On our way to floor five to visit Maryam we had to wait in front of the elevators. To our surprise Maryam grandmother met us while waiting there with little Maryam in her arms. She told us that Maryam was so good that she could take her out of the pediatric ward to discover the halls of Sheba a bit. When I went upstairs to ask the doctors about any updates they could tell me that Maryam will be discharged on Sunday. The discharge is depending on some equipment we have to organise but then she’s good to go home.
“Lord please bless Maryam in the following days so she can gain enough strength for her discharge. Thank you for all the things you already did for her.”
Today the doctors at Sheba Medical, shared with us the news that sweet Maryam is not gaining as much weight as they would want her to. They weigh her every Monday and Thursday and so they are waiting now for next week to see if her weight is improving.
For now they are not concerned about the situation and just want to give her more time. Maryam was nearly falling asleep when I visited her and so I left the room together with her lovely grandmother again.
Please pray that Maryam will gain weight and grow!
Today is the Rosh Hashana, the Feast of Trumpets and the new year in Israel. In our morning studies, we talked about how to show the love of God to the people around us. Often it could be such simple things like giving a smile.
Later in the day, when we went to Sheba Hospital to the Pediatric ICU, we got good good news that little Maryam was no longer in the ICU, but on a pediatric ward. When we arrived at the ward, Maryam’s grandmother recognized me right away. She said with a big smile, “Oh, it is you who made Maryam smile last time you were here!” I realized how much these visits mean for the parents and relatives that can spend weeks and sometimes months in the hospital.
When we talked with Maryam’s doctor, we were assured that Maryam was on the right track. Her grandmother told us that the previous night had been a rough one with not so much sleep, as Maryam had been awake. We had a good time talking via Google translate, with some laughter, some tears.
Coworker Tineke joined me on the visit and asked Maryam’s grandmother how she was feeling; you could see that our caring for her well-being touched her heart. So this compels me to ask that you please pray for the well-being both of the children and their relatives when you consider praying for this unique work.
For Maryam in particular, please pray that she will continue to gain weight.
Little Maryam is recovering very well from her PEG placement surgery at Sheba Hospital a few days ago.
Today Maryam was moved to the intermediate ICU and doctors are even planning to move her directly to the pediatric ward soon. That’s a good step for Maryam and we are very happy to see her improving.
Maryam’s grandmother can be found everywhere around the hospital, always very kind and caring for other people. We’re praying Maryam will gain weight now and ask for blessings on her amazing grandmother!
After her surgery at Sheba Hospital yesterday, Maryam is doing really well and remains stable. As I entered her room, I saw already that she was extubated. The doctor said she is recovering well.
When I visited her today, Maryam was sleeping peacefully. I wondered again how God is working on this tiny little child through the expertise of the medical staff. He cares for this precious baby and has done so many great things, which we have seen in the last few weeks.
Coworker Lena visited Maryam earlier today, and said that Maryam had problems falling asleep even though she was really tired, I was grateful to see her finally sleeping when I arrived.
We continue to pray for this little child and her improvement as her treatment goes on.
Today at noon, our little Maryam went into a surgery at Sheba Medical Center to insert a PEG tube to her stomach. The surgery finished successfully two hours later.
When coworker Gustav and I visited her room after the surgery, she was already awake, moved her tiny hands and legs, and stared at us with her big eyes as usual. “Maryam is strong,” whispered her grandma by the bedside to us in English, and indeed God has given Maryam strength to go through a series of the surgeries. She was intubated to sedate the pain after the surgery, but otherwise she is doing well.
We give thanks to our good Lord for the skilled medical staff who performed a successful surgery and for Maryam’s strength. We pray that she may recover from the surgery, be extubated soon, and gain some more weight. Thank you for your prayers with us.
We visited little Maryam today at Sheba Hospital. She was awake but alone in her room. We could tell that she was glad somebody was there for her. She had a cute pink mobile hanging above her which we turned on and as soon as the music started she moved her head in the rhythm of “twinkle twinkle little star.” She even gave us a sweet little smile! We really enjoyed seeing Maryam this happy and so full of life.
When we asked a doctor how Maryam is doing, we were told that Maryam will get a PEG tube in her stomach so she can gain more weight. They are hoping Maryam will be able to eat by herself someday soon, a very big step.
We are so thankful for the liveliness of little Maryam. Please pray for her and that everything the doctors have planned will work for the best for Maryam.
Today, when I was in Sheba Hospital, waiting for another child’s surgery, I came across Maryam in her stroller accompanied by her grandma. Maryam started at me with her big eyes, crying because of hunger. I was happy to see her outside of her room and having an appetite.
Later I talked with the doctors and they are planning to have her gastronomic surgery on Tuesday next week, to insert a feeding tube directly to her stomach.
Let’s pray and keep asking our good Lord for Maryam’s continuous improvement, and for a good preparation for the surgery next week. Thank you for being with us in prayer.
Today Maryam‘s grandma and I went to the dentist at Sheba hospital because she was experiencing pain from her teeth. The dentists found that one of the teeth had an inflammation. She needs to extract it in the future, but for now they opened it to reduce her pain. After the treatment, she was very grateful for us taking her to the dentist, repeatedly said, “Shukran,” which means thank you in Arabic. She happily offered us cups of juice, some snacks and food.
Afterwards, back in the children’s wing of the hospital, I visited Maryam’s room in the intermediate ICU. The doctors explained to me that she is going to have a gastronomic surgery soon to insert a tube to her stomach as a nutrition port. Currently she has a tube in her nose as you see in the picture, but they want to change it so that she can receive nutrient directly to her stomach. The date for the surgery has not been decided, but hopefully next week sometime.
Also the doctors are planning to give Maryam a neurological examination to check her hearing, as she didn’t pass the screening test; doctors want to do a more detailed examination of her. There is a possibility that she is hard of hearing.
Let’s keep giving thanks and praying for Maryam’s condition. Our good Lord is a merciful Father to everyone. Let’s thank Him for keeping Maryam stable in her recovery. We’re also praying for weight gain and some growth, and for her ability to hear. Also we pray for for Maryam’s grandmother’s tooth, that she would have no pain anymore. Thank you for being with us in prayer.
Today was a day of only good news for Maryam, so said her kind nurse. She told me that Maryam is much better than yesterday. Maryam doesn’t get oxygen support anymore and even with breathing only room air, her saturations are still good.
Also Maryam is slowly starting to drink milk from her own bottle again and is very slowly gaining weight. I’m so thankful to see her improving as she was so critical before her surgery and then had two very dangerous and big surgeries.
Thank you Lord for Maryam and how you’ve worked in her life! Please bless her and her lovely grandmother!
We visited Maryam at Sheba Hospital today and were full of joy to see her doing so well. She was moved to the intermediate ICU, where children that are out of critical condition are treated.
Knowing that little Maryam struggled a lot in the past few weeks, it is very surprising to see her extubated and without major support from machines. Her grandmother proudly showed us pictures of her big brown eyes and told us she is very happy that her granddaughter is doing so well. She still has to gain weight and grow stronger because she is very tiny for a seven month old, as you can see in the pictures.
We thank God for Maryam and the evidence of healing in her tiny frame and that she is with us even after weeks of not knowing if she would make it. We pray for continued work in her life, building health and growing more to be a strong young girl.
Beautiful Maryam was finally extubated on the weekend at Sheba Hospital, and is doing well and is stable. She is now receiving only the oxygen support. The doctors are planning to take it from her soon.
Let’s pray that our good Lord may keep His loving hand on little Maryam and in her healing, that she may stay stable and can be off from the oxygen support soon. Thank you for being with us in prayer.
Today at Sheba Hospital, little Maryam was awake and looking at me curiously after I walked into her room. As I looked into her big dark eyes, I thought about how beautiful she is, created by God. Even so, she is still very small, God thinks about her and cares for her like he does for every little child.
A doctor told me later that they thought in the morning about extubating, but they are still not sure if she is ready yet. If possible, they will maybe still extubate her today or maybe tomorrow. But for now she is still stable.
Join us in prayer for Maryam and her health as well as her extubation process, which again, we don’t know yet when that will happen. We know she is in the hands of God. Please also pray for the doctors, for wisdom and right choices at right times.
When we visited Maryam at Sheba Hospital today, the doctors joyfully told us they were able to close Maryam’s chest yesterday and that she is stable. They plan to remove her intubation tube tomorrow also. After this great news, the head doctor of the ICU told me a short anecdote that his grandfather shared with him, “If you want to make God laugh, you just have to make plans for the future.”
Even though we can’t make plans for the future, God exactly knows what is going to happen, so join us in prayer for Maryam. We pray that she remains stable and the extubation tomorrow will be successful.
One of the few Arabic words I know so far is, “Inshallah.” It means “God willing,” which fits perfectly in Maryam’s situation.
When we visited little Maryam in the Sheba Hospital ICU today, we were met with an exciting surprise– her chest has been closed since yesterday! This is a good step for her. She is stable and the doctors hope to take her off the ventilator in a day or two.
Maryam’s journey has not been an easy one, and we are so grateful for each step she takes toward recovery. Please continue in prayer for her and the doctors and nurses caring for her.
At our visits to Sheba Hospital today, we could see Maryam in the Pediatric ICU, laying in her big bed with a steril cloth on top of her chest. I asked the nurse when they will close her chest, and she said tomorrow.
This is not just a good sign that shows Maryam is finally stable enough, but it also enables us to be with little Maryam in her room and not just in front of the big glass ICU door. Today I still had to wait outside, but I’m looking forward to spending some time with Maryam and communicating to her that she’s not alone.
May the Lord be with the doctors tomorrow and give them the concentration they need for this procedure, and bless Maryam with strength and a sense of His presence with her.
At Sheba Hospital today, tiny Maryam had mitral valve repair surgery. Before the surgery, her grandmother told me the doctors had said it would be a very long surgery, probably six or seven hours.
Maryam’s grandmother was very worried and sad as they wheeled Maryam into the OR; she sat and cried for several minutes after that. Co-worker Luisa and I sat and prayed with her, and she calmed down. Maryam is her only grandchild, and very dear to her.
Thank God, after only four hours, Maryam was wheeled out. The doctors said the surgery went very well. Maryam’s chest is still open, though they say this is routine practice for a baby as small as she is.
So far, the repaired valve is functioning well, with no backwash. The doctors want to keep her chest open till Sunday so that they can easily intervene if needed. If Maryam is still stable on Sunday, they hope to close her chest then. Praise God for this successful surgery!
Please pray Maryam will continue to recover and thrive beyond even our greatest hopes. God has done amazing work in her tiny body, and we pray He will continue.
Maryam’s condition has been getting more difficult every day. The valve between the two left chambers of her heart isn’t closing properly and so the blood coming from the lungs is not able to flow back to the lungs. The doctors tried to resolve this problem with some medication, but still she is deteriorating.
This is why doctors have decided they want to fix this valve, the mitral valve, in a surgery tomorrow. Valve surgeries are always very complicated and dangerous, but for a child in Maryam’s condition, it is even harder.
Please pray for her as she goes into such a dangerous surgery tomorrow morning! God please give the doctors success and heal Maryam!
As we entered Maryam’s room in Sheba Hospital, her Grandmother was really happy to see us. We talked shortly to her and we all could see how strong Maryam is fighting.
Since yesterday, Maryam is reintubated again as she had problems with breathing on her own. Thank God she is stable today. The doctors want her to gain a little more weight and get stronger before they can extubate her again.
We pray Maryam keeps growing as she is still very small for a seven month old, and needs the weight and strength to better receive being extubated.
When coworker Lena and I visited Maryam at Sheba Hospital today, we were stunned at how weak she looked, but also amazed how she tries very hard to breathe on her own.
The doctors extubated her today to see how she will be doing by herself. Because she is still very weak, she got some help with medication. They also want to keep an eye on her and decide in the next hours if they have to intubate her again.
Please pray for her that she will be well and able to breath on her own. Will you also include the doctors in your prayers? We ask for God to bless them. They work hard.
We were all happy to hear this morning that Maryam is still stable two days after her complicated surgery at Sheba Hospital. She is even doing so well, that they wanted to extubate her today. But her temperature was a little high, so they decided to wait and maybe extubate her tomorrow.
She is occasionally waking up, moving her tiny arms and making faces.
Please continue praying for this cute little girl, that she may recover well and become a big and strong girl.
Praise God, Maryam is still stable on the first day after her big and difficult surgery at Sheba Hospital. The staff in the ICU is very satisfied with her condition. We‘re so thankful to God for answering our prayers for Maryam.
Maryam is still intubated, but she already showed signs of waking up. Her eyes were open when we entered the room and she even moved her arm a little bit.
Her medicamentous heart support also could be reduced to a minimum today. God willing, Maryam can be extubated soon. Let us in the first days after surgery especially, pray for Maryam to remain stabile.
Today was finally the big surgery day for our tiny Maryam at Sheba Hospital. Everyone, including the doctors, felt some fear of the outcome of this surgery. So we were very surprised and happy, as after only a little more than five hours, Maryam was back in her room.
Her surgery went the best way they could have expected it to. They placed a patch over her AV-canal, that is, the hole between the four chambers of her heart, and were able to repair her valve instead of placing a mechanical one.
When Maryam was back in her room, she was bleeding a little bit and they had problems stabilizing her for a while, but by the time we left the hospital, Maryam was stable. We need to see how she recovers, especially the first hours are very critical.
Further in her future, Maryam may need another surgery, but this depends on the success of this surgery and how she is recovering after it. So please pray for a good recovery for little Maryam and for strength for her grandmother!
Tomorrow at Sheba Hospital, Maryam will be in surgery. She is still very small, but as she has pulmonary hypertension, an oversupply of blood flowing to her lungs, and has an AV canal, she really needs to have surgery soon.
This will be a very complicated surgery. Please pray for the doctors for wisdom during the surgery and for strength for Maryam to get through it.
Maryam is still stable and intubated after her catheterization at Sheba Hospital on Thursday. She will need surgery as soon as possible and the doctors want to do it this week, though they haven’t scheduled it yet.
This surgery will be very complicated and not straight forward as Maryam doesn’t only have pulmonary hypertension and too much blood flowing to the lungs, but she also has problems with her valves.
There isn’t an easy solution for her; the surgery will be dangerous for her. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors, that they will know what to do best in this surgery and how to help Maryam in the best way possible.
Maryam had a diagnostic catheterization today at Sheba Hospital. She is still stable and intubated, but the doctor said that she has pulmonary hypertension and oversupply of blood to her lungs.
Her sweet grandmother is happy to be with her, though it’s very hard for her to see her beloved granddaughter like this. Hopefully the doctors will meet on Sunday to discuss the next steps for her.
Please pray that they will find a good solution for beautiful little Maryam.
Little Maryam is still in the pediatric ICU of Sheba Medical, where she was moved a few days ago because her condition worsened and she had to be intubated. Today she had an ECHO and will be having a diagnostic catheterization tomorrow.
Also today, her escort switched out and Maryam’s grandmother will be with her from today on. When we visited Maryam, her mother was really worried about her and about her being in the normal ICU now. Please pray that her mom can have peace leaving her daughter with her grandmother in the hospital. We also hope and pray for the doctors to have wisdom on how to treat Maryam effectively.
Today we visited Maryam at Sheba Medical Center. She was moved from the secondary ICU to the normal ICU yesterday. She is having some trouble gaining more weight and the doctors want to watch her more.
When we entered Maryam’s hospital room, she was sleeping and her mother was very tired too. We really hope for Maryam to get better and to successfully gain more weight!
Little Maryam and her lovely mother are still in the Secondary Pediatric ICU of Sheba Medical. Her doctor told me today the disappointing news that she is still not gaining weight. They are giving her everything they can and feeding her via tube, but she is not improving.
For now, the doctors just want to give her more time and wait for another week in the hope that she will gain weight during this time.
Today Maryam’s mum wasn’t feeling well, so we had to go to the Ob-Gyn emergency department. She is 14 weeks pregnant and had a side pain on her belly and was very worried about the baby.
The medical staff was so kind to her, that they even looked for an Arabic-speaking doctor. He told her that everything is normal and that the baby is doing fine. Maryam’s mom was then relaxed and not worried anymore about her baby.
Regarding Maryam herself, there isn’t any news. She still has to grow and gain more weight to proceed with the next steps.
Little Maryam is our latest urgent arrival from Gaza. She’s six months old but due to her heart defect has been slipping backwards in recent weeks; her weight was just 2.7 kg (less than 6 pounds) when she arrived in Israel on Friday.
Doctors are giving her nutrition through a nasal tube to help her gain enough weight to go to surgery. As of today she is up to 3 kg. Have a listen to her plaintive little voice:
When I was looking for new arrival Maryam today in the Sheba Hospital Pediatric ICU, I couldn’t find her but only her mom talking with another mother from Gaza. She told me that Maryam is doing well and is moved to the secondary ICU.
The doctors did some genetic tests today, and now we are waiting for the results. For now Maryam is well and they think to even move her to the pediatric ward until she can have her surgery.
Let us pray for this tiny little girl and her sweet mother!
On Friday, six month old Maryam W. from Gaza, arrived to Sheba Hospital via ambulance. She needs an AV canal repair surgery, but before a surgery can take place, the doctors need Maryam to get bigger and stronger.
Maryam is such a little precious baby and looked really cute sleeping during our first visit, while we talked to her mom. Please pray for her to gain some weight and for the doctors, that they would have extra wisdom for this case, and will have a surgery date soon.
On our way to floor five to visit Maryam we had to wait in front of the elevators. To our surprise Maryam grandmother met us while waiting there with little Maryam in her arms. She told us that Maryam was so good that she could take her out of the pediatric ward to discover the halls of Sheba a bit. When I went upstairs to ask the doctors about any updates they could tell me that Maryam will be discharged on Sunday. The discharge is depending on some equipment we have to organise but then she’s good to go home.
