Halah came from Gaza to Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital again for her follow-up echocardiography. Her doctor emphasized some points after thorough examination of Halah’s heart and medical records.
Firstly, her family does not seem to use the PEG tube feeding device. Her grandmother said they are only feeding her orally like other children. Doctor recommended combined feeding including both oral and PEG. Halah looked still thin and she needs more Kilocalories definitely.
Secondly, her heart is functioning very good and no problem is seen now. She will have her next follow-up in four months. So Halah needs to gain more weight and swallow more foods enough to thrive well. Prayers for her are appreciated.
This smiling happy and cute baby Halah was about to be discharged from Hadassah Hospital to her home inside Gaza. Her mom was very happy to be returning with Halah although not thrilled that a PEG tube was attached to Halah’s abdomen.
This “very” premature newborn baby should grow well with support of good nutritious milk given from Hadassah Hospital and we pray that she would finally eat with her mouth after the follow-up Hadassah visit after another two months.
I drove a small car fully packed with her mom’s belongings including the PEG tube system.
We arrived at the Erez Border Crossing with Gaza nearly at the border’s closing time. My coworker and daughter accompanied me there and hugged Halah’s mom warmly in front of the guarded gate of the Erez Crossing.
My prayer is for Halah’s mom to be encouraged in feeding Halah well and that Halah would grow much and continue on her road to full recovery.
Hala seems to be doing very well, and possibly being discharged from Hadassah Hospital very shortly. The hospital has taught Hala’s mum how to feed her little one via the PEG machine. God bless her as she continues to give care to her daughter in this new but temporary way.
The medical staff at Hadassah Hospital had decided to give Halah a two-day reprieve to drink enough milk to gain weight. Unfortunately, she couldn’t gain weight by herself. That is why the PEG probe had to be installed today. With that, Halah receives nutrition directly through her abdominal wall to her stomach. In this way she gets enough nutrition and can become stronger. Then she will also become strong enough to drink by herself.
When we arrived at the hospital, Halah and her mother were already waiting for the transfer to the operating room.
Halah’s mother was glad we went with her. Laughing nervously, she walked behind the bed to the operating room. Halah was soon out of our sight.
Placing a PEG is done quite fast but it is a precise procedure.
After the operation, we took Halah to the intensive care unit. With a lot of attention and love, Halah was further cared for there.
Yesterday, I reluctantly brought the PEG tube sets to Halah’s room while she was sleeping. The PEG procedure is making a window of skin around the umbilicus to feed directly into the stomach. The Social worker requested that we buy these machines and I delivered it… but frankly, I did not want the machine to be used. So I requested to pray for Halah to avoid PEG, God willing.
Today I visited Halah at Hadassah Hospital again and found she was eating from a milk bottle without vomiting. WOW ! It is quite a change! Halah’s mom was excited that Halah was tolerating and sucking very well from the bottle.
However, she is still scheduled for PEG two days from now, and I asked her doctor about this. He knows this situation and will observe 24-48 hours and if she does not miss her meal and gains weight, then happily they will discharge her. But if she misses meals, then she still needs to get the PEG.
Therefore, pray continuously for her. I did not realize that eating by myself was such a blessing!
Hala was scheduled for PEG las t week at Hadassah Hospital because she was unable to swallow well. That’s why she still had an NG feeding tube in her nostril. They tried to find the real cause of the problem, so MRI and ENT examinations were done, but they could not determine any serious etiology.
PEG is a kind of operation to make a window of skin near umbilicus to put food directly into her stomach via syringe and tube. But doctors have cancelled the PEG operation because she was not breathing well. However, Hala looked good today as far as breathing on her own and I prayed for a cure of her esophagus, lung and other organs. I said to Hala’s mom to train her with a pacifier. Hala seemed to suck strongly with a pacifier. If she sucks very well, that would be good sign to swallow afterwards.
Also, her SpO2 was 99~100% after proper operation. We pray that Hala would be blessed with swallowing delicious milk and food in her life ,just like one of us.
The doctors at Hadassah Ein Kerem have determined that Halah should have a feeding tube inserted in her stomach (a PEG) since she is not able to eat from a bottle yet. She will need a few days to heal after her surgery for the PEG, which they are thinking will happen this Thursday, 9 March. Her heart has healed and she should be ready to go home next week.
Thank you for your prayers as Halah continues to gain strength.
The staff at Hadassah Ein Kerem are concerned because Halah will not eat from a bottle yet. She seems to be perfectly content with the feeding tube. On Sunday the doctor will make a decision whether or not to insert a feeding tube directly into her stomach until she is stronger. It would be wonderful if she started eating before Sunday so this would not be necessary.
Thank you for your prayers for this beautiful child.
Today Halah was wrapped up in pink and looked like a beautiful princess!
Yesterday the staff at Hadassah Hospital witnessed Halah having what they think was a seizure. Today they did a neurological MRI to get more information. We are waiting for the results. Halah is scheduled for a swallow test next week. She will also have an appointment with the ENT doctor to discuss her problems with eating.
Thank you for continued prayers for this precious princess and her family!
Halah is so sweet and beautiful. We are still waiting for her to start eating more on her own. The Speech Therapist at Hadassah Hospital is working with Halah and has contacted an ENT doctor to see why she is still having trouble. They have reattached her monitors to make sure nothing else is wrong.
We pray that Halah will be able to eat soon so she can be released from hospital and join her family at home.
It was so nice to see Halah today. Her fever is gone and she is off all of the monitors. She is looking so good! The nurse at Hadassah Hospital said her oxygen and heart rate are normal. She is still on the feeding tube and will need to be able to eat on her own before she can be released.
It is always so heartwarming to see how Halah responds to her mother. It is wonderful to see her quiet down as soon as she hears her mother’s voice and is held by her.
Please pray that Halah will be able to eat without the feeding tube soon so she can return home and be reunited with her family.
At Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem today, I found both Halah and her mother sleeping peacefully. The nurse said Halah has a fever, so that might be a reason for the nap. Tests are being run to determine the cause for the fever and they will probably be putting her on antibiotics.
The nurse also said that Halah is breathing well but does require a little extra oxygen at night, and she is still receiving inhalation treatments to keep her airways clear.
Yesterday it was sweet to see Halah so content as she was being held in her mother’s lap. I love seeing how much she is loved and am thankful that our Heavenly Father loves her and her family even more!
Halah has a new room at Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem! It was a very nice Valentine’s present to be moved out of Pediatric ICU. She and her mother also had a family visitor who brought them beautiful roses. What a nice day!
Halah is temporarily back on the feeding tube, but the nurse is hoping she won’t need it tomorrow. She was having medicine delivered by inhalation this afternoon. They say she is doing well!
Since her surgery Halah seems to be filled with peace. Please pray that God continues to heal her and fills her and her family with His love.
The nurse at Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem said that Halah is doing well! She is eating, although they have not removed the feeding tube in case she needs supplemental food.
She has also been breathing without additional oxygen. They are expecting that she will be moved out of the Pediatric ICU tomorrow!
I love seeing how God is working to heal His children! Please continue to pray that He will be glorified in these precious lives.
Early Wednesday morning, Halah had some trouble breathing and was placed back on the ventilator. Thankfully, as of today, she is breathing on her own again with the help of some oxygen-support. The nurses at Hadassah Hospital said she was stable this afternoon.
Please continue praying for Halah and also that her mother will trust that God is working in Halah’s healing.
Halah has been extubated. She was awake but not happy about it. It is hard to see a crying baby and not be able to pick them up to give comfort. Thankfully it wasn’t too long before Halah responded to her mother’s voice and touch.
The nurses at Hadassah Hospital say Halah is breathing well on her own and has good oxygen saturation levels. In addition to prayers for her continued healing, I am praying that Halah will be filled with the joy of the Lord and that she will spread that joy to her family and community.
Halah went into surgery this afternoon just after 2:30. She was reunited with her Mother tonight around 9:00. The nurse said the surgery went well and was a complete repair!
During surgery it was heartwarming to see the way some of the other mothers encouraged and comforted this young mother. They brought food, tea and companionship. I am sure it made the long wait a bit easier for her.
Please pray that God brings His complete healing to Halah’s heart and that He blesses her family with His loving presence.
Halah is very calm and resting well today. When Halah starts to fuss her mother gently strokes her head and speaks with her. Today it seemed like the baby was speaking back and they had a nice conversation!
The nurse from PICU at Hadassah Ein Kerem said Halah had a high fever last night. They have taken blood, urine and spinal fluid samples to determine the cause. They should have results back before surgery. She is on antibiotics to clear up any possible infection. The doctors are planning Halah’s surgery for Sunday. They are expecting to fix the coarctation of the aorta, the ventricular septal defect and possibly the pulmonary artery banding, if needed.
Thank you for continued prayer for this precious child and her family!
Halah’s nurse at Hadassah Ein Karem told me this afternoon that Halah has been crying a lot. The nurses are being extra careful to not disturb her any more than absolutely necessary, and to try to keep her as calm as possible. Her mother is very attentive and loving when she is fussy.
Tomorrow morning the doctors will determine which procedure(s) to perform. They are considering a pulmonary artery banding and maybe a balloon, or stent, to open the aorta to help with oxygen and blood flow to Halah’s legs and lower body. The surgery is likely to happen sometime tomorrow.
Please pray for Baby Halah, her mother and for God to guide the doctors.
Halah arrived at Hadassah Ein Kerem this afternoon. Her bruises and needle marks are evidence that she has had a lot of trauma in her five short days of life. She has a broken clavicle from her birth, which apparently is not uncommon. She was on a ventilator but was extubated before her transfer from Gaza. Her oxygen level is stable with a little help from the concentrator.
When we came into the room we witnessed Hala’s very healthy lungs! She was not happy about all that was being done to her. While we were visiting, an echo was performed and Halah’s mother was able to keep her baby calm by lovingly stroking her hair and cheeks.
The echo revealed a large hole between the ventricles of Halah’s heart. Thankfully, with surgery she will have a two ventricle heart rather than one, which would have been the case if the hole was larger. They also discovered an interrupted or absent aortic arch.
The doctors have decided that the first step in treatment will be to put a band on the pulmonary artery. This will keep the lungs from getting too much blood flow which would cause many problems. She will also have a surgery to reconstruct the aortic arch and eventually a surgery to close the hole between the ventricles.
Please pray that God will protect this baby as she continues her treatment. Also for God to make His presence known to her family with His overwhelming peace, love and comfort. We are so thankful for the doctors and hospital staff and pray they will be filled with wisdom from God.
Halah came from Gaza to Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital again for her follow-up echocardiography. Her doctor emphasized some points after thorough examination of Halah’s heart and medical records.
