Today we collected Ahmed and his mom from the Erez Crossing point for an echo appointment at Sheba Hospital.
The doctor was so friendly and said that Ahmed was doing great and everything looked fine. The doctor wants to see him within six months for a new echo.
We returned Ahmed and his mother back to the crossing point at the end of the day. Please pray for Achmed, that he will remain in this good shape.
We had a wonderful time today with little Ahmed who made everyone’s day better with a lot of smiles. His lovely mother accompanied him today to Sheba Hospital for his follow up echo.
It was a quick process and the doctor told us that his heart is doing great and he can stop the medication he has to take. His mother and Ahmed had to wait a bit after the appointment before we were ready to bring him back to Gaza but they were so patient and kind the whole time. Thank the Lord that Ahmed is doing so well. We will see him again in three months for his follow up appointment.
I was sitting in the waiting room outside the ICU this morning when Ahmed’s mother and a nurse came out of the ICU, wheeling Ahmed’s crib between them. “We’re going to an echo,” his mom explained cheerfully in Arabic, “and if it’s good we’re going home today!”
For the next couple of hours, Ahmed’s mother bounced anxiously back and forth between the ICU and waiting room, eagerly awaiting news from the doctor. Finally, she came bursting out of the ICU with a big grin. “Today! We’re going home to Gaza today!”
Then came the hours of waiting for the discharge report, which I’m sure felt to Ahmed’s mother like much longer than the two hours it took. I met her again in the cardiac clinic, when she came almost running down the hall waving the papers over her head. “It’s the report! It’s ready!”
We made Ahmed’s next appointment for a month from now, when he will return to Sheba for a check-up, and then drove him and his mom back to Gaza. We’re looking forward to seeing them again in a few weeks, and we pray Ahmed will grow and develop well until then.
I found Ahmed’s mother in a waiting area today at Sheba Hospital, sitting with the other mothers from Gaza who are in the ICU. I asked where Ahmed is, as I couldn’t find him in his room. His mother told me happily that Ahmed was moved to the intermediate ICU.
In his room, Ahmed was laying in a baby chair looking around. He is such a beautiful boy. And the nice thing is that there are two beautiful boys, as I found out that Ahmed has an identical twin.
For now Ahmed is without oxygen support, but he has a drain to get rid of fluids. For the rest, he is recovering well. Will you pray that he keeps getting better?
When I arrived this morning at Sheba hospital to be with Ahmed’s mother while he was in surgery, I found her sitting in an empty room and crying. Ahmed had just gone into a big surgery, the Glenn procedure. While waiting for the surgery to be finished, Ahmed’s mother was going through ups and downs. From time to time other moms from Gaza who are in the hospital with their children, joined us in the waiting area. Ahmed’s mother was most of the time okay and sometimes even laughing if other moms were around encouraging her. But once everyone was gone, she started worrying and crying again. We still had a great time with all the other moms together. They were a great support to both of us.
After a few hours in surgery, the surgeon came to us and told us that everything went well and as planned. Besides the Glenn procedure, they also fixed the pulmonary artery which was nearly closed in Ahmed’s heart. He’s now recovering with his mother at his side. The first hours after surgery are very important and critical. Until his mother was able to see her son again, she was worried and pretty tense. But once she was able to see her son again and go to his bed to hold his hand, she was relieved.
Please pray for Ahmed that he recovers well and that there won’t be any complications in his recovery.
When I saw Ahmed’s lovely mother today she invited me to sit with her and some other Gaza moms. They told me that Ahmed will have his surgery tomorrow. She was very excited to tell me the news but also a bit afraid of what is about to come. It was so nice to see cute Ahmed resting before his surgery and sleeping so peacefully.
He is such a beautiful little boy. Please pray for him and his mother and the surgery tomorrow that they can go into this day without fear and trust in the Lord.
Ahmed had his catheterisation at Sheba Hospital today. When I arrived to hospital, I saw his mother sitting in the waiting area, very worried about Ahmed. However, after just two hours from the beginning of his procedure, Ahmed was already finished and doing fine. To his mother it was a great relief to hear this good news.
While waking up from the anesthesia, Ahmed cried a lot and even though every nurse and I myself tried our best, he wouldn’t stop crying. His mother was allowed to take him into her arms and calm him down. Ahmed immediately stopped crying in the arms of his mother and fell asleep. It was so beautiful to see both of them finally doing so good after a long day.
Pray for Ahmed and his treatment and also for his mother in this scary time in the hospital.
This morning I picked up Ahmed and his mother from the Gaza border for his admission in Sheba Hospital for his cath tomorrow. He directly had an Echo where his doctor also recognised his blue hands. Ahmed’s oxygen was checked directly and it was a dangerous 50%. His normal oxygen was always at around 80%. The doctors gave him oxygen support and from then on everything went pretty fast. He was directly admitted to the Secondary Pediatric ICU after he had an ECG. Gladly his oxygen went up again after a few minutes. Apart from all the test and the examinations done by doctors, Ahmed was pretty happy and enjoyed checking out the hospital.
Later still, Ahmed had a blood test which he didn’t like at all. His mother was really worried since his oxygen had suddenly dropped in the echo room. It was a very hard day for her and her son not only because he was crying all the time when doctors tried to examine him, but also because she was so worried about him. Tomorrow he will have a diagnostic catheterisation as a preparation for his upcoming surgery. Please pray for everything to go well for Ahmed and remember his mother.
Ahmed arrived just a week ago as an emergency transfer from Gaza. Since then many test were done to find out what exactly his heart condition his and how he can be treated. After a long period of testing and waiting, his mother got the news that Ahmed is infected with RSV, a respiratory virus that weakens his immune system. This news also meant that he can’t have his catheterisation in the next few days in preparation for his big surgery. Therefore he was discharged today and sent home for the next four weeks until he is better. Ahmed will have his catheterisation then. My short term coworker Klara had such a good time with Ahmed today as it was her first time holding a baby in her arms. Ahmed enjoyed every minute being in her arms and looked so cute being there.
Please continue praying for him and his family until he comes back in a month. Pray for healing of the virus he is battling right now.
Cute little Ahmed is doing quite well while waiting for his cauterization at Sheba Hospital this week. The nurse couldn’t tell me yet when exactly it will be, but probably Ahmed and his mother don’t have to wait for so much longer anymore. I met him and his kind mother for the first time today. His mother was so happy that someone had come to visit her. Ahmed is a really cute little boy who loves to show his smile which his mother and I were really happy to see. I am glad that they’re doing well.
Today coworker Lena and I welcomed little Ahmed and his mother to Sheba Hospital after they arrived by ambulance from Gaza. Ahmed is already five months old and has several heart defects but he is stable right now and doesn’t even need any oxygen support.
In the next few days, doctors will decide how to best help Ahmed and they will make a plan of treatment for him.
His mother seemed to be a bit nervous and insecure as it’s her first time in Israel and Ahmed was also screaming a lot, but she made friends directly with other moms in the hospital.
Please pray Ahmed’s mother will feel loved here and for wisdom for Ahmed’s doctors.