Today we found Mohammed’s mother and grandmother again in good spirits, as this little fighter is still breathing on his own, with oxygen support. One of his supervising ICU doctors even raised the possibility that Mohammed could be discharged home within a week, God willing. We left the hospital with grateful hearts, that he seems to have turned the corner.

Little Mohammad is slowly but surely making progress each day. When coworker Joy and I arrived at Sheba Medical Center today, we found his mother once more sitting by his side gently caring for all his needs. It was good to hear small crying sounds coming from him, as in recent days he has been trying to cry but no sound has made it out. Lord willing, this means his lungs are getting stronger.

While there have been many victories, which includes Mohammad staying off the ventilator for a few days now, there are still some areas in recovery that he is struggling in. For example, one of the doctors shared that Mohammad’s x-rays taken today look a little bit worse than the one taken yesterday. In addition to this, one of his vocal chords isn’t working too well. While not great news, these are both occurrences which aren’t unusual to see after open heart surgery. What we are more concerned to see is that Mohammad is continuing to struggle with CBE— a dangerous bacterial infection in his gut.

Please continue to pray for this precious baby over the coming days. We trust the Lord to continue to sustain and care for this precious child through the hands of the skilled doctors and nurses He has placed at the hospital.

It is a joy to share that Mohammed has now been off of the ventilator for over 24 hours. After doctors at Sheba Medical Center removed it yesterday, they warned that it was still a very high possibility that Mohammed would need to be placed back on it if he deteriorated at all. But, almost everything has remained smooth and steady for this precious little baby. Although, with this change, his body is still trying to adjust. So, there has been a little bit of fluid in his lungs. His mother shared with me that the doctors are giving him diuretics in order to help drain that fluid from his body. Mohammed has also been laying on his stomach in order to help with this process.

While the time from being off the ventilator is still early, Mohammed is showing all good signs. To celebrate the progress that he has made, his mother was finally allowed to dress him in his own clothes. She proudly showed me a number of other articles of clothing she is excited to put him in in the coming days. We praise the Lord for the healing He has brought about in Mohammed’s life, and ask that you continue to pray for this precious little baby as he continues to recover.

A similar scene once again played out before my eyes as I entered the ICU of Sheba Medical Center this morning to visit Mohammed and his family. His mother was yet again standing in his room carefully watching as the nurses did their daily tasks of care for her son. I watched as her lips moved in rhythmic prayer while Mohammed’s vital signs jumped up and down during the routine nurse check. Her face, as it has been accustomed to looking, was clearly worried. Yet also there was a twinge of joyful hope as I saw in her eyes when we greeted each other. What was this change in the face of a previously worried mother?

Soon it became clear upon entering the room— Mohammed had been extubated just minutes before and was breathing on his own! This is both wonderful news, hence the joy, but also nerve-wrecking, which explains the worried look on his mother’s face. Because he had only just been extubated, his body still needed time to adjust to this change, so it was still very much a tangible possibility that he would need to be put back on the ventilator if he showed signs that his body needed it. So, his mother waited almost breathlessly for many minutes as she watched her child silently cry, hoping with all her might that he could stay off the ventilator. As time passed, doctors kept coming to check on him, and their faces would light up with smiles when they saw he was continuing to do well. This eased Mohammed’s sweet mother, and soon she was cooing over her son as he opened his big blue eyes and gazed into her face.

Some more time passed, and we were joined by a therapist who came to help Mohammed into a position that allowed him to breathe with more ease. The therapist was excellent and explained everything that she was doing to Mohammed’s mother who eagerly watched. The technique this therapist used worked well, and quickly Mohammed’s breathing improved. Once the therapist left, we were then joined by wonderful Dr. Evy who shared a report on Mohammed with his mother and I.

Dr. Evy began by asking us, “How do you think Mohammed looks?” Both Mohammed’s mother and I answered that he looked well. Dr. Evy agreed and then proceeded to tell us that so far everything was going well with Mohammed’s ventilator removal. But, he also gently reminded us that these were early minutes, and Mohammed could easily need to be placed back on the ventilator if he were to deteriorate. Time would tell, but at that moment everything seemed well. With all of this joyful news, I left Mohammed and his mother alone together to enjoy these happy moments.

Praise the Lord for all He has done, and is continuing to do in the life of Mohammed! We look forward to seeing him in the coming days, and ask that you pray for continued improvement with his breathing.

It has officially been almost one month since newborn Mohammed and his family came from a hospital in Ramallah to Sheba Medical Center so that he could receive life-saving cardiovascular intervention. His time here so far has been filled with a number of ups and downs, but overall he is continuing to show a little bit of progress each day. His heart is fully recovered from his surgery, as is his abdomen from an infection, yet he still has had some issues with his lungs.

This morning, Mohammed had a scope go into his lungs in order to see what was causing his left lung to slightly collapse. During this minor procedure, his mother and grandmother sat worried about what the doctors would find. A few days prior, one doctor shared that depending on what can be seen during the scope, Mohammed would possibly need more surgery.  But, upon the examination, it was discovered that his lung is no longer collapsed! When the doctor shared this news with Mohammed’s mother, she gasped with relief, and later broke into “happy tears,” as she called them, while she told her family this joyous news.

In addition to this excellent report of improvement, the doctor also shared that they can now attempt to remove Mohammed from the ventilator once more. This will, Lord willing, be completed sometime tomorrow. I sat for a while with Mohammed’s mother as we rejoiced together and shared in a happy conversation about life. She shared that she cannot wait to go home, but is still so grateful that Mohammad is getting the care he needs each day.

Please be praying that the doctors can successfully remove Mohammed from the ventilator tomorrow. We entrust the Lord with his precious little life and look forward to seeing more improvement in the coming days. All glory be to the Lord who is working such wonderful healing in Mohammed’s life!

The sweet smiles of Mohammad’s mother and grandmother greeted coworker Joy and I as we entered the ICU of Sheba Medical Center today. They were standing by his side gently caring for him in all the ways they could— from gently moving his legs to a more comfortable position, to softly stroking his head. It was clear that there is so much love for this precious baby, and at the same time so much pain at seeing him still not improved.

Today we went and visited Mohammed in the hospital again. He seemed very awake and was moving his legs a lot, which made me really happy to see.

Today we went back to the hospital to visit Mohammed, and found him under the dedicated care of the nursing staff. We discovered that during the weekend he was placed again on a ventilator, but the doctors will try to wean him again on Tuesday.

Mohammed still has an Infection in his chest which is being treated by antibiotics. We pray for Mohammed to be extubated and for the antibiotics to heal his infection.

It is a joy to report that Mohammad is off the ventilator and is officially breathing on his own! He has oxygen assistance as his body gets used to this change, but so far everything is looking great. His mother and grandmother had bright and cheery faces because for the first time in many weeks, they saw Mohammad awake and alert. This is indeed good news as it will also hopefully encourage more bonding between mother and child as this has been suppressed due to Mohammad’s condition. 

Meanwhile the swelling in Mohammed’s bowels has gone down, and soon he will no longer need antibiotics. We ask that you continue to pray for Mohammad to be fully healed. He still has many days ahead of him for recovery, but it is a delight to see this precious little baby finally doing better.

When coworker Joy and I walked into the ICU today at Sheba Medical Center, we found Mohammad’s mother and grandmother by his side in his room. They had cheerful faces as they came out to greet us. This can be attributed to the fact that Mohammad is doing a little bit better as we would discover later on. Those smiles turned bigger when we handed them some maqluba, a classic Arabic meal, and pita bread we had made at home to share with them. The food at the hospital is notorious for not being the greatest, so they seemed pleased that there was something alternative and more to their taste. After speaking with them for a few minutes, they went back to their room to have a bite to eat.

Later on, when Joy and I went back to the ICU to hear from a doctor about Mohammad’s current condition, we were greeted by the kind Dr. Evy. After speaking for a few minutes and catching up, the three of us went to Mohammad’s room where he explained a number of things.

First of all, Dr. Evy said that Mohammad is still a little bit sick as he has a condition called mesenteric ischemia, also known as inflamed bowels due to a leak in the aorta. He explained that the type of repair that was completed on Mohammad’s aorta is prone to leaking afterwards, and thus this infection is often a result. In order to treat this they are continuing to give Mohammad antibiotics in the hope that it will go away. Other than that, things are looking pretty good and, Lord willing, he will be taken off of the ventilator in two days.

Praise the Lord for sustaining Mohammad each and every day! It is encouraging to see these small improvements and we hope that soon we will see complete restoration in his tiny body. We are also so deeply grateful for the medical team at the hospital who are working day and night to provide such excellent care to this baby and his family. May they be richly blessed in return! Your continued prayers are appreciated.

Little Mohammad remains in the cardiac ICU of Sheba Medical Center. It’s been one week since his open heart surgery, and as the doctors described, things are going so-so. His heart is looking good and at this point isn’t posing any problem. It’s working well and both his vital signs and skin color look excellent. Praise the Lord that the repairs went so well and that there has been healing in Mohammad’s heart!

Unfortunately this precious boy is still struggling elsewhere as a result of everything his tiny body has gone through recently. Not only is he still on a ventilator, but he is still being treated with antibiotics and fasting for an infection that continues to cause fluid build-up in his abdomen. Overall the medical staff doesn’t seem greatly concerned and simply told coworker Joy and I that he just needs more time to make improvements. Even so, we ask that you continue to pray for him to be sustained and strengthened in the Lord that his body might be fully healed!

Today we went to visit beautiful one-month-old Mohammed from Ramallah. It was sad to see someone so little having to go through so much, and seeing the mother and the grandmother in so much worry. It was still very nice to see how they supported each other and what a beautiful bond Mohammed and his grandmother share.

His heart is looking good which we thank the Lord for. However his belly has fluids in it which could lead to an infection; we keep praying to the Lord that it will not come that far. The doctors will keep treating him with antibiotics.

Mohammed is fasting now and along with the antibiotics the doctors are hoping he will improve. I am very happy to be able to be part of this community and we will all keep praying for Mohammad’s health.

Mohammed’s first night after surgery was a little challenging, as he experienced some bleeding that kept the doctors and nurses busy for a while. Thankful God, they were able to get it under control, and he is now stable. He has continued to remain stable throughout the day.

After many long days of waiting at Sheba Medical Center, the big surgery day for small Mohammad finally arrived. He had been intubated and under anesthesia since last Thursday evening, once he had been transferred from a hospital in Ramallah to Israel. During the waiting period, doctors performed many tests in order to discern the best course of action in surgery to make it as smooth and safe as possible. Even so, those days were seemingly endless for his sweet mother and grandmother who waited in suspense for test results and decisions to be made. They have handled the stress of Mohammad’s situation exceedingly well. 

Even on the day of his surgery, he was second on the list after another child who desperately needed an operation first. Thus, the waiting continued a little bit longer for Mohammad. While waiting for the first surgery to finish, Um Mohammad sat faithfully by his side praying and reciting the Qu’ran. This seemed to calm her nerves, though many times she still admitted she was very scared for him. This is completely understandable and we prayed she would be filled with peace like she has never known before.

During this waiting time, I was once more reminded of the strength of all the people in this land—Jews and Muslims alike. As Mohammad’s mother sat by him mustering all the strength she could manage, and praying he was filled with this same strength, I shared in a moving conversation with a nurse who was prepping Mohammad for his surgery. We talked about the evident strength of all the people who live here. It is a strength that is necessary among so much of the human and political conflict that surrounds this land. In the longing of most people here to live peaceful lives, Jews and Muslims included, they are forced to be strong and continue on each day when conflict arises. It is the Lord who equips with strength— from the strength of Mohammad and his mother, to the strength of the doctors and nurses seeing difficult situations in the ICU each day, and the strength of all those leading lives here in the land. May all those filled each day with the Lord’s strength recognize it to be from Him.

Soon after our conversation ended, it was go-time for Mohammad. The doctors and nurses wheeled him through the doors of the ICU to the OR prep area. His mother trailed along, tears in her eyes, for as long as she could. The wait for surgery was finally over, but the hardest part was just beginning. It is one of the hardest moments for parents to let their child be taken away to a fate that seems so unknown and scary. But we trusted God to hold Mohammad safely in His hands through the whole operation.

Indeed, He who promised is faithful. After four and a half hours, Mohammad came out right on time. A team of doctors calmly brought him to his room where they worked together to stabilize him.

The relief at seeing her child alive after the surgery was clear on the face of Um Mohammad. Soon a doctor came to speak with her to report the events of the surgery. He started by sharing that Mohammed was stable, and good. The surgeon did a great deal of repairs on his heart— all through his ventricles, atria, and valves. Praise the Lord, all of these went well and Mohammad is looking great. It went so well that they were also able to close his chest. While he is still intubated, there is no other major intervention that he requires right now. May the Lord bless the hands of the medical team who are so skillfully completed caring for him.

A little while later, Um Mohammad was finally allowed to go into the room and be by her son. Though the next 24 hours remain critical, Mohammad is doing exceedingly well so far. Mohammad’s mother cried tears of relief and shared many a joyful hug before running off to call her husband and share the good news. May the Lord continue to sustain and protect this precious little baby no matter what comes his way in the recovery process. Though the results are good, his recovery will be long and hard— may he be continually filled with the strength of the Lord!

It’s a waiting game for the family of newborn Mohammad who is currently hospitalized in the ICU of Sheba Medical Center. Upon finding the mother and grandmother of this precious baby, I discovered it had been a long, but good weekend. Mohammad has remained stable for the duration of it, and we praise the Lord for this. Today doctors were completing a number of tests in preparation for his surgery which will hopefully take place on Wednesday.

This morning Mohammad’s day began by receiving a CT scan in order to get a clear idea of what needs to be completed in the operation. Once he returned to the ICU, the medical team once more stabilized him. I stood outside the door with his anxious, but patient mother who watched as she longed to be by his side. One of the doctors approached us and shared that they were going to review the CT results, and afterwards complete a test where they would take photos inside his lungs. Unfortunately Mohammad’s left lung is slightly collapsed, and this needs to be fixed before going into surgery on Wednesday.

The mother, grandmother, and I went to sit in the waiting room while this test was done. Everytime I speak with this sweet family, my heart is moved with great love and compassion for them. Mohammad’s mother is so young, but handling the chaos of the first weeks of her son’s life so well. She remains calm and collected despite humbly admitting that she is scared. This makes complete and total sense— the love of a mother is unlike anything else.

We will hear the results of the CT scan and lung photographs tomorrow. Please continue to lift this precious family up to the Lord in prayer. May he cover Mohammed with health and protection, the doctors with wisdom, and his mother with a deep peace.

24 day old Mohammed had a stable night. They performed an echocardiogram on him last night to look at the strength and function of his heart. The doctor says the pumping action/strength is on the weak side but isn’t too bad. They are waiting for surgery, still no date yet.

Lord keep him stable and wrap him up in your loving arms. Peace over his mother and grandmother.

Finally, 23-day-old Mohammed arrived at Sheba Hospital today! His family had been anxiously waiting for the past three days to bring him through to Israel, while Jonathan worked tirelessly from the other side of the world to arrange his ambulance transfer.

There had been so much back and forth, never knowing whether Mohammed would actually be able to come through. Earlier today, we were told he would be transferred in the afternoon, but then he became unstable and the transfer was postponed. Then, suddenly, the message came that Mohammed was on his way! Praise the Lord!

The transfer was a speedy 40-minute ambulance ride from Ramallah Hospital to Sheba, with Mohammed accompanied by his young, first-time mother and his grandmother. Coworker Elisa and I met them at the front entrance of the children’s hospital. Surprisingly, Mum and Grandma were calm when they arrived, clearly relieved to finally be at Sheba and trusting the ambulance team who had brought them safely here.

Mohammed, a tiny little dot in his incubator, surrounded by machines, was quickly whisked upstairs to the PICU, where the doctors and nurses were waiting and immediately got to work.

In the meantime, we got to know Mum and Grandma over pizza, fruit and coffee and showed them around the 8th floor where they would be living for the next who knows how many days or weeks? They are such lovely, easygoing ladies, and it was a pleasure getting to know them.

After a while, I tracked down the doctor for an update. Bloods and X-rays had been done, and they were about to perform an echocardiogram. For now, Mohammed is stable, and the doctors expect he will probably have surgery in a couple of days. So for now, we wait and see.

Elisa and I will visit him again tomorrow morning.

We left Mum and Grandma settling into their rooms for the night. After such a difficult and stressful few days, they seemed happy and relieved to finally be here. For this sweet family, getting their precious little boy safely to Sheba was a huge answer to prayer.  Thank you Father for bringing Mohammed safely to Sheba today. Bless this sweet baby, keep him strong and stable and surround him in your love and peace. Amen.

Mohammed was born three weeks ago, the firstborn to a young couple from Bir Zeit outside Ramallah. He was diagnosed with the complex heart defect called truncus arteriosus, but was well enough to go home with his family.

One week ago however the family noticed he was blue and struggling to breathe. He was rushed back to the hospital and placed on a ventilator.

Mohamnmed’s cardiologist advised that the full surgery to repair his defect, and give him a normal life, is only available in Israel, and must be done in the first weeks of life. The Sheba Medical Center agreed to accept Mohammed today at a substantially-discounted cost, and our non-profit association agreed to take responsibility for raising the rest of the funds that are needed.

But this morning the IDF refused permission for Mohammed’s ambulance to enter Israel. Though no explanation has been given, it appears to stem from the death of another firstborn baby from Bir Zeit, Reda, at Sheba a month and a half ago. We took his body, in the arms of his grieving mother, back home to the West Bank in the evening in our association’s van, rather than leave them waiting for hours or possibly overnight for permission to make an ambulance transfer.

We’ve had to transport bodies many times over the years in exceptional circumstances. But when we notified the IDF representative that same evening, he informed us it was illegal to transport a body without an ambulance, and said he would freeze the activities of our association. We can only guess that this is the reason that baby Mohammed is now denied the life-saving care he needs in Israel.

We ask the authorities, and the ultimate authority, our Father in heaven, to have mercy on Mohammed.