Every time I go to Sheba Hospital and I see Liya’s mother there, she is always so happy, including today. She is such a positive woman, even though she has to go through all these hard things with her sick daughter. I went with Liya’s mother to a meeting. Liya can’t have her surgery until she recovers from her situation right now. This needs to happen in a hospital in Jerusalem. They are willing to take her, but with one condition: a PEG tube. This is something Liya’s mother doesn’t want, because she is afraid that when Liya goes back to Gaza, she will get an infection. Still, this needs to happen for Liya to get to the rehabilitation hospital and eventually to have the life-saving surgery. This is one of the first times I saw that Liya’s mother had a hard time. Your prayers are appreciated for Liya’s condition, for the possibility to rehabilitate, and for her mother and the rest of the family to have patience, even though it is so hard. May God bless this family.Frustration
Every time I go to Sheba Hospital and I see Liya’s mother there, she is always so happy, including today. She is such a positive woman, even though she has to go through all these hard things with her sick daughter. I went with Liya’s mother to a meeting. Liya can’t have her surgery until she recovers from her situation right now. This needs to happen in a hospital in Jerusalem. They are willing to take her, but with one condition: a PEG tube. This is something Liya’s mother doesn’t want, because she is afraid that when Liya goes back to Gaza, she will get an infection. Still, this needs to happen for Liya to get to the rehabilitation hospital and eventually to have the life-saving surgery. This is one of the first times I saw that Liya’s mother had a hard time. Your prayers are appreciated for Liya’s condition, for the possibility to rehabilitate, and for her mother and the rest of the family to have patience, even though it is so hard. May God bless this family.Still waiting
Our cute Liya is still waiting in the ICU and slowly improving. She looks better every time I see her and still the progress is only very slow.
Today Liya listened to some calming music from a electronic tablet, regardless she started to cry sometimes. It is always so sad to see a baby with a tracheostomy cry when they are unable to make any sounds. She is crying but no one can hear her cry for help. Liya still needs to wait to get stronger and better until the doctors can make her next surgery.
In the meantime, we enjoy the time we get with Liya and her mother. Please pray for Liya and that she will keep improving!
Such a wonderful mother
When I visited Liya at Sheba Hospital today, I was so surprised how good she looks. All the red spots and bruises on her are gone and she looks so much healthier than two weeks ago! She is awake and reacting to what happens in her room. Her doctor told me that there is no news about Liya which means that they are still waiting for the blood in her brain to go away before they will try a second time to do the Glenn surgery.
I stayed a while with Liya in her room and I was amazed how great her mother is taking care of her. In the long time she is already in the hospital, she learned how to do so many things that usually the nurses do. When the nurse entered the room, they were just doing everything together as a team. It’s so beautiful to see how good friends Liya’s mom is with the doctors and nurses and how she is laughing together with them.
Thank you God for Liya and her wonderful mother!
Crying a lot
When I visited our cute Liya today in Sheba Hospital, she was crying as she often does. Sometimes she keeps looking me in the eyes, but most of the time she’s just looking up to the ceiling. But when her mother enters the room and talks to her daughter, it is like a blind man suddenly gets to see. She immediately recognizes the voice and keeps looking for the face of her mother. She is the one Liya can rely on. Seeing this great bond is so wonderful. They are both leaning on each other in probably one of their hardest times in their lives. And they will need each other for some more time since Liya will have to spend more weeks and maybe even months in the hospital.
There is still no news about further steps for Liya. For now she has to recover from her brain damage and her neurologist will probably decide what’s coming next.
Please pray for patience for Liya’s mother and for wisdom for Liya’s doctors.
Hard times
Liya is still recovering from her brain damage and waiting in the meantime for the doctors to decide what her next steps will be. Right now she is stable, but sooner or later the doctors want to go a step further. Soon the doctors want to meet and talk about her next steps or what they can do to help her next.
Today I again realized how strong her mother is, standing by Liya’s side and watching over her little baby while a lot of things seem uncertain. I admire her mother for going through all of this and I believe it’s not an easy thing to do. She and Liya have been already through many hard times and those probably won’t be the last hard times for them.
We’re thankful that Liya is now in some way stable and doing okay. Praying for strength for Liya’s mom and for Liya’s health to be restored.
In the arms of her mother again
When I went into Liya’s room at Sheba Hospital today, her mother was holding her girl in her arms and smiled at me. It is so nice to see that even though her way has been so so difficult, Liya is slowly getting better again and the doctors are slowly reducing her meds.
What a step for her to be stable enough again to be in the arms of her mother instead of in the hospital bed all the time! I’m sure Liya wouldn’t be improving the way she does if her mother didn’t love her that much and was so strong for her daughter.
Last Thursday Liya had another CT scan to see if the blood in her brain decreased but the doctors couldn’t see any change to the CT that was taken before. But still they are not giving up hope that she will get better and just want to wait until she is good enough to finally have her needed Glen surgery. Please pray for Liya’s safety, that blood in the brain area will dissipate, and that she will improve enough for surgery.
Steps forwards and backwards
Visiting Liya and her mother is still the highlight of every Sheba Hospital day for me. Our girl is still not very good but she is stable. She is slowly waking up and reacting a little bit to what is happening around her which are very good steps for her, but her doctors still don’t know if she will need brain surgery. They want to give her time to recover because there is a chance that the blood in her brain will dissipate by itself.
When I stayed a while with Liya in her room she suddenly started throwing up and her nurse came in to care of her. He told me that Liya is making steps forwards and backwards all the time. She is getting better so that her doctors are able to reduce her medicine but now she has withdrawal symptoms and started having a fever and throwing up. Please keep praying for her and her mom who is also having a hard time staying with her sick daughter all the time.
Please pray that Liya will keep improving and doesn’t need a brain surgery. God we believe that you can heal this wonderful girl!
Only two weeks ago
Only two weeks ago I left Israel for a short vacation with my family and had beautiful Liya in my arms shortly before I left. She was smiling and seemed to be so good. I heard what was going on in the last weeks with Liya and every day I just prayed that I can see her again on this earth.
Today I was able to finally visit Liya. I was so happy to see her and her wonderful mother again but it was so hard to see Liya in her present condition. She has bruises all over her body, a little tube from her dialysis coming out of her abdomen and it seemed like everything was so exhausting for her. Even though she is on a ventilator it seems like she is having trouble breathing. Her eyes were opened a little bit but she didn’t recognize what’s going on around her. What a difference to the smiling happy girl she was just two weeks ago.
It hurts to see her suffering like this. Her mother told me that one of Liya’s lungs collapsed today but we need to talk to a doctor tomorrow to confirm what’s exactly going on. Today they just told us they want to do another MRI and then have a meeting about what’s best for her.
God at this point we can only pray for grace. You know what’s best for Liya. You have good plans for her. Please give all her doctors wisdom and don’t let her suffer! Please be with her wonderful mom and give her what she needs.
Possible embolism
Beautiful Liya had a CT of her brain two days ago and today the doctors at Sheba Hospital shared results. Liya has blood in her brain, or a so-called embolism and she will need brain surgery within the next days. She is stable but her doctor said they are concerned about her neurological situation. She’s not waking up like they want her to and although this news sounds really negative, neither the doctors nor Liya’s mother are giving up their hope. They’re doing their best to help our little girl recover.
Throughout the day I visited Liya several times mostly because I can’t get enough of this perfect little girl, but also because it’s so much fun to spend time with her amazing mother and just sit and laugh together. Keep Liya and her mother in your prayers. Pray for healing and strength for Liya, her mother and her family.
On her way to getting better
Today I met Liya and her mother together with a doctor and some nurses in the hallway of Sheba Hospital on their way to a CT via ambulance. I accompanied them for a short time and talked to Liya’s mother a little. It was really good to see that Liya is finally getting a little better. The doctor confirmed that and even said she is slowly waking up. When coworker Lena and I visited her today and held her hands for a short while, she moved a little and we saw that she was recognizing us.
The doctors still have to wait for the results of the CT, but said that the EEG which Liya had yesterday looked good. They couldn’t find any evidence of seizures which is really relieving.
Please continue to pray for them. Hopefully Liya can wake up soon and begin improving, step by step. We are thankful that she is doing so and we’re also thankful for her mom who is so strongly standing by her side the whole time.
Step by step
This morning, we found Liya surrounded by doctors and nurses getting ready to move her from her room. Her mom met us at the door and explained that she was on the way to a brain MRI to see how she is recovering after the treatment on Thursday evening to treat the air bubbles in her brain.
Liya is slowly improving since the difficult events of last Thursday. On Thursday evening, she was receiving the maximum treatment available for her unstable blood pressure and oxygen saturations. As of today however, her inotropic support has been decreased and she is still stable. This morning the doctors stopped her sedation and she woke up and opened her eyes, which is a good sign.
She still has a long way to go, but we are grateful for these little steps in the right direction.
Air bubbles in brain
Written by Elise and Luisa
Today was the long-awaited day of Liya’s Glenn surgery. I went to Sheba Medical Center early in the morning to see Liya before the surgery started, but it was delayed for one hour, so we played a bit together. Her mother was very worried as this is a big surgery and there was some survival-risk for Liya.
Finally some doctors entered the room, managed the paper work with Liya’s mother and picked up Liya. From that point on, Liya’s mother and I had to wait. I’m glad there were some other mothers from Gaza in the hospital at the moment, they comforted her a bit and even made her laugh.
For seven hours we had to wait for the surgery to end. Finally the surgeons came out to talk with us. From the first moment I saw them I had the feeling something was wrong because they weren’t talking to Liya’s mother right away to say the surgery went well or as planned. Instead they had a small ‘doctor meeting’ in the hallway at first, sometimes looking over to us. I was so scared that Liya didn’t make it, but the surgeon reassured us that for now Liya is okay.
It was explained that they found a hole in Liya’s pulmonary artery. They were suspecting air to enter the blood stream through it and collect in Liya’s brain, so they closed the hole and didn’t do the Glenn surgery. The new plan was to get rid of the air bubbles by getting Liya to a Hyperbaric Chamber. At first her doctors had to get a CT-Scan of Liya’s brain, to reassure that she has no bleeding there, which would make the Hyperbaric treatment impossible. Thanks be to God she wasn’t bleeding!
As soon as that was confirmed, they called an ambulance for her, since there is no Hyperbaric Chamber in Sheba Hospital, so we moved her to another hospital half an hour away.
When we arrived at that hospital at 6 pm, Liya’s treatment started immediately. The doctors let us know we had to wait for six hours.
Shortly after they began, coworkers Lena and Luisa came to the hospital since Liya’s mother and I had had a long day and needed some support. In the waiting time we explored the hospital a bit and Liya’s mother showed us some photos of her family. It was a great time we spent together and Liya’s mother seemed to be able to relax more and more.
At midnight the six hours were finally finished and the doctors carefully removed Liya from the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. We then rushed Liya back to the Pediatric ICU at Sheba Hospital. On the way there it was such a high-tension situation, but Liya’s mother seemed really strong and even made jokes with the nurses who joined Liya’s trip to the other hospital.
But once Liya was back in her room in the ICU to be stabilized, the reality of the situation became clear. Her doctor later explained to me that Liya is in a very critical situation. She wasn’t doing well at all despite receiving the maximum dose of medication. With a saturation that was okay and a very low blood pressure, she wasn’t that stable.
With the words of the doctor, “We hope she will make it,” I realized how critical the whole situation was at that moment.
When I went into Liya’s room to see her a last time before I had to leave, she didn’t look good at all and I almost didn’t recognize her because her face was so puffed. But I was relieved when I saw that at least her mother seemed somehow okay. Many family members called her, so she wasn’t alone. I’m still in a state of wonder as to how she went through this day without crying so much. Although she shed a few tears, she seemed to be fine although really worried.
Please continue to pray for Liya and her mother. Right now they need our prayers and our support to get through this hard time. But please also thank the Lord, our Heavenly Father, for how far our little girl has already come. This is surely a miracle!
Long-awaited surgery tomorrow
After waiting in Sheba Hospital for a while for Liya’s surgery, we finally got good news today. Liya will have her Glenn surgery tomorrow morning.
Her lovely mother was so happy to tell me the good news in the morning. We hope the best for the surgery tomorrow and lay Liya’s life into God’s hands as he is the one who can bless her with everything she’ll need tomorrow.
Finally another cath
After waiting the whole morning, Liya was finally taken into her catheterisation in the early afternoon. When I visited her before the catheterisation, she was smiling brightly and was so happy.
What she didn’t like at all was that she didn’t get any food and had to stay with an empty stomach the whole day. We played a little hide and seek together before it was finally time for her to have the catheterisation.
After a few hours she was back in her room and the doctors said that her lungs looks much better. Still she has a high pressure on her heart. Tomorrow the doctors want to talk about what to do and when she can have surgery, or if it has to be postponed again.
Let’s pray for Liya and her ongoing treatment. Hopefully she will be better soon and something can be done against her problems.
Waking up to good news
Liya was still sleeping when I visited her this morning at Sheba Hospital, but not a minute afterwards, her mother welcomed me into their room. Liya opened her eyes to see for herself who was in the room to visit her. With her beautiful big brown eyes, she looked around the room and gave me a huge smile when she saw me. This cute moment was followed by some great news from her mother: Liya will have her catheterisation tomorrow, something they were waiting so long for. Liya is still not strong enough for the Glenn surgery but the doctors hope to get her there through the cath.
God bless the cath tomorrow and the doctors treating Liya. We pray not only for Liya’s health, but also for her mom, as she is now the only mother of a Shevet child in the hospital presently and no one really knows how long Liya will have to remain admitted.
Another catheterization next week
Today I visited little Liya in Sheba Hospital’s Pediatric ICU. When I entered her room, she was sleeping peacefully. I didn’t want to wake her up, so I left the room again with quiet steps. Before that however, I quickly took a picture – I wanted to show her mother who had conversations with other mothers in the waiting area, regarding how adorable her little daughter looked while she was sleeping.
I also told her what a nurse had reported before, that Liya’s next catheterization is supposed to take place next week on Tuesday or Wednesday. The doctors will then make a decision about when Liya’s surgery should take place.
May the Lord continue to stand with Liya’s family in all the challenging situations. It is so great how He has always protected Liya and held His hand over her during all the procedures that she had.
Plans for further treatment
Liya is such a lovely baby and sat up for a good pose at Sheba Hospital today! Her mother was not like any guardian of patients but just a happy mom. Nurses said ICU doctors and cardiologist will have discussion this Wednesday to determine which treatment should be given this cute patient.
I hope to listen to her cute voice also as her tracheostomy site should be repaired soon and her vocal cords should make harmonious sounds again. Let’s pray for Liya’s complete recovery.
Successful cath but no surgery yet
After a couple of delays and recovering from a virus, Liya finally had her diagnostic catheterization today. “She did great,” the doctor told me and Liya’s mother as he wheeled her bed back to her room in the intermediate ICU. However, he discovered some problems with her pulmonary arteries and one of her lungs. This could have been caused by the virus she had recently, and he wants to wait and see how she progresses in the coming days. Either way, based on his findings today, he and the other doctors have decided that Liya is not ready to have the planned surgery yet.
Liya’s mother took this news very well and told me cheerfully that if it’s going to be dangerous for Liya to have the surgery now, it’s definitely better to wait. She couldn’t wait to see her sweet girl, who was already awake and happy immediately after the cath. Please pray that Liya’s arteries and lungs will recover fully from the virus and that she will grow strong enough for surgery soon.
Upcoming cath and surgery
Yesterday we found out that Liya’s catheterization is scheduled to take place this week on Thursday. That really surprised us all! However today, her doctor told me that plans have changed. More specifically, her catheterization will take place on Tuesday and two days later on Thursday her second stage surgery. Our prayers for Liya are all the more important in these days. We know she in the hands of the Lord, watching over her and being always faithful. Let’s also trust in that this time.
After receiving this message, I entered Liya’s room where she had been sleeping peacefully. In the still dark room she opened her brown eyes and looked at me very happily. It’s good that she’s gaining energy before the upcoming interventions.
Results of bronchoscopy, cath soon
Today I visited Liya at the Sheba Medical Center. For some time we have been waiting for her catheterization to take place.
Last Thursday, the doctors did a bronchoscopy to get an accurate picture of Liya’s situation. They had recognized a narrowing in Lyia’s bronchus. Thank God it doesn’t affect her at the moment.
Since Liya has made good progress in the last few days and does not need oxygen support, so the catheterization can take place soon, possibly on Thursday, but maybe even earlier. May God always be by her side and keep healing Liya.
Improving again
Today I found our cute Liya happily playing with her mom and smiling a lot. I’m amazed how good she looked today. Yesterday her mom started crying in my arms and today she was so joyful again. Liya is still getting antibiotics against her pneumonia but she is improving. In the bronchoscopy yesterday the doctors could see some changes in her airways.
The reason for one part of this change could be that her mother accidentally usually did her suction too deep and that could have caused some damage. But another part of her airways is also occluded and the doctors need to do some more tests before they can make a plan how to help our girl.
Yesterday Liya’s mom told me how thankful she is to be here in Israel now that Liya has all those problems. We agreed that it was God’s hand and perfect plan.
Liya was supposed to come for a cath at the end, but when she was already here, it got suddenly canceled and Liya and her mom had to go back to Gaza. It was pretty disappointing for them but now we see that it was maybe just God’s grace to bring Liya here in the time where she needs the medical attention so much more. Let’s thank God for his perfect plans and his work in Liya’s life.
Not feeling good
When I visited Liya today, she didn’t look that good to me. It’s a long time ago since I saw her the last time, so I was really surprised how much she grew but even more how thin she looked. It was really hard to see how she was struggling, crying and moving with her thin body in bed. She wasn’t happy and was crying a lot. The nurse had told me that she had a desaturation and now needs oxygen support again.
Today, Liya had a CT and a bronchoscopy to find out why her oxygen levels were so low. Because Liya is not doing so well, her mother is also very devastated. She was crying today several times. It must be hard for her right now, so please keep praying for her. I was only a short time with them and even for me it was hard to see Liya like this. How much harder must it be for her mother to see her little one in such a condition.
Please pray for Liya that she will be better soon and that her mother can be a bit more relaxed.
A little bit of freedom
Today I found Liya’s mother in one of the hallways of Sheba hospital taking a walk with Liya. She told me proudly that Liya is able to be off oxygen support and that she is allowed now to leave the ICU for a walk with her. Liya’s catheterization is scheduled for next week, so we hope and pray that she will stay stable enough for this procedure. Keep praying for her please.
Improving
Liya was relocated to Sheba Hospital’s Pediatric ICU on the weekend because of low oxygen saturations. She is improving well since then and was again relocated today to the secondary ICU. She is such a cute girl and was smiling a lot at her mother.
She also got a visit from some hospital clowns and watched them from her bed. As Liya is getting better now, the doctors think they can do her cath soon, but they don’t have a date yet for her.
Please continue praying for our little miracle!
No catheterization
After Liya was admitted to Sheba Hospital yesterday for a diagnostic catheterization today, the doctor found out Liya has a virus. She needs to recover in hospital. Next week they will see if Liya will be ready for the procedure.
In the meantime, we enjoy visiting Liya and her lovely mother. We ask for your prayer firstly for recovery from this virus for our sweet Liya.
Admission
Today I picked up precious Liya from the Erez Border Crossing with Gaza and brought her to Sheba Hospital for her Cath admission .
Some tests were done also an X-Ray . Liya’s doctor examined her and noticed that she was breathing very heavily. After all the tests and examinations, Liya was admitted to the Secondary Pediatric ICU.
Please pray for her Cath tomorrow for protection but also for wisdom for the doctors.
Postponed cath
Today Liya was supposed to get admitted for a diagnostic cath tomorrow. She had again trouble getting permission from Erez and so she arrived at the hospital pretty late. But then, shortly after she arrived there, a doctor came to us and told us that the doctor who is doing the caths is not here tomorrow. So Liya’s cath will be postponed for at least a weak. Liya’s mom was of course pretty disappointed as she put so much effort in coming here without success, but she remained kind and understanding.
To cheer her up, coworker Jakob and I made a short stop at a supermarket on the way back to Gaza. There she had fun buying a few little things and we had fun with Liya trying some new shoes for her.
Liya will soon get a new date for her cath and we are looking forward to seeing our girl again. Please pray that next time it will be easier with getting her travel permission.
Echo and ECG today
Today I was able to accompany precious Liya and her mother to their long-awaited ECHO appointment in Sheba Hospital. First the oxygen was measured, then an ECG was made, and afterwards the ECHO. The ECHO went fine. Despite everything, the doctor said he would like to carry out a diagnostic Catheterization on Liya soon.
We were able to bring Liya and her mother back to the border today after the ECHO appointment. She was able to go home, however she has to come back to the hospital soon for her up-coming appointment.
Please pray for this appointment, for Liya’s healing and also for strength for Liya’s lovely mother.
Finally at Sheba Hospital
Today little Liya was scheduled for an echo, but there was some trouble getting her permission to enter Israel and so it was after four o’clock when she finally arrived at Sheba Hospital. There was no longer a doctor who could see her at that point, but in the end they agreed that she can stay in our Ashdod house and we can bring her for an echo in the next days.
Please pray that her echo will work out and that she will remain stable in our house!
A usual happy day
When we entered the family house this morning in Ashdod to collect Liya, we found her sleeping on the couch in a beautiful dress! We were really looking forward to the rest of the day, for she was very happy and excited.
Upon arriving in Sheba Hospital, a blood test was ordered for Liya. Her arteries were so small, the nurses needed six tries. She cried so much that after the test, she was very exhausted and tired. The echo and ECG went very well, but until we could talk to her doctor, we had to wait for a long time with Liya. We sat in the waiting area with some other families and chatted a little, Liya’s mother went to the supermarket once ,and we walked again and again with Liya in the stroller.
When we could finally talk with the doctor, he was very nice and friendly, although it was already very late. He told us that for now, everything is okay, but Liya should return to hospital in November for a check-up echo. After that, they will decide when exactly her cath and a surgery will take place.
When we went out of the hospital, we already knew that we wouldn’t make it to the Erez border crossing before its closing hour of seven pm, and even though we were an hour late in getting to the crossing, the crossing guardian was very kind and allowed Liya and her mother through the border and even helped us with getting everything through the gate.
We thank God for this day with Liya and her mother, and for getting us all through everything that needed getting through, and for the kindness that everyone we met had shown us. We pray for Liya’s next echo to go well, and for the doctors and medical staff at Sheba.
Going home!
This morning some machines that our little Liya needed to go home with, arrived at Sheba hospital. She needs an oxygen machine and suction machine as she still has a tracheostomy and her parents also have to be able to measure her oxygen.
It took a long time until we organized all the medicine, milk and other things that our little girl needs to stay safe at home, but once everything was figured out, her mom was thrilled to finally go home! After nearly eight weeks in the hospital, I can understand her mother very well.
We will miss Liya’s mom very much during our daily visits in the hospital, as she cared always so wonderfully for us, but I’m so happy for her that she can go home. And at the same time, I’m so amazed and thankful for how well Liya is doing. I still remember very well a conversation with her doctor a couple months back when Liya just arrived for the first time at Sheba. The doctor siad she didn’t know if Liya will survive the next days, but that they will do everything for her that they can and that it is in God’s hands. And yes, Liya was and is in his hands.
Thank you God for healing Liya and for protecting her so far. Please keep her safe and bless her whole family!
One step at a time
When we walked into the ICU this morning, we were surprised to see Liya’s room empty. Her mother met us a few minutes later and eagerly waved us toward the secondary ICU, where Liya was enjoying a nap in the peace and quiet of a private room.
Liya’s mom was proud to tell me that Liya has been breathing all on her own for a week now, and doesn’t need the ventilator even at night! This is a huge step for our tiny girl.
If Liya continues to grow stronger, she may go home very soon– “God willing tomorrow!” her mom keeps saying with a hopeful smile. Liya’s dad works in Israel so he can come visit often, but Liya’s mother is looking forward to the day when they will all three go home together to the rest of their family in Gaza.
If Liya continues to grow stronger, she may go home very soon– “God willing tomorrow!” her mom keeps saying with a hopeful smile. Liya’s dad works in Israel so he can come visit often, but Liya’s mother is looking forward to the day when they will all three go home together to the rest of their family in Gaza.Further improvement
Today we visited Liya at Sheba Medical Center and spent some time with this beautiful little girl. While we were with her, the nurses suctioned her tracheostomy and it was impressive how well Liya behaved during this though it is very uncomfortable for her. The Physiotherapist showed us some positions with which to hold Liya that will help to strengthen her neck.
Afterwards we were able to feed her and were surprised on how much she improved. Also we could see that Liya can follow sounds with her eye movements which is a very good sign regarding her cognitive abilities.
She is such a sweet girl. We pray for her further recovery and that she will improve day by day.
I'm impressed
When visiting Liya today at Sheba Hospital, I had the opportunity to feed her. I was very impressed by how well she was drinking. Praise God for the progress she is making. She still breathes through her tracheostomy and has to be on the ventilator at night.
I also was very impressed today by Liya’s mom. Because of the tracheostomy Liya has, she isn’t able to cough up mucus. That’s why the mucus has to be suctioned a few times a day. Liya’s mom was instructed to do it on her own, because Liya will be discharged with the tracheostomy, God willing. Watching her while she did it, was so impressive for me, because she did it with so much professionalism and calm.
After the whole process I tried to tell Liya’s mother my impression via translator. She was very happy and grateful about the compliment. So, I want to encourage you to tell your neighbors what they do well – words of affirmation have power!
Be also invited to keep praying for Liya, for a further improvement of her condition.
Out and about
I was pleasantly surprised today to see little Liya in her stroller with her sweet mother, in Sheba Hospital’s waiting room. I’ve never seen Liya outside of her ICU room before. Even though she’s still on oxygen at night, and she has a bit of a fever, it was very encouraging to see her outside of her room.
Please pray that she will recover from her fever and continue to improve.
Drinking milk on her own
Cute, little Liya is progressing very well.
Today at Sheba Hospital I found her mum feeding her with milk from the bottle. You could see that Liya is not used to drinking on her own anymore and she needs to learn again how to suck properly.
But her beautiful mother was cheering her on all the time and she slowly finished her 25 ml of milk. It was so nice to see how proud Liya’s mother was of her daughter.
Let’s continue in prayer for this beautiful family and for Liya’s complete recovery.
Making progress
Liya has been receiving physiotherapy at Sheba Medical Center Children’s Hospital. The doctors wanted to make sure her development is normal according to her age.
Our beautiful Liya has been disconnecting from oxygen support for periods of time, and sometimes when it is not enough with oxygen assistance alone, some medication was administered to help her.
The physiotherapist recommended some bands be placed around Liya’s hands to help her become accustomed to having her fingers opened more, which helps with mobilization. Also Liya’s doctors want to remove the feeding tube, and to try slowly starting Liya on drinking milk again.
The physiotherapist recommended some bands be placed around Liya’s hands to help her become accustomed to having her fingers opened more, which helps with mobilization. Also Liya’s doctors want to remove the feeding tube, and to try slowly starting Liya on drinking milk again.
Breathing on her own!
As soon as I walked into the ICU this morning, Liya’s mother was waving me into her room with a huge smile. “Look!” she said proudly. “She’s been off the ventilator all morning!”
Sure enough, Liya was sleeping peacefully and breathing on her own without the ventilator! By the time I arrived, she had been four hours without oxygen support and her saturations were still pretty good.
With the Gaza border closed due to tensions between Gaza and Israel, it’s a difficult time for Liya’s family. Both her parents are in Israel, while their older children are staying with relatives back home. Even so, Liya’s mother told me today that it’s okay, she will stay here until she’s sure Liya is strong enough to go home.
An amazing surprise
Today was an amazing surprise at Sheba Hospital when we found our beautiful Liya disconnected from the oxygen support.
The doctor was very hopeful about Liya’s progress. He said he thinks she can be discharged in a few weeks if she continues improving. At the time of this report, Liya had been disconnected for one hour and a half.
The doctors don’t want to push her too much however, so depending on her progress, they plan to discharge her to Gaza or to our community home in Ashdod, but they want to wait until they have more time with Liya disconnected from oxygen support to take the best decision in her case.
Breathing on her own
Our little Liya is slowly getting better and gaining strength. Everyday at Sheba Children’s Hospital, she gets disconnected from the ventilator for a while so that she learns more and more how to breath on her own again.
For Liya’s mother, it is still very hard to see her beloved daughter with the tracheostomy and she started crying a little bit when we visited her today.
God I pray for little Liya and her amazing mother, that you bless them both and give them strength!
Doing better with tracheostomy
How good to find both mother and father by Liya’s bedside today! The father is working night shifts at a bakery in Israel and was able to get away to see his daughter firsthand today.
Liya seems to be doing much better now with her tracheostomy, and I shared with them the story of baby Abed, who went home to Gaza with a tracheostomy and now has grown and strengthened to the point that he may soon have it removed.
Liya’s parents seem caring, committed and highly motivated to care for her. As we visited today they had a bluetooth speaker on her bed playing soothing music.
Let’s continue to give them all our support through prayer and visiting.
Improving
When I talked with the doctor at Sheba Hospital about Liya today, he was very happy. Her fever is gone and the x-ray he had ordered for her, was better than any he’s seen. They are also taking Liya sometimes off the ventilator for a period of time and she is doing great breathing on her own for a while.
Her mother brings so much joy into all of our days in the hospital. She is joking with us, always trying to teach me some new Arabic words and likes to give us food. Thank you Lord that Liya is doing so much better today! Please bless her and her wonderful mother!
Discomfort and some fever today
Our beautiful Liya had a successful tracheostomy at Sheba Hospital and she is stable.
After the procedure, Liya still needed oxygen support through the tube. Because the procedure involves opening the neck to place a tube, Liya is having some pain even when the nurse suctioned the tube to clear the airway of secretions. She cried during this, and still needs to become accustomed to the tube.
Keep praying for her, she had some fever today.
Tracheostomy today
Today the sirens sounded on floor 4 at Sheba, just two minutes after the doctor wanted to talk with Liya’s mom.
At the beginning, it was a disconcerting moment, when they had to isolated the ICU, and at the same time a few doctors were in Liya’s room and also the doctor asked me to look for Liya’s mom.
After fifteen minutes in the waiting room, two doctors came and explained with a lot of details and answers to all of Liya’s parent’s questions about the options to help Liya’s breathing. The parents accepted the best plan which was a tracheotomy for Liya. They were waiting for this process to end, which it eventually did.
Liya still needs a lot of prayers, so please continue to pray for her.
Reintubated
Today brought not so good news for our little Liya recovering in Sheba Hospital. After being extubated yesterday, she failed and had to be reintubated. As this was the second time of an unsuccessful extubation, the doctors are now thinking about a tracheostomy.
They discussed this with Liya’s mother today and if she agrees, they will probably do her tracheostomy in the next few days. For her mother, this was quite frustrating news and she was crying for a while.
Lord I pray that you help this little girl to get better. Thank you that you have a perfect plan for her and that she is still alive!
She's a fighter
“She’s a fighter,” were the doctor’s words in reference to Liya who was successfully extubated today.
Liya’s mother was allowed to attend her daughter to Sheba Hospital instead of Liya’s grandma, who was in attendance for quite a while. Both ladies were happy to switch places. Liya’s mother was relieved to find her daughter extubated today.
Liya has been struggling to come through this, and finally did. I was a little nervous when Liya started coughing today, but the doctor told me that in this case, coughing was a good sound for Liya because it means she is fighting for her lungs to become stronger.
Trouble breathing
When I visited our little Liya in Sheba Hospital this morning, her doctor told me that they planned to extubate her today. But because she still has trouble breathing even with the ventilator, they are not sure if they can do it. Her hemoglobin is very low which is most likely related to her breathing problems. She is receiving blood to solve this problem and depending on how she will improve during the day, they may still attempt to extubate her.
Please pray for this little girl and her lovely grandmother who is very worried!
Pleased and optimistic
Our last blog on little Liya, who was finally well enough to have her second surgery on Sunday morning, after her emergency return from Gaza on a ventilator.
From the photos, one might not know that Liya’s doctors are actually pleased and optimistic about the outcome of the operation and hope to wean her from the ventilator in the coming days.
Liya’s grandmother is a ray of sunshine in the ICU and takes good care of the other moms and grandmothers. Please remember both this loving grandmother and little Liya in your prayers for her complete recovery.
A stable trajectory
Liya has survived the critical 24 hours post-surgery. Doctors are carefully and diligently tending to her, pleased with the results of the surgery and hopeful for her recovery.
Sitting in the ICU with her grandmother, we discussed the importance of prayer in the healing process. She was eager to hear that our staff pray morning and night for the children in our care. She tilted her phone toward me to show a photo of Liya taken days before her surgery, with her bright, beautiful eyes looking up to her parents. She is waiting patiently for her granddaughter’s healing.
Please pray Liya continues in this stable trajectory!
Liya comes through her second surgery
Liya was finally well enough to go in for her second surgery this morning, and when we saw her this afternoon in the ICU her doctors were gathered and enthusiastically discussing the outcome. They believe they succeeded to reroute the circulation through her complicated heart in such a way that will allow her now to grow and thrive.
We thank God for bringing little Liya through so much, including the perilous hospitalization in Gaza and return in ICU ambulance, in order to see this day. Let’s keep praying for her over the next critical 24 hours.
Big improvement
Liya is doing better today! The virus she was dealing with seems to be gone, so she is not receiving antibiotics anymore.
At Sheba Hospital today, she will slowly wake up and then she will be extubated. If this all goes well, she will have her surgery soon. So we ask for your prayer for Liya, specifically that the surgery will happen soon, so her health can improve.
Back on ventilator; rushed back to Israel
After Liya recently left Sheba hospital to go back to Gaza, her situation deteriorated. She went back on the ventilator in an ICU in Gaza. She also suffered from sepsis.
After she stabilized a little bit, she was transferred by ambulance back to Sheba Hospital. Liya will have her next heart surgery soon, but right now she has a fever. When she is stable, she will go into surgery.
Please pray for Liya in this difficult situation.
Our beautiful Liya
Liya, after a few days in Sheba Hospital and some fever, was discharged today to go home to Gaza.
Now Liya’s doctors want her to gain weight and then return, “Inshala,” like her mom always says, for her surgery
in two weeks.
Temperature today
Liya was supposed to have her surgery today but she had a temperature so it was canceled. Now it is just a matter of time, but first her temperature needs to diminish. Liya’s mother is still waiting for results of additional tests the doctors made for her.
It was very nice to see Liya today, to see her smile. She looks a beautiful as always and was smiling again. I really appreciated that Liya’s mother allowed me to feed Liya. I loved doing that.
Pray for our beautiful Liya, with the help of God she will have a surgery soon.
CT scan, ICU admission
Our beautiful Liya came to Sheba Hospital to have a CT scan and was unexpectedly admitted to the ICU.
Liya crossed the Erez border yesterday and this morning she had a CT scan. When the procedure ended, we talked with the cardiologist about the next steps in Liya’s treatment. Liya’s parents want to have a vacation time with all the family before Liya’s next surgery which they expect to be in a few months.
The cardiologist ordered an echo, an electrocardiogram and a routine test for Liya. The results of these exams and a fever rush with vomiting, all pointed to the fact that Liya needed to remain hospitalized. There will be more tests and possibly a surgery on Sunday. Pray for strength for Liya and her parents, they’re worried and surprised about Liya’s health.
Echo today
Today my Coworker Joanne and I picked up little Liya at Erez crossing point and brought them to Sheba Medical Center. She had an ECG and an Echo today. Her heart is not doing well and she has a lot of different problems. The doctor told me that Liya will have to come back in one month and until then the doctor will present her case to all the other doctors and they will decide the next steps of treatment. The doctor said that there is the possibility that they can’t do anything else for her. So please pray for this little girl and her family. Bless them and pray for wisdom for the doctors.
Surprising discharge
Beautiful little Liya really got discharged today! We couldn’t believe it, but finally we sat together in the car on our way to Gaza.
Liya had a surgery to place a band around one artery in her time at Sheba and first struggled a little bit by breathing on her own. But after that she improved pretty fast and also learned fast how to eat through her mouth. Due to this she was able to be discharged.
Her grandmother was very happy and kept saying “Thank you, thank you.” Also all the other grandmothers were at the car to wave goodbye. In one month, beautiful Liya will come back for a follow up appointment.
We can thank the Lord for what he already did in Liya’s life and ask that he will keep her safe until her next surgery when she’s older.
Maybe ready to go
When I visited little Liya at Sheba Medical Center this morning the doctor told me that Liya would be ready to go home. She will still stay in the hospital till Sunday, because the Erez Crossing point is closed right now.
We’re all very happy and surprised that she recovered so fast and so well. Please pray and bless her and her lovely grandmother.
Stable but with some difficulties
When I visited little Liya today at Sheba Hospital, she was moved again back to the ICU because she developed a fever over the weekend. She was awake when I entered the room and I could hear that she was breathing fast and was in some distress. Last week doctors made some tests and found that Liya has some bacteria and was put on a course of antibiotics right away.
Also Liya has been experiencing problems with eating. This morning a specialist visited her and found that Liya is not taking from a bottle very well. For now, doctors are trying to feed her via mouth as much as possible, then give her the rest through a tube. But as she has also problems with breathing, there is some concern that Liya aspirates her milk when they are feeding her. Liya is still extubated and receives some inhalation to improve her breathing.
Liya’s grandma is staying faithfully by her side even though it has to be very exhausting for her. Let us thank God that Liya is doing fairly well despite all of this and pray for her healing!
No oxygen support needed
Today, coworkers Lilly, Frank and I found Liya and her grandmother in the Secondary Pediatric ICU of Sheba Medical Center. Liya is doing very well, although she has some bacteria in her blood.
The good news is that she does not need oxygen support anymore and they already started feeding her not only with the NG Tube, but also through her mouth.
Liya’s grandmother is very thankful for her progress. Thank you for your prayers. We can continue to pray for Liya and her full recovery.
Successfully extubated
Today coworker Frank and I visited little Liya and her grandmother at Sheba Hospital.
The doctors told us that Liya is finally extubated since yesterday, but she still requires oxygen support. Also, she is getting her food through an NG Tube.
This morning, Liya had a fever, so they did a blood test and started a course of antibiotics for Liya. So hopefully she is doing better soon.
We spent a really good time together and her grandmother was very thankful and happy that we visited her and took the time for them. So please pray for them, especially for Liya, that her fever abates.
Hope
When Liya’s grandmother met me and Jonathan at the door of the ICU this afternoon, she eagerly beckoned us to come see Liya. Liya is stable right now, but yesterday she had several episodes of oxygen desaturation and needed increased medication. The doctors think this was caused by pulmonary hypertension and they hope to begin decreasing her medication soon.
A nurse in the ICU explained Liya’s situation to us, and while it is serious, there is definitely hope for her. Please pray for God’s healing for precious Liya.
Failed extubation
Today coworker Willem and I visited little Liya and her aunt in Sheba Hospital.
The doctor said that they tried yesterday to extubate her, but it failed. So Liya is again intubated and they are searching now for the reasons why extubation is not working and are trying to solve the problem. However, Liya is stable and for this we’re thankful.
We had a nice time with Liya’s aunt and talked with her a while. Please pray for her, her family, and that the doctors can find and solve the problem with Liya’s extubation difficulty quickly.
Waiting
Today I visited little Liya at Sheba Hospital’s Pediatric ICU for the first time. Her grandma is really kind and was happy that someone came to spend time with her. The doctor told us that they plan to extubate Liya today. They want to wait first until she is waking up but she is taking her time.
The band doctors placed around one of her arteries in the surgery yesterday, is for now to pretend that too much blood is coming to the lungs. Her heart is very complicated so she will need further surgeries in her life if she survives until then. The doctor was very honest to us and told us that Liya’s condition is very serious.
Her grandma was hopeful however today, and that’s what we are too. God loves this child and so we will never give up hope. Thank you for praying for little Liya. May God protect and bless her!
Surgery day
Liya went into her first surgery at Sheba today. I sat with her grandmother for a while, who seemed relaxed under the circumstances. When we came to the room to see Liya after the surgery, I could see the emotions coming out of her grandmother. Like a relief.
Liya’s surgery went well. They didn’t fix her problems, but they placed a band on one of her arteries.
Please pray for Liya’s condition and that she will recover well so she can get ready for a bigger surgery.
Finding a solution
Week old Liya arrived yesterday evening in Sheba Hospital via ambulance from Gaza. She is an emergency baby with a heart problem that is too difficult to treat there.
Today the doctors and nurses did a lot of tests on her, including an echo, x-ray, CT-scan, MRI, etc. Hopefully soon, doctors can decide how to treat Liya’s heart.
Liya’s grandmother came with her. She was very nervous today, asking the doctors and nurses what they are going to do with Liya. Hopefully in the next days she will get an answer.
Pray for Liya. And pray for her grandmother who is caring a lot for her granddaughter. God protect this fragile girl.
Liya is a months old child from the Gaza Strip diagnosed with ventricular septal defect.
Liya does not yet have a local leader to advocate for prayer and financial support for her surgery.
As of right now, Liya still needs $6500 toward surgery and related expenses.