Sixteen year old Mohammed had an interventional catheterization today at Sheba hospital. The procedure took about three and a half hours. During this time, I met his lovely mother. She told me that he has previously had two open heart surgeries, and will need another one. The hope of this cath was also in part to see if Mohammed is ready for the third operation.
What really struck me was that this vibrant sixteen year old had his first surgery with Shevet when he was two days old! I thought of all the babies we’ve known who’ve had surgeries in their first days of life, and it is crazy to picture them sixteen years in the future. It was a moment where you zoom out, and see the scope of their lives which are changed sometimes dramatically because of these surgeries, but it’s especially palpable when their first surgeries are in their infanthood and they walk through our doors sixteen years later.
The catheter was long, but it went very well according to the doctors. They were able to place a stent in his heart, and saw that there is still time needed before his third surgery. It is also wonderful to think that people from Shevet were praying for the infant sixteen years ago, so let us continue to pray for this young man as he grows.