Today we collected Hassan and his mom from the Errez border and brought them to Sheba Hospital for a scheduled echo.

A very happy and active kid laughed a lot with us and we had a lot of fun.

The doctor said that Hassan’s heart looked good but that he has a problem with his lung so he needs to go to a lung clinic for that. For his heart he has his next appointment within three months.

Please pray for him that his lungs will heal!

Hassan returned to Sheba Hospital for his gastroenterology appointment today. The doctor had a positive report for him from his last gastroscopy–he won’t have to have another for close to a year, and in general he’s in good shape. He’ll be back for an ultrasound and his next appointment in about two months.

Today was a happy day for Hassan. He was able to be discharged from Sheba Hospital and return to his family in Gaza. His mother was also very thankful about this. We are glad that he recovered so nicely from his surgery and is now back home. We will see Hassan again for follow-up appointments in future, but for now it is goodbye and he can enjoy being at home.

Hassan has had a busy few days. On Monday he finally had his long awaited gastroscopy at Sheba Hospital. Hassan took it like a champ, going in and out of the anesthesia peacefully and trustingly. And good news from the gastro–his veins are in good shape and not in need of any work.

The doctors thought that he might have been discharged the next day, but instead they decided to hold onto him longer. Hassan has some sickness, and his oxygen dips below safe levels at night. His holding will continue on until he can keep up his oxygen even overnight.

He and his mother are bored in the hospital in the meantime–please pray that he heals quickly and can get out of there!

Our sweet Hassan just got admitted to Sheba Hospital.  He is scheduled for a gastroscopy tomorrow. Today we already had a fun waiting time together.

Please pray that everything will go well tomorrow

Today Hassan was discharged from Sheba Hospital again. He is doing well enough to wait in our community home in Ashdod for his gastroscopy and biopsy that is scheduled for next Monday. The doctor gave us some specific instructions about his meds and then we will bring him back to the hospital the day before his procedure.

Please pray that Hassan will stay stable in our house until then and that this procedure will finally happen next week!

Hassan, who’s supposed to have his gastroscopy at Sheba Hospital soon, had an ultrasound today. His doctor said that if the ultrasound looks fine and he’s doing well, they want to discharge him this week. Then, in more or less one week he will be admitted again for the gastroscopy and a liver biopsy.

While his mother drove him around in his hospital bed, he had a lot of fun receiving all the attention. Prayers appreciated.

Hassan came to Sheba Hospital yesterday to be checked-in for his gastroscopy appointment. However, we had some slight bad news. Because Hassan has been on aspirin medication, he is unable to have the procedure performed. He will have to wait in the hospital for several days while he gets weaned off his aspirin medication. In the meantime he’s being treated for a potential expanded liver and a nasty cough.

Hassan came back to Sheba Hospital today to see his gastro doctor. After a long way to get here, we had to wait a while in which Hassan was eager to discover every angle of the gastro clinic. It seemed like it was a game for him to test out what he could do before anyone would notice, so he went around the rooms and turned off lights or moved chairs. His playfulness made his mother and me smile a lot through the waiting.

When we saw the doctor, he told us that there’s not so much to do for him today and that he has to do some blood tests to see how his liver enzymes are. The doctor explained to me that they maybe need to do a liver biopsy, but first he needs to know how or if his liver enzymes are elevated. Hassan will have a gastroscopy in a few weeks. The doctors want him to be under anesthesia for both procedures. It’s not clear yet if he needs the biopsy and if it’s even possible to do it, but they will get more information from the blood test today. Then the doctors will decide on what to do. For the time being, Hassan can return to his family.

We pray for Hassan’s life and for healing of his health issues and for blessings to be with his whole family.

Life is filled with challenges and how we face these bumps along the way tells us more about ourselves than we might care to admit. Well my day today with Hassan was full of surprises. Hassan’s case is rather complex and full of twists and turns. We spent the morning doing an Echo and an ECG and the afternoon at Gastro and Neurology appointments.

This beautiful young boy took the whole day in his stride and faced his challenges head on. He has a very loving and supportive father who holds his hand and cheers him on when things are tough. They faced their challenges beautifully together even though some of the news is not what we had hoped to hear.

Hassan needs to get a CT of his brain and a Gastroscopy to check on blood vessels in his throat. Please pray for these upcoming appointments that they would go well. It was great to watch Hassan and his father facing lifes many questions with courage and determination.

After going to the emergency room last week, Hassan was admitted again to the secondary Pediatric ICU of Sheba Hospital. Since then, we have seen a lot of improvement in him!

Today he did not have a fever and the nurse said that his breathing is very good. He still has some water in his lungs and that is the reason why he is still at the hospital.

For Hassan to be discharged in the next days, his mother has to be very careful with the amount of fluid he drinks. It is amazing to see Hassan being very smiley these past few days, and able to play with us!

After less than 48 hours in our community house in Ashdod, Hassan’s breathing sounded very bad, his oxygen saturation wasn’t very good and his mother was very worried about him, so we decided to bring him to Sheba Medical Center’s Pediatric ER. 

There the doctors were very thankful that we brought him after they found out that his breathing problems were coming from fluid in his lungs. This is a situation that can very easily develop after the Fontan surgery that Hassan had just exactly one month ago. The doctors directly started to give him some medications to reduce the fluid and did a lot of blood tests to find out if he has some kind of infection that causes this problem.

They decided that Hassan needed to be admitted in the ICU and after five hours of waiting, he was finally moved upstairs. There they will watch him over the next days, give him inhalation, and make sure that his breathing gets better.

Please pray for our Hassan and his mother who was so happy that Hassan finally got discharged but is now back in the ICU! Please pray that Hassan will recover soon!

Hassan’s doctor at Sheba Medical told me today that they will have a meeting with the gastroenterologists and will discuss his case. He apparently has some problems with eating, but his doctor thinks that it is probably best for him to go home for now, as he will improve if he is in a familiar place and out of the hospital.

Probably we will learn tomorrow about their decision and whether Hassan will go home this week or if he still needs some tests. Hassan is already for some days moved back to the secondary ICU and it is a usual picture for us to find him sitting in his stroller, walking through the hospital with his lovely mother.

Let us pray for wisdom for the doctors, that they will make the right decision together!

What a blessing to find Hassan rolling through the halls of Sheba today, just a few days since he was on a ventilator in the ICU.

He’s still under close observation as doctors treat him for a continuing fever, but he’s looking so much better.

Hassan is doing good after his Cath yesterday and the doctors could successfully extubate him already. They still need to discuss his case and make a plan for his next steps.

When I was visiting he was sitting in his bed surrounded by a lot of chips and some toys but he didn’t seem to be very happy.

Let us pray for wisdom for the doctors what to do best as a next step and that Hassan will feel better soon!

Hassan had a catheterization at Sheba Hospital today which went well and according to their plans.

Hassan needs some time to see improvement with his new cath. The doctors are planning to extubate him tomorrow. They hope also to have a meeting to discuss the next steps for Hassan’s treatment.

Today in Sheba Hospital, Hassan is running a little fever, but other than that, he is still stable. He is eating and drinking, but his doctor said that he will need a lot of time until he recovers. They also think that probably he will need another catheterization sooner or later.

Yesterday Hassan had a brain CT but the doctors found nothing new. He had some bleeding in his brain after his surgery, but for now, they just have to wait to see how he is improving.

Thank you for praying that Hassan will recover soon!

Hassan had a significant relapse at the end of the week, going back on the ventilator when his oxygen dropped sharply, accompanied by signs of bleeding of the brain. We joined our prayers to those of his frightened parents.

Today, thank God, his doctors told us there has been significant improvement. The brain bleeding has stopped, and they are hoping they can remove Hassan from the ventilator tomorrow.

Doctors knew this surgery would likely have a rough recovery period in the ICU, but judged there was no other way forward than to bite the bullet and get it done. We continue to support them and the family with our prayers.

Hassan continues to be stable after his Fontan surgery at Sheba Medical Center on Tuesday. This is an answer to prayer because this surgery can have many complications.

Hassan’s mother remains positive and calm, even as Hassan becomes more conscious and consequently restless. Please pray for Hassan’s continued recovery!

When I visited Hassan at Sheba Hospital today, I had the greatest surprise when I saw he was extubated. This is great progress for him, although he still needs a small amount of oxygen support.

After a complex surgery yesterday, Hassan’s doctor was so relieved that the medication they have Hassan on is helping him to be more stable than before.

They continue to keep an eye on Hassan because the next days are critical for him, especially to see if there is any improvement resulting from the surgery.

Our prayer is for God to continue to help Hassan to quickly and completely recover.

Hassan was admitted to Sheba Hospital yesterday to prep for his latest surgery. His surgery began early this morning. When I arrived at the hospital, the surgery was already underway, so I was able to sit with Hassan’s mother. Hassan’s surgery went later than expected, and there was little communication between the surgery team and the ICU doctors. While I was getting nervous and periodically pestering the doctors in the ICU for information they did not have, Hassan’s mom was very calm. I was very impressed with her demeanor all day. She was able to talk and laugh with the other mothers and grandmothers from Gaza, and she intentionally took time for prayer. When we talked about Hassan, she always began and ended with “Inshallah” meaning “God’s will.”

Eventually, Hassan’s surgeon came to tell us that Hassan is not very stable after the surgery, and that they would know more about how Hassan handled the surgery in a few hours. Unfortunately, I was not allowed into his room after his surgery, so I don’t have a picture update as yet. When I left the hospital, Hassan was still unstable. Please pray for healing for Hassan and continued peace for Hassan’s mother.

Today we picked up Hassan and his mom from Gaza this morning. After his last cath, he needs to come back to Sheba Hospital for another procedure.

For the admission, the doctors ordered an electrocardiogram for Hassan, to have his height and weight measured, to take a routine Covid test and in the afternoon, to have an X-ray.

Hassan found old friends in the Sheba Hospital. He went to say hi to all the people who were sitting and waiting too, he was curiously milling about all the different families there.

Hassan’s mom was so confident to leave him on his own in the waiting area, because no matter if the person next to us was Arabic or Jewish or neither, all of them treated Hassan with so much love, patience and generosity, all shared their children’s food and even money with him.

The waiting was longer today, so coworker Joanne had the opportunity to share with the people around us a little bit more about Shevet Achim. Those who were listening seemed to be very grateful for God’s work through us.

Two weeks after his CT-Scan, we picked up Hassan and his father from the Gaza border, for a (final) echo at Sheba Hospital. Hassan was rather calm today, sleeping most of the time,

and also enduring the echo with almost no tears.

During his routine-ECG, however, Hassan was active – laughing and even clowning around a bit. Accompanying a child who is clowning around, even while undergoing a medical test, is something that doesn’t happen all the time and definitely a very positive experience for the doctors, the nurses, the parents and, of course, for us.

The cardiologist was content with Hassan’s CT and Echo results. However, she didn’t want to take the final decision, whether Hassan is ready for his last surgery, by herself. In the coming days, the doctors’ committee will therefore decide together whether Hassan will have his final surgery in two month or another follow-up echo.

Let’s pray for wisdom for the doctors!

Today Coworker Joanne and I picked up Hassan and his father at the Erez crossing point. Together we drove back to Ashdod, where they now are staying until his CT-Scan tomorrow morning.

During the drive, it was funny to see how Hassan is imitating his father and in general he is a cute and active boy.

So let’s pray for a good CT-scan tomorrow and a good time together here in our house.

Today, coworker Doro and I went to Sheba Medical Center, because Hassan is discharged to Gaza!

Yesterday Hassan had a successful diagnostic catherization and in one month he will come back for a cardiac appointment. He may also have his next surgery at that time.

We can pray for Hassan that he will remain stable until his cardiac appointment and that he can enjoy the time with his family.

 Today, coworker Doro and I drove to Erez border crossing to pick up Hassan and his father and bring them to Sheba Medical Center. Hassan was admitted for a diagnostic and possibly interventional catheterization tomorrow.

He was really whining today, but as soon as he got something in his fingers (like a silicon clove) he was satisfied and happy again which was really funny to watch.

Please pray for him and his father as they walk through tomorrow.

Hassan’s cath was scheduled at Sheba Medical for today, but because of many urgent children in the ICU needing catheterizations, Hassan’s cath was postponed.

The delay is not nice, but luckily the cath can be rescheduled just one month later. Hassan’s father already talked with the doctor, who felt very sorry for the delay.

Regardless, Hassan and his father were in happy dispositions and traveled safely back to Gaza via the Erez border crossing.

Please pray for a good cath in one month’s time for little patient Hassan.

Today my coworker Willem and I went to the Erez border crossing of Gaza to pick up Hassan and his father to bring them to Sheba Hospital for Hassan’s scheduled appointment.

Hassan will have a catheterization tomorrow. Today the doctor did an ECG and an x-ray. Hassan’s oxygen level is quite low and the doctors hope that they can do something against that in the cath tomorrow.

So Hassan was admitted today and during the waiting time I played a little bit with him  and  got to know him better. He is a really funny and happy young boy.

Please keep praying for little Hassan.

Hassan came from Gaza today for a follow-up visit at Sheba Hospital with his father.

The follow-up showed that he needs an interventional catheterization and probably also a surgery later on. Both would happen to complete the Fontan procedure.

The nurse was very nice and a big fan of cute Hassan. After some waiting time, we talked to the doctor and had fun with Hassan’s father’s as always.

The Cath is scheduled one month from now. I‘m sure that this is the best for little Hassan and I‘m happy for the opportunity to be treated in Israel with excellent doctors. Thank God.

Today Hassan was discharged from Sheba Medical Center. I was able to drive both him and his uncle to Gaza shortly after the discharge. Co-worker Amar and Hassan’s dad have become good friends, so Amar came along to visit them also. We met Hassan’s dad at his room and surprised him with Amar’s visit. It was nice to see them reunited..

The drive to the Gaza border was very nice because Hassan’s father can speak English. We talked about everything like his work, Gaza and family. The atmosphere was very good. He mentioned Amar a few times and talked about the valuable friendship.

Hassan’s father loves his son very much. It was special to see how he cares for Hassan, plays and laughs with him. He said he is very tired, although it didn’t seem like that and he was looking forward to finally being at home to get rest from his sleepless hospital nights.

We will see them again for a Pulmonologist and cardiology appointment in a month. Please pray for Hassan.

Hassan is back this month for his diagnostic catheterization! He came to Sheba hospital with his father, who is here for the first time with his son.

Hassan’s dad speaks English very well, and was adjusting to the novelty of being in this new setting with Hassan. It was clear that they were very close; Hassan always wanted to be with him throughout the day.

His dad did a great job taking care of Hassan through exams, and the waiting for the hospital room to be made ready. As always, please pray for Hassan and for the doctors, and for Hassan’s cath tomorrow.

These last two days, Hassan and his mother stayed with us in our community home in Jaffa. We really enjoyed spending some time with them. Hassan has grown a lot and is a very active and happy boy.

Today he had to go to Sheba hospital to see the doctor and to clarify whether or not he is ready for his catheterization. He did enjoy seeing the doctor and to be in the hospital for some time.

Due to his cough, Hassan must wait one or two more weeks before he is having his catheterization. Therefore I took them to the Erez border crossing today to return to his family during this waiting period.

Please continue to pray for the big happy boy and his lovely mother and family.

Since Hassan was here a few months ago, he seems to have grown immensely. When I picked Hassan and his mother up from the Erez border crossing, it took me a second to realize the toddler I was expecting was not so little anymore. Everyone who saw him at the hospital remarked at how tall he has become.

He has come to Sheba hospital for a catheterization, but the doctor wants him to wait for further assessment as he is with a cough. He and his mother are now staying with us in our community home in Jaffa. It is a delight to have them in our home and to get to know them in this setting.

Hassan had a second Interventional Catheterization today, and thanks be to God, the doctors are optimistic that he can return to Gaza tomorrow. This was surprising because usually he stays for months in the hospital due to various complications with his condition, so this would be his shortest stay ever.

His mother was is so happy with the outcome of the Catheterization, as well as the prospect of returning home so soon.

I pray this is the case for him because you can see how familiar the hospital is to him, although it doesn’t necessarily follow that he’s not afraid of things there, but just the way he is in that environment so frequently, you can tell that he knows it maybe too well.

God willing he will return home to his family, Lord willing tomorrow.

Hassan is staying in the secondary ICU after his Catheterization last Thursday, and given his current condition maybe this week he will need to have another interventional Catheterization.

Today, Hassan and his mother came from The Gaza Strip to Sheba Medical Center, in Tel Aviv. He had a first check-up which showed that his oxygen saturation and his breathing were not very good. My co-worker Carina went with them to the X-ray department where he cried very loudly because his mother had to wait outside. And on top of that, they also had to do a Corona test which was again, an unpleasant thing for Hassan.

As you can see in this picture, he wasn’t very happy much of the time because of these treatments. We gave him a chocolate waffle which calmed him down and allowed them to peaceably wait whilst their room was being made ready to stay in the hospital.

So please pray for Hassan and his coming treatment.

Hassan and his mother had to come to the hospital today because Hassan needed an Echo. Hassan was not very peaceful during the Echo and his lovely mother tried to calm him down with Videos on her phone. He received some Christmas chocolate from the nurses as well which is lovely and made him happy. He ate some chocolate during his Echo which caused him a chocolatey mouth and hands.

The outcome of the Echo is that he needs a catheterisation but for today he and his mother returned back to Gaza because they didn’t did the catheterisation today. Please pray that the cath can be done soon and for strength and peace for his parents.

Yesterday, I drove to Erez Border Crossing and picked up Hassan and this time, his own mother was with him as his required chaperone. Hassan’s Aunt had called me and asked that I look out for Hassan’s mom, as this is her first time attending Hassan to hospital in Israel.

Soon, however, I saw another side of Hassan who has spent so much time undergoing treatment at Sheba Medical Center. Simply put, he was so attached and loving towards his mother, and she received and reciprocated it. They were just instep with each other in a way that only comes from a time-honoured routine. There was no novelty in their relationship. For Hassan, his mother was a familiar and safe place.  It was one of the sweetest things ever.

He had a CT Angio and an Echo today, and we got a really early start. He is not yet ready for the next operation, but his saturation was good.  From the Echo-reading, there wasn’t any evidence of blood clots. The CT results will provide clarity into continuing with or stopping the medication he takes to prevent them.

By the end of the day, he was cleared to return to Gaza and come back in two months! I was so happy for this day for Hassan. He has had a few traumatic first years of life, and there are still many hospitalisations in front of him. Today was evidence that his condition isn’t deteriorating and his health is being maintained, thanks be to God. Thank all of you for your continued prayers for this little one.

Hassan is even sweeter than his vanilla-flavored yogurt that he was eating today. I treasured the short amount of time I had with him in Sheba Medical Center today, spoon feeding him this yogurt. He always looks at me with his big brown curious eyes, and both he and his aunt are always a pleasure to visit.

Please continue to pray for Hassan as he is still receiving the medication for his blood clot. Please also continue to pray for strength and joy as he continues his recovery in the hospital.

It hasn’t been an easy week for Hassan. Recovering from his 3 hour catheterisation on Tuesday, he’s finally off Oxygen support. Since then, he’s also started physiotherapy, which he really dislikes.

Despite all this, Hassan was in a better mood today. It filled me with so much joy to see the cheeky smile return to his face as we played a game with my ID badge and blew kisses at each other (or rather I blew kisses and he blew raspberries in return). He has a great laugh, and a wonderful sense of humor – just like his Aunty. It’s an incredible gift to see God continue to fill them with his joy, even after all these weeks in hospital.

As I was reflecting on my visit, the chorus of a Rend Collective song came to mind:

The joy of the Lord is my strength
In the darkness I’ll dance
In the shadows I’ll sing
The joy of the Lord is my strength

We know Hassan and his Aunt have a long journey ahead of them. He has a very complicated heart and many more long days in hospital await him. In the dark and shadowy moments, I long to see them encounter the joy of the Lord as their strength.

It was lovely to see Hassan’s big brown eyes interacting with me when I walked into his hospital room.

Hassan has been recovering from his diaphragm placation surgery. The doctors would like to plan an interventional catheterization to widen his pulmonary artery on Tuesday.

Please pray for Hassan and his aunt as they wait for his catheterization. His aunt has been so kind in caring for him.

There was a sweet moment when Hassan reached for his aunt, seeking comfort. I hope that he will learn to seek comfort in God as well.

Hassan had a surgical procedure today on his diaphragm, with the hope that this will allow more space for his lungs to expand as he breathes in.

An apple day keeps the doctor away. And while it doesn’t exactly fit that a smile a day keeps the doctor away, we are seeing that Hassan’s joyful attitude is helping him to endure this long hospital recovery.

The doctors don’t have any new information on why he continues to have low oxygen and recurrent fevers. However, we praise God that he has continued to be stable.

We hope in the next few days to have some answers about another investigation of his oxygen levels and hopefully get some answers. In the meantime, we continue to pray for this sweet boy and his aunt. May God give them peace and comfort during this long wait.

Ok, let’s begin with the good news: Hassan is extubated again! So he can breath by himself, what is really nice. But otherwise, nothing has else has improved today.

He still has a fever and a very low oxygen level. The maximum value today was 68 in an absolute restful state. The nurses told us that the big PET-CT Scan from yesterday was not successful because of some technical issues. So they have no new information about Hassan’s condition and want to try another one.

But this little fighter is still impressing us: He never loses his unique smile! He takes every situation as she is and starts tackling the problems.

Let’s keep praying that God gives him strength!

Last week, Hassan was moved from the Sheba Medical Center general paediatric ward, back to the Intensive Care Unit.

Today his aunt explained this was due to a collapsed lung. He also has a fever today and the doctors will have to wait for this to resolve before he can have his catheterisation.

Despite all this, Hassan and his aunt were in a great mood. It continues to surprise me to see how upbeat and positive they are after such a long hospital stay. Yet again, I left Hassan’s room with a smile on my face, encouraged and refreshed by our visit. The strength and joy of Hassan and his beautiful aunt is yet another reminder that God is at work – His strength goes far beyond our own.

For the last three days, Hassan has been struggling with fevers. He still requires a high amount of oxygen support and was started on antibiotics because of his fevers. The doctors are not sure of the cause of his fevers and are waiting for some test results, but they suspect it was caused by his heart’s weak pumping ability He is still on a medication to support his heart function, and is going through withdrawal symptoms from his anesthesia/sleeping medications when he was intubated. Please pray for Hassan and his sweet aunt as he slowly recovers.

Five days after his surgery, Hassan is still struggling and on mechanical ventilation. We pray for the Spirit of God to be life and strength for him, his family, and for the doctors fighting for his life.

Our dear Hassan went to Sheba Medical Center today for an echo. Shevet staff member Joela went to the echo with him, but he knew where he was, and started crying immediately.  Joela put on a YouTube video which she simultaneously sang to. He loved Old MacDonald had a Farm. He’s not usually calm during echoes, but when Joela was singing, he managed to calm down a bit.

The doctor said he will need surgery, but because it is not urgent, he will wait until more funding comes towards the 2019 bill for surgeries. Please continue to pray for God to provide for this. Hassan, though he has been with us so often, does not yet have a local leader.

I thought of this past summer, and of his long stay in the hospital because he had many problems, and this was the only way he could receive adequate treatment. I was there the first time he had surgery, and neither his auntie nor I knew how often he would come back to Sheba for check-ups, or that he would need many more surgeries in the future. But he and his auntie are now a part of our family, and we love them so much; please pray for his body to be made well, and please prayerfully consider financially advocating for this precious boy.

As Joela sang today in the echo “He’s got the whole world in His hands, He’s got the whole world in His hands, He’s got you and me in His hands, He’s got the whole world in His hands.” Our Father holds Hassan in His hands, may his future be bright and healthy and filled with love of his Ceator.

Hassan came back for an echo today! He was here a few weeks ago for a catheterization, so the echo today was to check up on his health. The doctors will discuss him again in a conference. It’s tricky because he is not very well. His oxygen was at 81 today and often drops below 70, also his lips are frequently blue, even with many previous interventions this past summer. So he is not well without another surgery, but his case is very complex, which is why there is much deliberation over his treatment.

Hassan and his lovely auntie know the hospital so well now. He became fussier as the day went on, and he was very upset during the echo, but thankfully our beautiful Helen was there to help calm him. She took bells that hung on her purse and gave them to Hassan to play with, which he really liked.

They felt like old friends because of the duration of time they spent in the hospital over the summer and also because of frequent appointments for him. But also, the long stay is hard on his auntie, and as the doctors discuss his upcoming operation, we pray for God to be with Hassan and his aunt, and thank Him for the gift that they are.

When we arrived at the hospital today, Hassan was already discharged and ready to go home to Gaza.

We are so grateful to God that his procedure went so well, that he recovered quickly, and was discharged speedily so he can return to his family. He was thrilled to receive a lollipop from little Israa’s father, and plopped it right into his mouth wrapper and all. His smile is bright and beautiful and he blew us kisses while loading him in the car.

We took Israa back to the base and picked up a sandwich for his aunt, and headed to Gaza. The trip went very well and Hassan slept most of the way. When we arrived at the border we made sure that they had all their belongings and made it safely into the building before we headed back to Jaffa.

Hassan will be returning to Sheba for a follow up appointment in January to make sure that he is still doing well. Praise Be to God for a quick hospital stay for Hassan this time, and may he continue to work in the lives of this family.

Dear Hassan is back in Israel for a catheterization tomorrow! In his short life he has had many surgeries and caths, and tomorrow will show us what is the next step for his treatment.

I was so happy to see him and his lovely auntie, although it’s much colder since the last time they were here. He was swaddled in a big blanket and many layers of clothes! When we stopped at the Sheba security check and his aunt had to go inside, I got to hold him for that duration of time, which was so sweet because most of the time he was here last time he had wires and cannulas attached to him. We looked at the pine needles of the trees around us and a nearby stray cat that was prancing back and forth on the sidewalk. It was a beautiful moment before we dropped them off at the children’s hospital for his admission.

Of course it is a pleasure to see him and his aunt once again, but I pray it will not be a hard ordeal for either of them. We ask for God’s peace for them and wisdom for the doctors, in Jesus’ name.

Hassan came to Sheba today for a follow up apointment after his previous discharge. This was my first time meeting him and his aunt; I was so touched by them both. Hassan’s aunt had the most beautiful smile – the kind that lights up a room and makes everyone else want to smile too. Every time she looked at him, even in his tearful moments, she couldn’t help but smile. Her love for little Hassan was written all over her face.

I only had a short time with Hassan and his aunt today; after the appointment, they returned to Gaza. Yet even in this short encounter, they left an impression – Hassan with his big round eyes, soaking in the world around him, his aunt with her gentleness and love. They are two very special people.

Please continue to pray for Hassan’s health. Pray that God would bless him and his family and that they would know God’s love for them.

Today was a very happy day for our precious Hassan. As I walked into his room there was a bright smile on his beautiful face while his aunt was packing their stuff together. She happily told me they can go back to Gaza. I was very surprised because Hassan still has a bad cough but his heart is doing great so the doctors allowed him to go home after two months and 12 days.

We celebrated his discharge and danced a little bit with Hassan and his aunt. It really touched my heart to see them this happy.

The drive to Gaza was a little bit exhausting because there was so much traffic and Hassan wasn’t amused about it. We arrived in the late afternoon and dropped these two amazing people off.

Now that they are home again please keep on praying for them. Hassan’s cough needs to get better and also pray for the aunt to get strength again at home with her family. Thanks to our great God who has been with them all the time!

Visiting Hassan was probably the best thing of my hospital day today. He is so full of life, so active, constantly moving and clapping and talking. He really enjoyed the songs Helen was singing, swaying back and forth with the rhythm.

After his CT scan last week he had been moved from the 6th floor to the secondary ICU. The nurse said that she is very happy about him, as he has improved a lot since then. His oxygen went from 60% to almost 90%. And the nasty wound on his foot is decreasing more and more. When I saw him two days ago he was quite upset as he was constantly coughing. He almost couldn’t draw breath. Nevertheless I knew that it was  good as it helped to free his lungs.

I was just thinking of this song were it says:

“You breathe your life into my lungs
You bring to life these dry bones
I’m coming alive”

God I thank you so much that Hassan is so full of life despite his sickness! Please continue what you’ve been doing and give this energy also to his lovely aunt who is very exhausted as she is always standing next to his bed.

We met a happy and smiling Hassan today. He played with Margarita and loved the attention he was getting. Hassan’s Aunty was also happy to see us and asked after Alena with whom she has been able to form an especially close bond. 

Hassan has been recovering well from his surgery with his chest wound healing beautifully and no longer requiring a dressing. He still requires monitoring but we hope to have a full medical report soon and an update as to ongoing treatment. Hassan’s biggest concern at the moment is that one of the intravenous drugs he needed tissues a few days ago and leaked medication into the surrounding area. This led to a wound forming on his ankle as the skin died. Despite the nasty looking sore, Hassan enjoyed us tickling his feet and had no problems moving around his cot like any baby his age. 

Please pray for continued healing for Hassan who has had a very long hospital stay in his short life. 

Hassan was supposed to have a surgery yesterday but he got postponed again because all beds of the ICU are currently used. Now we can just wait for available beds. In the meantime he is a really happy boy – too happy to sleep- said his aunt who is taking care of him. Both of them are doing well. He was smiling and giggling all the time throughout my visit. In the end I left in the hope he would fall asleep soon

Little-charmer Hassan from Gaza is scheduled for surgery tomorrow (Thursday).  It is expected to be a complicated surgery.

Hassan’s mom’s eyes betray her anxiety, even as Hassan smiles and laughs from his bed, happy to see a visitor that will distract him from pulling at his covered IV hand. Hassan’s oxygen levels are in the 70’s and his breathing is fast.  The long-awaited surgery is now almost here.

Please pray for Hassan and his family.

Beautiful Hassan came last night to Sheba hospital. This boy has a very complicated heart, and the doctors are hoping to take him into surgery tomorrow. Already he has had two surgeries and three catheterizations. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors, and for God given peace for his family back in Gaza. As Jesus commands Thomas:

“Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

Let us look to the cross and believe in the sovereignty of God over Hassan’s life.