. The food at the hospital is notorious for not being the greatest, so they seemed pleased that there was something alternative and more to their taste. After speaking with them for a few minutes, they went back to their room to have a bite to eat.
Later on, when Joy and I went back to the ICU to hear from a doctor about Mohammad’s current condition, we were greeted by the kind Dr. Evy. After speaking for a few minutes and catching up, the three of us went to Mohammad’s room where he explained a number of things.
First of all, Dr. Evy said that Mohammad is still a little bit sick as he has a condition called mesenteric ischemia, also known as inflamed bowels due to a leak in the aorta. He explained that the type of repair that was completed on Mohammad’s aorta is prone to leaking afterwards, and thus this infection is often a result. In order to treat this they are continuing to give Mohammad antibiotics in the hope that it will go away. Other than that, things are looking pretty good and, Lord willing, he will be taken off of the ventilator in two days.
Praise the Lord for sustaining Mohammad each and every day! It is encouraging to see these small improvements and we hope that soon we will see complete restoration in his tiny body. We are also so deeply grateful for the medical team at the hospital who are working day and night to provide such excellent care to this baby and his family. May they be richly blessed in return! Your continued prayers are appreciated.