Four year old Abdallah, from Nablus, was already in surgery having dental work done when my co-worker Elisa and I arrived. Exactly how many teeth were being pulled, we had no idea, so we would have to wait until the end to find out! In the meantime, we sat with his mother and their Samaritan driver, chatting on and off as we endured the wait. Thankfully, the driver spoke some English, which made it much easier to communicate with Abdallah’s Mum.
We learned from Abdallah’s mother that her son Abdallah was having the dental work done in preparation for an upcoming cardiac surgery, although the date is still uncertain. Before that, he has an eye appointment scheduled for December.
After almost three hours, the dental surgeon appeared with the results. Abdallah had eight teeth extracted, four crowns placed, and his four canines restored. Quite a lot of dental work for one little boy!
We were able to see Abdallah when he woke from the anaesthetic. He was understandably groggy, with a little bleeding and swelling around his mouth, but otherwise doing well. He just needed to rest and remain under observation. He will spend the night in the cardiac ICU and, all going well, return home tomorrow. We left him in dental recovery with his Mum by his side and will visit them again in the morning.
We pray for a peaceful, pain free and uneventful night for Abdallah. Bless him and his Mum.