Today we went on a special trip. The families had the special request for a long time to go to the beach. And today my colleague Jakob and I were able to fulfil their wish. Of course we also looked forward to spending the day with the families at the beach.
The children really enjoyed being out of the house and being able to explore a new environment. The older kids enjoyed the water and the sand. However, Arya wasn’t so convinced yet. If you had him in your arms and put his little feet in the water, he was fine. But he didn’t enjoy sitting in the sand at all.
Arya and I sat together on the picnic blanket, playing with shells and watched the kite-surfers. He was fascinated and enthusiastic about the surfers, he pointed always with his little finger at the surfers.
His mom really enjoyed the time too. She took lots of pictures and collected shells. It was nice to see all the mothers relaxed and enjoying the time.
Please pray especially for Arya and his mother for their time in Ashdod and for all upcoming treatments.
Cute little Arya was discharged from the Pediatric Cardiac ICU of Sheba’s Children’s hospital today after having his diagnostic cath on Tuesday. When I visited him in the morning, he was really happy with a big smile all over his face. His mother and he had to wait a long time for us to leave the hospital and get back to Ashdod, so they spent some time in the waiting area and with the other kids. After this long day of waiting, Arya really made us being stuck in traffic a funny time, especially when he tried to repeat everything we said.
Arya has to wait in Ashdod now for the next appointments towards his surgery.
We thank God that Arya was able to go home with us today and that this cute boy is radiating so much happiness. We pray God would continue to be with him and his mother for everything that is coming and that He would keep his loving hand over them.
When coworker Craig and I arrived at Sheba Medical Center this morning, the first thing we saw was Arya sitting in a toy car. Together with his mother and the mother of another Kurdish boy, he was waiting to start his catherization.
Coworker Craig and I tried to let him feel as comfortable as possible before his catherization and pushed him across the pediatric ward in the car. How nice to see him so happy!
After he had finished his catheterization a few hours later, I asked a nurse how it went. Thank God he is fine and has even been able to start eating and drinking.
God willing, he can return to our family home in Ashdod tomorrow. Praise the Lord that He is with Arya.
Today, Arya was hospitalized at Sheba in preparation for a catheterization tomorrow.
He was all smiles for most of the day and loved the cars in the waiting room.
He has an ornery but sweet personality and he alternated between posing for the camera and blowing kisses to everyone walking by.
Arya’s cath tomorrow is planned to be diagnostic, but the doctors may decide to dilate or place a stent in his pulmonary artery if it is necessary.
It’s the first in a series of procedures necessary to treat his complex single-ventricle heart. After this cath, he will need surgery to reroute blood from the upper half of his body straight to his lungs. In a year or two he will need another surgery to perform the same process for blood from the lower half of his body.
At the end of a long day, Arya was content to settle down with his mom to enjoy some cookies in his hospital room. Please pray for a good night of rest and a successful procedure tomorrow.
Early this morning we brought our friend Arya to Sheba Hospital for an ultrasound. The doctors wanted to have those pictures before Arya has his Cath next week.
It went all very fast and easily, but as we had to wait for a car to get back to Ashdod. I had a lot of time to play with the cute boy. He had a lot of fun playing with one balloon he got in the hospital, loved scooting around in the hospital floor and very much enjoyed his apple.
In one week he will get admitted for his Cath and until then – we enjoy the time we have together with him and his mom in Ashdod. Thank you for all your prayers for our cute boy!
Our new Kurdish kid Arya had his first echo at Sheba hospital today. He doesn’t like when we take his oxygen at home so we knew he probably wouldn’t like all the tests and the echo today.
Before he had his echo, we went to do a blood test because the doctors need to collect as much health data as possible before they can work on a surgical plan. After lots of tears at the blood test, Arya had his echo which was also followed by lots of crying. For the doctors it was very hard to get a clear ultrasound picture of his heart, so they decided to give him a sedative. This really helped with his anxiety of the doctors and he calmed down enough that they could get the data they needed. After a very long day, he came back to Ashdod with us. Here he has to wait with his mother for the surgical plan the doctors will start to work on after today. The doctors told us that his heart is very complicated because there are several defects which will make the treatment harder. The next steps will be a diagnostic cath and a CT scan.
We thank the Lord that we have the opportunity to have this cute new baby from Kurdistan with us and that he is able to receive the care he needs at Sheba Hospital. We pray for his stay with us and his lovely mother.
Today we welcomed Arya, his mother and two other families from Kurdistan, who arrived at Ben Gurion Airport this morning. After I finally met them at the airport, we went together back to Ashdod and little Arya cried most of the way. It was a long and tiring trip for them, so they were really glad when we finally reached Ashdod.
Not long afterwards, Arya was happy again, sitting on his bed and playing with a toy. Unfortunately, he has his foot in a cast which makes him unable to walk by himself right now.
Feel encouraged to join our prayers for Arya. Even as he is currently not able to walk and his treatment begins soon, we pray for Arya’s healing. We pray for restored strength for his mother, and for them both to navigate successfully all that lays ahead of them.
Today we went on a special trip. The families had the special request for a long time to go to the beach. And today my colleague Jakob and I were able to fulfil their wish. Of course we also looked forward to spending the day with the families at the beach.
The children really enjoyed being out of the house and being able to explore a new environment. The older kids enjoyed the water and the sand. However, Arya wasn’t so convinced yet. If you had him in your arms and put his little feet in the water, he was fine. But he didn’t enjoy sitting in the sand at all.
