After a false start yesterdayin which we arrived at hospital for an appointment the doctor was unable to attend, co-worker Carina and I accompanied Huda and her mum to the Sheba hospital today for her echo.
Huda was so happy during her echo, calmly accepting the scan over her chest, without fear anymore. The doctor reviewed all the information gathered today, and declared that Huda can return to Kurdistan!
She has gained half a kilogram in weight in the past three weeks, and is growing and developing so well; a special delight to us to see how smiley and responsive she is becoming.
She needs to continue to take two medications for some time after she returns to Kurdistan, but has no restrictions. The doctor addressed a few of mum’s other concerns and said there is nothing to be worried about at all. This was wonderful news which Huda’s mum was happy to share with family and friends back home.
Another piece of good news, is that it seems the airport will reopen just in time! There is a ticket booked for Huda to return next week.
Thank you for all your prayers and support for this special baby and her mum.
We went today to Sheba Hospital with little Huda for an Ultra Sound check-up. Huda is an easy-going baby and can sit quietly in her trolley for a long time.
Before the examination, the doctor came to check Huda and said our sweet girl looks good. Huda’s mom asked the doctor to listen to Huda’s lungs, which the doctor did, and the lungs were clear.
After that, we went to the Ultra-sound Department where another doctor checked her. He said Huda is improved compared to the past. Formerly, she had a thrombus in the femoral vein, and now the vein looks much better and we can stop with the blood medication. Huda’s mom was very happy to hear that.
We hope that beautiful Huda will continue to feel good and can return soon to Kurdistan to her family. Thank you for all your supporting prayers through their whole time here in Israel.
Little Huda had another check-up appointment at Sheba hospital today. As I thought back to her first appointment, I considered that she is a changed lady. At Huda’s first appointment, when she first arrived in Israel, I remember Huda screaming across the whole outpatient department every time her mother put her down on the bed. Perhaps Huda was remembering her life-saving catheterisation done in Kurdistan, apparently carried out without anaesthesia. However today, Huda happily endured the echo, with her mother at her side at all times to kiss and encourage her.
So it’s been a long road not only for Huda, but also for her mum. Despite not knowing any Arabic or English, her mother has faced everything in this unfamiliar land with strength, dignity and joy. We love having Huda and her beautiful mother with us so much.
There are quite a few factors involved with Huda’s care at the moment. The echo and other cardiac assessments today showed that Huda’s heart is in a good condition, however she needs to continue taking her two heart medications.
She also needed to have a blood test today, which the doctor will look at later in the week to decide if she can stop with another of her medications.
Huda also continues to receive two injections each day of an anti-coagulation medication. This will be reviewed with an ultrasound scan of her leg later in the week, and the results of this will also have an impact on her management. Therefore the doctor prefers to see Huda again in two weeks’ time, to track her progress before considering releasing her to return to Kurdistan.
Huda’s mother understood all of this, and despite an initial flinch at the idea of not being able to return to her family as soon as she had hoped, she declared that God is in control of everything, and was at peace.
Lastly, Huda’s mom wanted to visit another Kurdish mom who returned to the hospital last night. Their friendship is very beautiful and its clear to see how kind and caring Huda’s mother is.
Thank you for praying for Huda and remembering her and her lovely mum.
The young loving mother and her peaceful little daughter Huda had to come back to the hospital today for an Echo-cardiogram. This was done very quickly after we arrived at Sheba Hospital.
What took a long time, was waiting for the doctor. We waited for three hours. But this was no problem for Huda and her patientmother. Neither of them complained that it took so long. Only Huda started sobbing occasionally. But of course her loving mum was right there and took wonderful care of Huda by holding her or feeding her with milk. She even thought of Huda’s medicine herself at the right time. It is very impressive to me how well her mum takes care of her and it seems as if she has had many children before, but Huda is her first child. Every time she looks at her little girl, her eyes and face light up with love, which can be seen and felt even behind the mask.
After the doctor arrived, he apologized kindly and looked at Huda or listened to her. Huda’s response to the Echo was good and the doctor ordered her medicine to be slowly reduced. Peaceful Huda needs to come back in two weeks for another Echo.
Praise the Lord that she is recovering so well. Thank you for all your prayers for little Huda and her mum. Please continue to pray for a gradual and good recovery.
Beautiful Huda was discharged from Sheba hospital on Friday afternoon. It took a little while because she has come to Jaffa on many medicines and the nurse who was doing the discharge was very patient and keen that everything was thoroughly understood.
Huda’s mum dressed her and when the canula was taken out of her arm, we were able to leave. Before going, Huda’s mother went over to the Israeli family with whom she was sharing a room. I don’t know what transpired previously, but she thanked them over and over again.
Co-worker Georgia and I were both really touched by this, and guessed that they had probably offered their help during the course of Huda’s hospitalization. The kindness of strangers is a gift from God.
We left the hospital on a blustery winter afternoon, and our Friday night meal together with the families we’re hosting at our Jaffa house was then also a celebration of Huda’s homecoming!
This morning our cute Huda underwent a Catheterization in Sheba Hospital. I met Huda’s mother in the waiting area. Knowing my Kurdish is limited, I was very thankful for another Kurdish mother who assisted in translation for us and was accompanying Huda’s mother from the start. But she could not stay with us the whole time and soon left us. Huda’s mother was very sad. God met us however, in a most unusual way and I’m so thankful and glad to share how He did this.
We were not a long time alone, when a lady came to the hospital to see Huda’s mother. She was like fresh water to us. She gave many hugs to Huda’s worried mother and gave her encouragement. She did this speaking in Arabic, as she also did not speak Kurdish. She brought us coffee and biscuits too. In the midst of all this supportive kindness, I had to think about the Shevet Achim verse from Psalm 133, “BEHOLD HOW GOOD AND HOW PLEASANT IT IS, FOR BROTHERS TO DWELL TOGETHER IN UNITY.”
It was also a blessing from God that we didn’t wait a long time for Huda’s return. A doctor came to speak to us and explained what was accomplished. The Catheterization was successful. The Lovely Huda will be needing some medicine for her vascular system. Her mother was so happy to see her daughter. When we came to the ICU on the sixth floor, the sweet girl was awake. Her mummy could give her milk to drink right away. She could immediately care for her beloved Huda. The blessed girl was also without oxygen.
All the glory to our God! Thank you so much for your prayers for they are effective!
Despite the fact that little Huda is the first child of the young, loving mother, it seems that she already has years of experience with children.
When I visited little Huda and her loving mother today at the Intermediate Pediatric ICU at Sheba Medical Center, her mother was eating a meal. Friendly as she is, she also offered me something, but I gratefully declined.
After a while, a nurse came in to check Huda’s vitals and I had a chance to ask her how Huda was doing in general. The nurse was very friendly, and told me today Huda was good, but on other days also rather worse. Huda became restless and cried when the nurse checked her vital signs, but of course her loving mom took care of her, held her in her arms and calmed her down.
Unfortunately, precious Huda needs a Catheterization, but it is not known when as yet. Your prayers for this little girl and her worried mommy are appreciated even now.
To check on how she is recovering after her surgery, Huda had an Echocardiogram at Sheba Medical Center today.
She has a virus at the moment, and has been a little dehydrated which has caused her mum to worry. Thankfully the doctor reassured us that it’s a problem easily solved.
From her Echo results today, we heard that Huda has Pulmonary Hypertension. Likely this is due to the fact that she needed to wait until she was about three months old before she could have access to a surgery, which makes it complicated for her. The doctors will see how she fares over the weekend, and determine what management is necessary for Huda. It could be that she needs a Catheterization.
Please pray for Huda’s recovery and for her mum to continue both with strength, and without worry. For with God, all things are possible.
Today, Huda was moved into the Intermediate Pediatric ICU at Sheba Hospital. Her mother welcomed co-worker Georgia and I into her new hospital room and was so excited to show Huda to us, especially because we could read in the monitor that Huda’s oxygen was 100% without any supplementary support.
While we visited them, Huda’s mother had Viber calls from her husband whom we were able to meet. Afterwards, Huda’s mother remarked that Huda’s father is calling often to see how his first and only daughter is, and they are both so thankful for her progress.
As we visited, Huda was slowly waking up from a nap, and her mother brought us over to her crib. She became focused on playing with Georgia’s glove for a few minutes before we left.
Thank you all for praying for Huda, it is very good she is moved down to the Intermediate ICU level and God willing she will be well enough to return to our Jaffa community home next week!
Huda is waving hello to everyone who is following her story and praying for her! She is still up in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Sheba Medical Center, where she is on high flow oxygen, and is sporting a fever today.
Her mum remains in a bright mood, as always, as she remains by the side of her precious girl.
I came today to the Pediatric Critical ICU at Sheba hospital and was not allowed to visit her mother or her small daughter there, because of minimizing the rist of Corona virus infection.
The nurse was so pleased and lovely to take time for me. She was telling me that Huda was extubated. The beautiful girl got better and her recovery is improving.
Our Heavenly Father is with her through all your prayers! They are planning on move Huda to another side of the ICU on the six floor.
Huda is recovering well in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit of Sheba Medical Center after yesterday’s surgery.
Her recovery is slow, but she is doing well. Mum is coping gracefully despite being in the unfamiliar environs of a hospital. She is taking it in her stride, which has the potential to be more difficult for her, as she speaks only Kurdish. Thank God, she is always in a bright and thankful mood. One of the other Kurdish mothers sent her a cake, which helped to encourage her also.
I arrived to the room of Huda just before she was wheeled into the surgery room. Mum was quietly stead throughout the whole experience, and after wiping away a couple of tears, she declared that God knows best, and is in control of the situation; “Xhua gawrea.”
And with that, we began the hours of waiting. Huda appears to have captured the hearts of many people, as there were many emotional messages of support coming in from across the world! Huda’s mum was joined by other “Shevet Achim” families, both Kurdish and Gazan, all familiar and expectant of the surgery process.
After five hours or so, Huda was rolled out of the surgery room enroute to the ICU, with her mother rushing behind as they squeezed past an Orthodox Jewish young man in the hallway:
One of the doctors happily remembered the Kurdish word “bash” (good), amongst the happy news that the surgery had been a success to switch Huda’s great arteries, and close two holes in the heart.
Huda’s mum was delighted to see her daughter, and the large group of us hurried upstairs to the ICU. Huda was set up in her room after a fairly short amount of time, and mum was able to peer with joy and interest at her baby.
Please pray that Huda continues to be stable and recover well for the next 24 hours.
Precious Huda would like to announce that tomorrow is going to be her surgery day! She is feeling very happy about it and hopes that everything will go well.
We all love this special girl and her lovely young mum. After they finished their quarantine last Monday, they spent a lovely time together with us at our Shevet home on the Jaffa coast. Last weekend, Co-worker Carina and I went to the beach together with Huda and her mum and some of our other lovely families. We had a beautiful time.
Please pray for peace for the mother of Huda; Huda is her first child and this must be a trying experience for her, for her family. Pray for a safe and successful surgery for this beautiful baby tomorrow. God bless the surgeons and nurses and care staff, may He watch over the whole process.
Huda had her first appointment at Sheba hospital today. It is not her first time in a hospital environ-ment, as was obvious from how afraid she was of all interventions today. Each time her mum placed her down on the bed to remove her clothes for the echo, she cried and was only consoled when her mum picked her back up and cradled her in her arms.
Despite her crying, the staff today were able to get the necessary assessments done, which were an echo, ECG, blood test and X-ray. All of the information from these tests will be gathered and discussed by the medical team to make a plan to help Huda by carrying out a surgery.
For now, she has returned home and will wait to hear from the hospital.
Huda and her sweet mum arrived in Israel last night, travelling with four other Kurdish families. Huda is the first child from her parents, and has a diagnosis of dextra-Transposition of the Great Arteries (d-TGA). Huda has had a catheterisation in Kurdistan, which created a hole in her heart, helping more oxygenated blood to be able to reach her body. She was almost two months old when she was diagnosed and they carried out this procedure, so it is a miracle that Huda is alive and in a fairly good condition. She is smiley and drinks milk very happily. Huda will have her first assessment at the hospital on Thursday. Please pray for a good outcome for her!
