Asil’s health has been improving slowly, but it is not where it should be. The doctors at Sheba Hospital recommend a tracheostomy as the next step in her procedure. Her parents were hesitant and not just because of the potential complications, but they eventually agreed.
The operation will take place sometime next week. Pray that it will go well and that Asil will be restored to her kind and loving parents, who are both so quick to thank and to honor.
Asil is not doing so well after her extubation in the PICU of Sheba Medical. The only thing the doctors can do right now is to give her a tracheostomy. The surgery was scheduled for today, but Asil’s parents need more time to think about it. They are afraid of the consequences for Asil, especially in Gaza the circumstances aren’t good for keeping a tracheostomy clean. It is a tricky thing with a lot of compli-cations.
On the other hand, it’s a temporary solution and there is a chance of survival. Without the tracheos-tomy, Asil will not make it. The doctors at Sheba are always fighting for the lives of their patients no matter what their background is. Tomorrow a doctor will talk with the parents to discuss this matter.
Please stand around these parents with prayer. Whatever they decide, Asil is in God’s hands. We pray for wisdom, for peace and for strength.
Asil’s mother was overjoyed today when she saw me. She was eager to show me that Asil was extubated yesterday and was awake. I entered her room in Sheba Hospital, and saw the little girl looking around and exploring her surroundings. Her doctor told me they are hopeful she can stay extubated this time and that she will improve further. Friends let us pray for Asil and her health. May she improve so her lovely parents can go home with their baby girl.
I met Asil’s mother in the waiting area today, where she was spending time with other mothers from Gaza and the Westbank. She told me that Asil is not doing so well. When I asked the doctor, he told me that they had to reintubate her because she isn’t stable enough without the ventilator.
They hope to extubate her after a while if Asil seems to be doing better. It is a long and difficult journey for Asil and for her parents. Please pray for her precious life. I had to think of the famous sentence from the Psalms:
‘I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.’
Psalm 121:1-2
This afternoon doctors at Sheba Medical Center were able to successfully extubate little Asil! Her mom was so happy about it, wanted to show it to me directly and Asil was looking around. It’s the first time I ever saw her awake – always a special moment!
Asil’s oxygen saturations were not very good though, therefore her doctors fear that they may have to reintubate her soon.
Asil’s mother was such a good person to have around today. She comforted another grandma from Gaza! I pray that God blesses her and that we can find Asil still extubated tomorrow!
The parents of Asil had some stress this morning when they saw Asil’s oxygen level dropping more and more from 80% to 54% at the lowest. The doctors at Sheba Hospital immediately did everything to stabilize him. The doctor told me they suspect that Asil has a virus. But they need to do tests and wait for results before they will know for sure. Then they can give the right treatment for Asil to make her better.
It is a step back for Asil, and her parents are discouraged today, but also they know there is still hope for their little baby. We lift up Asil to the Father and pray for healing.
Asil’s chest was finally closed yesterday after her surgery over a week ago. When I talked to her doctor, she confirmed that Asil is doing very well and that they are already starting to reduce her medications.
Asil still has some fluid in her body but one of the medications she is receiving for this is helping. They were already able to start feeding her with milk through the tube. If Asil continues to improve, she will likely be extubated over the weekend. Her parents were very happy to hear the good news of their daughter after being very concerned for her health lately.
Join us in prayer for Asil so that she can recover more and grow into a strong little girl.
Asil had a surgery today at Sheba Hospital to close her chest. Before the surgery, the doctor told us and Asil’s parents that it’s maybe not possible to close her chest because her heart muscle is still very weak.
,When Asil went into surgery, her mother sat outside the ICU with me and was worried about her daughter, although she knew it was a minor surgery. She also knew it was not known if closure would work today.
After about an hour, the surgeons brought Asil back into her room but without good news. They weren’t able to close her chest just now. It is planned to try again in two or three days. Until then, we pray for a successful intervention and further recovery.
Today we visited Asil in Sheba Medical Center. She is a two week old baby girl from Gaza. Her condition has improved slightly since yesterday and the doctors are cautiously getting some hope for her! She is still lying with her chest not yet closed on an awful lot of equipment! She is retaining too much fluid and has had a stomach bleed for which she is now receiving plasma!
She desperately needs our prayers and also her parents who are so worried but also very grateful for the care she is receiving!!
Asil had her surgery yesterday. It was a long, difficult, and complicated process, and by the end of it, the doctors had to leave her chest open–even now it is open, carefully covered and protected. I was struck by the smallness and delicacy of this newborn, not three weeks old. Praise God that we have such tools with which to fight for her.
Her parents are effusive in their thanks, and Asil’s father eagerly offers to help us in any way, as he says we have helped him. He has a generous heart, and he opens it up to us even as his daughter lies open. I told him that all this work comes from God, and together we thanked our Father.
Early this morning I went to Sheba Hospital to be with Asil’s mother during Asil’s surgery. Asil’s mom was very worried about her daughter and had a lot of questions for me. During our waiting time, a lot of other Gaza mothers joined us and we had a good time together.
But as time went by, Asil’s mother also got more and more nervous. After Asil was in surgery for six hours, her mom started crying and barely stopped. It was unusual how long the surgery took and so i understood her worries.
After eight hours, we finally saw that Asil was back in her room and shortly afterwards the surgeon came to us to explain what happened. They successfully did the Norwood procedure, the first surgery for kids with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and it was very complicated. Asil had a lot of bleeding and her blood pressure was not stable so they had to leave her chest open for now. She is getting a lot of support right now and they hope she will stabilize soon. They also hope to be able to close her chest in a few days.
Asil’s mother was relieved but still pretty worried, so I waited with her until her husband came back from work a little later and came to also see his daughter.
Today at Sheba Hospital we visited Asil, a baby from Gaza, who is less than a month old. Her parents were both there and you could see how concerned especially her mother was!
After a CT scan next Thursday, the doctors will decide which surgery is best for Asil. Probably early next week. When I told her dad that we were praying for her to recover, I got a really big hug and we just stood there together and embraced, then he thanked us deeply for what we did for his daughter and for our prayers for her!
How wonderful it is that we can pass on something of the love of our Lord Jesus to these so-concerned parents!! We pray that God will be very close to Asil and her family in the coming time and will have mercy on them!
Today a new emergency transfer baby from Gaza arrived at Sheba Hospital. The few-days-old girl suffers from hypoplastic left heart syndrome and is accompanied by her lovely mother and her father who works in Israel.
Because of the severity of her disease, Asil will need three big surgeries in the course of the next few years. While I visited her, she was still extubated but the doctors intubated her a little bit later to make sure that her oxygen-levels stay stable.
Her parents are very grateful for our work and told us several times that they want to thank us and everyone involved in the treatment of their daughter. Please pray for them and pray for a good treatment for Asil’s severe heart defect.
Asil is a weeks old child from the Gaza Strip diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
Asil does not yet have a local leader to advocate for prayer and financial support for her surgery.
As of right now, Asil still needs $6000 toward surgery and related expenses.