So what exactly happened with Salma? A doctor at Hadassah Hospital explained that Salma is presently fed through the very thin tube going down her nose. Probably some fluid came into her lungs from this feeding procedure causing aspiration and aspiration pneumonia. This is likely what led to the CPR event of the other day.

Doctors now want to place a PEG feeding tube directly into her stomach in order to bypass the difficulty Salma continues to have in swallowing with a slightly paralyzed left vocal cord.

Tomorrow morning, doctors will perform a test of the effectiveness of this feeding tube. Any decision in favor of the PEG tube will entirely depend on the outcome of the test.

We pray for healing for Salma’s vocal cords and for peace and patience for her mother.

According to Salma’s mother,  yesterday at Hadassah Hospital, little Salma’s pulse and breathing stopped as medical staff did a cardiopulmonary resuscitation and respiration.

Salma is now in the PICU room 11 under stabilizing devices. Your prayers are appreciated.

Salma’s MRI scheduled at Hadassah Hospital for last Friday, was moved to today and then moved from today until maybe tomorrow or maybe Tuesday. Salma’s mom is very patient and just happy if Salma is well.

Meanwhile, Salma will be squeaky-clean for her MRI tomorrow. The photo above is a visual window as to how to how one goes about getting a baby-bath in the Children’s Ward of Hadassah Hospital!  Salma doesn’t look too put out by the process.

And isn’t that a lovely smile?

Today at Hadassah Hospital, Salma was looking beautiful. She is scheduled for an MRI tomorrow. The Children’s Ward doctor said they just want to make sure that the brain is clear and all is well. If they are content after viewing the MRI results, it’s possible Selma will be discharged shortly after.

Selma was enjoying a bottle on her mother’s lap. She is looking very ready to be home and restored to her waiting family. Prayers appreciated for a clear MRI tomorrow.

Medical staff at Hadassah Hospital did an EEG (Electroencephalography) today to examine any sequelae of her previous seizure (just after her surgery weeks ago) and they would check her MRI again.

Salma’s mom is feeding her very well even though Salma has vocal cord palsy (VCP). VCP could lead to continual aspiration and subsequent pneumonia. Please pray for Salma for successful rehabilitation of VCP, seizure and later, of course, for her long-awaited discharge.

We visited little Salma and her mother in Hadassah Hospital today. Salma was calm and breathing quietly – as usual – when we entered her ICU room…..

…and looking lovely with the knit short-sleeved cardigan recently knitted by a group of sisters in the UK who bless our Shevet children with their knitting skills from time to time.

We were told that little Salma may soon be moved to the Pediatric Ward as she is doing so well right now. She successfully drinks from a bottle and is on the mend. Thank you for your prayers for this little one.

This morning the scene in Salma’s ICU room at Hadassah Hospital was a bit different from yesterday’s. Instead of finding Salma with her mother, she was having her airways examined by a doctor using a microscopic lens inserted through her nasal cavity.

The doctor shared his findings. Salma has a paralyzed left vocal cord. According to our coworker Hison, this sometimes happens after aortic arch surgery or even after a cath because the left recurrent laryngeal nerve or the RLN, wraps around the aortic arch. This could be one reason for the paralysis; intubation is another possible reason. But the former could be irreversible.

The doctor did say if the therapy doesn’t work, Salma will be fed by a nasal/gastric tube for the foreseeable future.

May it not be so. Instead we’re praying for therapy that works well, for a little voice that will someday sing for joy, for a tummy filled because Salma chewed and swallowed her dinner, to know that little Salma will someday be running, jumping and playing and smiling for all the world to see. Amen!

It was a pleasant surprise to enter little Salma’s ICU room at Hadassah Hospital and find her happily snug and held close by her mother. Salma looked so well, a pinker color, was wide awake and aware of the closeness of her loving mother.

The attending nurse said they had tried to remove the oxygen cannula support, but when they did, Selma did not do well. So they are leaving it going and are taking steps slowly to liberate Selma from the support altogether. It will just be a very slow process.

While I was still in the room, tiny Selma, whilst sitting on her mother’s lap, received vitamins and meds through a few syringes and then some milk through a larger syringe.  These fluids traveled through a tiny tube into Salma’s little nose and down into her stomach. She still isn’t able to receive anything whatsoever directly into her mouth and down her throat. It’s for this reason I believe a baby can actually forget how to suckle because they fall out of practice for weeks, sometimes months when receiving foods and fluids through tubes or even intravenously.

So many gauze bandages and tape have hidden Salma’s tiny hand. But there’s a hand in there for sure. God bless this little person. She’s getting a little better day after day. Your prayers have been greatly appreciated.

We went to Hadassah Hospital this afternoon to visit with little Salma and her mother. Things are looking better in this room.

Salma’s mother had a ready smile today and a relieved disposition to see her daughter so quiet and calm. We made her a cup of tea with sage and sugar. She was thankful.

Salma was without oxygen support at all over night and into this morning in the Hadassah Hospital’s ICU. However her oxygen saturation levels were dropping a bit, so they put her back on oxygen support this morning.

Salma is also receiving blood support to improve delivery of oxygen to her entire body. Her little feet were a bit purple in color and were quite cold to the touch. Prayers for this little one continue.

Coworker Mary and I went to Hadassah Hospital to see baby Salma and her mother in the ICU.

Salma is still intubated although her mother said a nurse communicated that at one point today they would attempt another extubation. Salma’s little arm was out of her blanket and we all admired her delicate design.

And baby Salma had many praying hands on her this morning, including her mother’s hand smoothing the hair on her little head.

Thank you for your prayer support for this little baby girl.

Salma is a very small baby. Two days after Sunday’s operation at Hadassah Hospital, Salma’s extubation failed, and she is intubated again. She is stable now but needs to gain strength, to grow some and be fully extubated. Only then can she be ready for her next operation.

We continue to keep little Salma in our prayers.

Our beautiful Salma had her big surgery yesterday and is today already awake and fully conscious. Her mother barely leaves her side and let me hold the hand of her precious daughter to feel how strong she already is. I could feel the difference of her strength between yesterday and today, where she really grabbed my finger with her tiny hand. Her mother is also much more relaxed than before the surgery. She was even willing to come with me seeing some other Gaza families who came to the hospital for an Echo. She seemed to be very happy about meeting new people who speak her language.

She may even need physical therapy to get stronger. Please pray for patience and strength for our girl and her lovely mother.

Little Salma came out of her four-hour surgery at Hadassah Hospital in a stable condition! The surgeons were able to repair the aortic arch and to make a pulmonary banding, so everything went as planned. She is getting some blood and medication for her heart right now.

Please pray for a good recovery until the next intervention and for Salma’s mother who seemed today to be pretty exhausted and still worried about her precious daughter.

Salma’s mother did not attend to the OR this morning, as most mothers will do, at the recommendation of the ICU nurses. They said she hadn’t slept at all the last two nights and were concerned for her ability to withstand waiting out the surgery hours without resting. So as Salma was rolled away in her little bed at 8:30 this morning in the direction of the surgery floor, we left her mother resting in the ICU. The surgery lasted four hours. Salma was rolled back to the ICU at 12:30.

We are thanking God for her stability so far. She is still intubated.

When I entered the ICU at Hadassah Hospital this afternoon, I found Salma’s mother seated at the bedside, resting her head by her baby, both apparently asleep. When I came back later and found them both awake, I told the mother that her presence was the best medicine for her baby.

Salma had an elevated temperature today, which the medical team believe may be caused the medication she is receiving. They are still hoping to go forward with her first surgery tomorrow morning.

Last night, a tiny two week old baby girl named Salma arrived at Hadassah Hospital. She was brought to the Pediatric ICU already intubated. The intubation tube needed cleaning. Salma was breathing on her own for a short time but it became clear that she needed the intubation to be reapplied.

Coworker Jonathan and I found her today sleeping peacefully. She is scheduled for a pulmonary banding and aortic arch repair on Sunday morning. Your prayers for this little girl are appreciated.