Written by Craig and Zechariah
Ahmed was collected this morning from Erez Border Crossing to take him and his mother to Sheba Hospital for a follow up Echo appointment. I noticed his breathing was labored and when he breathed his chest rattled a lot. His mother explained that he had been sick for the last four days so we decided to talk to his doctor during his echo and see if they could help.
After the Echo it was decided that a visit to the ER was necessary. The doctor made the necessary arrangements so we could also make his pacemaker appointment. After his pacemaker appointment we hurried back over to the ER and thankfully Zech, my coworker, was able to stay with lovely Ahmed and his mother while they went through the examination.
Ahmed received some help with his breathing and it was decided that it was wise to admit him for follow-up tests and observation to see how they could deal with his breathing difficulties. Praise the Lord Ahmed’s heart function seems to be doing well. Please pray that Ahmed will recover soon and be back to his normal cheerful self once again.
Today was a difficult day for Ahmed. He was originally scheduled for a simple echo and pacemaker check-up, but upon his arrival, it quickly became clear that he was unwell. Ahmed was experiencing substantial respiratory problems, a rattling cough, and pronounced weakness, so the examining echo doctor recommended we take him to the Sheba Hospital Pediatric ER for blood tests and observation.
Ahmed was fearful in the hospital environment and fussed often, but his cries were quiet and soft due to his weakness. Several blood tests and many hours of waiting later, the doctors gave us their verdict: they wanted to keep him in the ICU and closely observe him for some time. At his level of vulnerability, complications–especially to the degree we saw today–need to be taken seriously.
By the end of the day, both Ahmed and his mother were exhausted. She had expected to return to Gaza that day, and she was discouraged at having to remain so long. Please pray that they will have good rest and encouragement over the weekend, and that Ahmed will quickly heal from whatever the source of his complications is.