Today we went to Sheba Hospital for some visits and an operation, but at the beginning of the afternoon we heard that we can take Asmeen back to our community house in Ashdod.
Asmeen was calm and happy to go back, and her mother was also very happy.
Today I visited Sheba Hospital and went to visit Asmeen and her mother whilst there.
Her mum says Asmeen is good today but she is not so everyday. You can see Asmeen was sleeping peacefully when I went to her room. The doctor would like to do some genetic tests.
On Monday I took Asmeen and her mother to see the pediatric surgery doctor at Sheba Hospital. Asmeen has a hernia on her side, and we were considering having it removed. However, the doctor cautioned against it. Due to Asmeen’s multiple unresolved health problems, the hernia surgery would be at strong risk for complications, any one of which could have serious consequences. Asmeen doesn’t seem meaningfully pained or bothered by the hernia, and so we’re going to shelve that idea until later on in her treatment process.
Asmeen was discharged from Sheba Hospital two days ago. Her mother was happy to return to our community home, although she would have liked it if there was more progress in Asmeen’s treatment.
Asmeen still needs all the appointments for different surgeries and kidney tests. It takes a long time, and it will all take a long time until Asmeen is ready to go back to Kurdistan.
For now, Asmeen is taking new medications against epileptic episodes. Hopefully this will keep her stable. We want to ask for your prayer for openings in hospital schedule, so Asmeen can have her surgeries. And of course, prayer for Asmeen’s health.
Asmeen is doing better today. She was playing a game with the nurses. Every time they come in, Asmeen pretends to be asleep, so they will leave her alone. Unfortunately for her the nurses know better than that, and they will still do their work. Asmeen had several tests, like a urinal test, an ECG, an EEG and today the neurologist saw her. She is receiving antibiotics, because her urinal test gave some sign of infection. Although she doesn’t have a UTI. Please keep praying for Asmeen and for answers for her condition, so the doctors can treat it.
Asmeen is doing well enough to be discharged from Sheba Hospital today! As a result of the seizure, she will take more medication, that should prevent it from occurring again. Asmeen also saw an ENT doctor who established that she can have the surgery to close the hole in her throat. This is great news. This surgery, plus a kidney test, will be scheduled. For now, Asmeen and her mom will be with us in Ashdod, which is a joy.
Since Asmeen was hospitalized at Sheba Medical Center, she endured several tests: EEG, x-ray, blood tests, etc. Her mother is patiently waiting at Asmeen’s side. Until now there are no results from the tests, but hopefully next week we will get answers about Asmeen’s situation.
On Sunday she will see an ENT doctor. He will take a look at Asmeen’s tracheostomy site. She might be a candidate for tracheostomy closure. Please keep praying for Asmeen.
It was a peaceful morning at the Shevet house, when I received a phone call from Asmeen’s mother crying for help. Coworker Bria ran over and found Asmeen laying on the couch, completely white and unresponsive. She called an ambulance and they brought Asmeen to the nearest hospital in Ashdod, called Assuta Hospital.
In the meantime, Asmeen came back to her normal self in the hospital where doctors suspect Asmeen probably had a seizure.
The doctor at Assuta gave us permission to drive Asmeen to Sheba Hospital, where the doctors know her.
At Sheba, the doctors chose to admit Asmeen in order to keep her under observation. She will get a higher dose of the medication against seizures and the doctors want to find out if her heart causes problems for her brain activity. Maybe this hospitalization will help Asmeen’s process in Israel, to get the treatment she came for. Please pray for Asmeen.
After last week’s kidney ultrasound, Asmeen had a quick consultation with the nephrologist at Sheba Hospital this morning. It seems from the ultrasound that she may have an obstruction in the ureter than drains her right kidney. The doctor wants her to have a kidney mapping scan so he can get a better idea of what exactly is happening and how it affects her kidney function. It usually takes quite a bit of time to get an appointment for this scan at Sheba, but the doctor’s secretary is working hard to get an appointment as soon as possible. We’re so grateful for both of them for their hard work for Asmeen.
Asmeen was pretty content for the short waiting time as long as she could be upside-down, which she much prefers to sitting upright.
After the appointment, we went back to our house in Ashdod, where she and another Kurdish child named Mariya got to know each other a little better.
We took Asmeen to Sheba Hospital today for an ultrasound checkup. The nurse took a look at her kidney and said that things look good. After that he brought in the doctor to look at her while her mother waited patiently. The doctor took another look and confirmed that things look good.
Next week Asmeen will see the nephrologist. The nephrologist will come up with a treatment plan for Asmeen.
Asmeen had her first appointment at Sheba hospital for this time in Israel. It was just a quick appointment with the nephrologist, who reviewed her reports from Kurdistan and asked us to take her for a kidney ultrasound so he can get a better idea of her situation. We’re used to working with the cardiology department, so I’ve been a bit nervous about navigating the nephrology clinic for the first time. But it turns out there’s nothing to worry about — the head doctor and his secretary are going above and beyond for Asmeen, even scheduling all her appointments as quickly as possible. When the doctor found out Asmeen is from Kurdistan, he said “We love the Kurds! I’ll do my very best for her.” Asmeen will have her ultrasound on Thursday and then return early next week to see the nephrologist again.
Asmeen has returned to Israel after two years of being at home in Kurdistan. Asmeen was in Israel before, as you can read in the blogs below. She had a long process of recovery after her heart surgery, which ended in receiving a tracheostomy. She left Israel after nine months, escorted by two of Shevet’s gracious volunteers.
Asmeen has returned now because of her kidney problems and for the removal of her tracheostomy. Her mother is again with her and she is a lovely woman. She went back to Kurdistan three days after I arrived in Israel as a volunteer. She is talking about the previous volunteers that were here. She loves them all so much, and I can imagine that they loved Asmeen’s mother a lot as well.
Please pray for Asmeen, that her time in Israel will be shorter this time, and that everything will go smoothly. But above all, that she will be healthy before her return to Kurdistan.
God orchestrated Asmeen’s transfer back to her home in Kurdistan. We praise God that she has arrived safely to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Heevi Hospital in Duhok.
We are very thankful for all the people that have helped arrange for her transport, from the Shevet community and her friends in Kurdistan supporting her emotionally throughout the last eight months, to the medical staff at Sheba hospital and Alyn Rehabilitation hospital in Jerusalem, all of whom have physically cared for Asmeen, to our neighbor Moshe who helped arrange for the purchase of the ventilator, to Heevi Hospital for arranging for her arrival, the ambulance drivers and airport staff who helped transport Asmeen, the travel agent who helped arrange for all the flights, a kind Israeli doctor and medical transport specialist who assisted us with her extensive knowledge and network, and for everyone that has prayed for Asmeen. There have been so many different people working with various pieces needed to transport Asmeen home.
On the day of departure, it was so bittersweet for the staff at Sheba. One of the nurses said that she was happy for Asmeen, but sad for herself. They gifted Asmeen with a beautiful pink polka-dot dress (see photo above) and kind farewell words.
Now that Asmeen has arrived in Kurdistan, the plan is for her to stay in the PICU for around two weeks. Her family will need to prepare their home with the necessary supplies to care for her in a home setting. Asmeen’s mother is very competent. She knows all of Asmeen’s little intricacies and loves her dearly. Thankfully, she was trained with this specific ventilator that she has now for one and a half months at Alyn Rehabilitation Hospital, so she is comfortable with the machine. It also has 16 hours of battery life to deal with the frequent power outages in Kurdistan.
At around five in the evening, our Israeli ambulance driver arrived. We were all surprised when he started talking to Asmeen’s mother in Kurdish. His parents were from Kurdistan and made their lives in Israel. He was so kind to Asmeen and to us. We were extremely thankful for his help and knowledge of Kurdish as for communication to arrange the ambulance, Nate spoke Hebrew with him and Colin spoke Kurdish with him.
The airport staff were very helpful in expediting security and helpful with Ameen’s boarding.
During the three-hour Turkey transit we stayed at the airport clinic, charged batteries, rested, fed Asmeen through her feeding tube, and prepared for the next part of the journey.
Heevi hospital prearranged an ambulance to meet us at the airport in Kurdistan, but when we arrived we found out that it had been cancelled due to a miscommunication.
After a bit of chaos, at four o’clock in the morning, with help of the physician director of the PICU department, we were able to arrange an ambulance that took us to a hospital clinic near the airport where we waited for two ambulances to transport her to Duhok.
When we transferred to the ambulance, Asmeen’s father was waiting in the ambulance and her family was reunited. It was such a sweet moment of reunion. I invited him into the ambulance to see Asmeen and he gave her a sweet kiss on her forehead.
Two hours later, we arrived at the hospital.
Asmeen was admitted and transferred over to her new bed in the PICU. The doctor invited us to share breakfast with Asmeen’s mother. We are thankful for his kindness.
After leaving Asmeen in the able hands of the Kurdish PICU, we were invited to Asmeen’s family home for a Kurdish meal. Her siblings were so excited that Asmeen and mom were finally home. Her family prepared new clothes for her, as she had outgrown all her clothes in Kurdistan. We were so blessed to rejoice together with her family.
While in Israel, Asmeen’s mother always encouraged the other Kurdish mothers during the eight months of her daughter’s hospitalization. She would say, “desti xwha,” which means everything is in the “hands of God.”
This evening co-workers Colin and Nate are escorting Asmeen and her mother from Sheba hospital to Ben Gurion airport where they will then fly to Iraq with Asmeen and her mother, with one layover in between.
I met Asmeen in Janurary. Back then she was so little. Now, eight months later, she looks like a toddler.
Her mother dressed her with a special dress for traveling. and in preparation for seeing her father after all these months.
No one imagined she would be here for this much time, she and her mother only stayed in Jaffa for one night and then every one of the following nights for them has been spent in one or another hospitals.
We’ve often wrote of two things pertaining to Asmeen, the complex logistics of transporting her with mechanical ventilation attached to her tracheostomy for one, and also the incredible endurance and patience of her mother. For both of these monumental things, we have seen God at work. He has worked through various people including one doctor, Daphne, who has her own medical transport company in Israel and helped Colin and Nate plan everything. This wouldn’t have been possible without them all. As the night comes, with two flights and a layover in between, as well as two ambulance rides, please pray for them as they care for Asmeen.
As for the strength of Asmeen’s mother, it is always easy to give comfort to others when we ourselves are not suffering, but it is infinitely more costly to provide comfort for others when we ourselves are in pain at that moment. Asmeen’s mother, in the midst of her own nine month trial, has without fail, given a great deal of love, encouragement, and solace to other Kurdish families in the midst of their crises.
I will always remember her hugs, she gave the best of those; especially at trying times, she strengthened me and my co-workers Sabrina and Georgia.
And how much the Sheba hospital ICU staff loved Asmeen! How has this little baby that I met in January, who has gone through so, so much, how has she grown into quite a sassy and lovely little girl?
Please pray for the rest of Asmeen’s life. We pray that one day In the future, she would be able to breathe without the ventilator and have the tracheostomy closed. Amen. May it be so.
It has been a long eight months in hospitals for Asmeen and her mother. Asmeen’s mother has sacrificed much and learned anew to care well for her daughter.
Asmeen’s mother manages almost all of the tracheostomy care, the feeding pump, and is comfortable with her new mechanical ventilator. It is the same machine as the one that Asmeen was on during her time at Alyn Rehabilitation Center in Jerusalem for one and a half months. We are thankful she was there, as the staff there taught her a wealth of knowledge regarding the ventilator system.
Asmeen looks so grown up in her new stroller. She has been learning to sit and is quite active now. It is so wonderful to see her grow and to thrive.
Please keep praying for her as we arrange for her transportation to Iraqi Kurdistan.
Asmeen has been transferred onto her new ventilator now, and by all accounts is doing well. Co-workers Colin and Nate continue to work to prepare everything for her transfer to Kurdistan, a very complex process. We are all thankful to God for providing this wonderful couple who can carry out this work.
Co-worker Alena and I visited Asmeen and her mother at Sheba hospital this afternoon, realising that this may be the last time we see them! It’s hard to imagine the hospital without them now, and we have experienced a lot together. Asmeen’s mother has been a strong and reliable support for mothers, thankfully not many, who have experienced the death of a child. She has been a support for all the mums, and to us at Shevet actually. She has been a gift from God.
Please pray that all the travel plans will continue to work out for Asmeen and her mum.
Lovely Asmeen and her mother have been staying in Sheba Hospital for a long time now, about eight months actually since they arrived in January. The other families with whom they came to Israel, have long since left. We have all really loved having Asmeen and her mother here with us. We have had confidence that the hospital staff took their best care for them. Both Asmeen and her mother are a beautiful blessing to us; here they are pictured together with Georgia from our visit today.
At the moment, one good thing is happening after the other. As yesterday our co-workers Colin and Nate arrived in order to be the medical escort for Asmeen and her mother. Today we received another good word that the ventilator machine or as we said today, “Vent Khan” in Kurdish which means “Dear ventilator,” arrived at the hospital and was a necessary piece to Asmeen’s traveling home.
The hospital staff couldn’t understand our excitement about this, but really they were very nice and let us see the machine. It was a very funny and nice moment. We are thankful to God that he is taking the steps for Asmeen now to make an end to her waiting time. But there still is a way to go and many things need to be arranged.
Lovely Asmeen has grown a lot. She and her mother are still in Sheba Hospital due to their need for medical support people who can be with them when they are traveling back to Kurdistan.
Asmeen needs support from a ventilator machine to help her with her breathing. Her mother is having a beautiful attitude in the whole situation. She has mentioned the long waiting time on a few occasions. But I think we all can understand it cannot have been easy to be so far away from your home, and in a country in which you don’t know the language.
The hospital staff is lovely and caring as always, and it really is a privilege to work with them. Asmeen’s mother is doing really well and she already knows a lot of Hebrew and English now. We all love this woman and her little Asmeen. Co-workers Colin and her husband Nate are planning to travel to Israel on Tuesday. They will be Asmeen’s medical escorts. This is really good news.
Asmeen’s mother is waiting patiently for the plan to come together to transfer her back to Kurdistan, and is continuing to be her helpful, practical and loving self during the waiting time.
Asmeen has been sick during the evening and a little today as well. There was not a clear reason why, although Asmeen’s mother felt that she was coughing and this triggered the vomiting.
Either way, Asmeen’s mother declared that Asmeen needed to have the bedding and clothes changed three times today. Mum was in a good mood about it though, and we hope that Asmeen is better tomorrow.
Asmeen is back in familiar territory in the Pediatric ICU of Sheba hospital, but she looks very big and grown up now! She is so beautiful and looks very much like her mother, a mother who happens to be a blessing to her baby and of course to the other Kurdish mothers, helping to bring patience, calm and steadiness to their in-hospital days.
After Asmeen’s mother independently cleaned the tracheostomy with suctioning, some of the therapists came to help Asmeen with her physical skills. A recent development is that Asmeen can hold things in both hands, and is trying to put her pacifier into her mouth by herself.
The big project on the horizon now is thinking about transferring Asmeen back to Kurdistan. There are a lot of things to arrange and plan, and thankfully Asmeen’s mother is extremely competent and it’s great to have her at the center of everything going on.
Please pray over this potential transfer to Kurdistan. It is a complex endeavor, but we are hoping and praying for the right doors to open up for Asmeen and her mother to travel safely in the future.
Yesterday evening I was doing an admission to Sheba hospital for one of our children to its 6th floor. When I went into the ICU, there was a lovely surprise awaiting me. It was the lovely mother of Asmeen greeting me with her beautiful smile. She and little Asmeen are back at Sheba Medical Center since yesterday.
I was so happy to see them because it has been a while since we’ve saw each other. They have been in Alyn Rehabilitation hospital in Jerusalem. It was even a longer time since I’ve seen Asmeen, as in Alyn hospital I wasn’t allowed to see her.
So it was lovely to see her today, and I can see that she has grown a lot. She was readily reacting to noises and her eye contact has improved which is also an improvement.
Asmeen’s mother is a great woman with a beautiful heart. She is always comforting the mothers and encouraging them. For example, she did this yesterday evening as she showed one of our new mothers how to make her bed, where the bed sheets are kept, and the floor kitchen and so on. It is a privilege to have her back, as she is such a lovely woman.
Also today she comforted some other mothers. We call her “the Queen of the ICU” and it is really nice that they all comfort each other right from the beginning. Please pray that she may continue in her beautiful patience, she has been here for such a long time with little Asmeen and there seems to be no end to it.
A few weeks ago the Alyn Rehabilitation Hospital in Jerusalem allowed the lovely mother of Asmeen to have a a little bit of rest for one day and take some rest for herself while her little Asmeen is admitted there.
I took her to our Jerusalem Guest house where some of our other Kurdish families have been for some time. She was very happy to see all of them and enjoyed they their time together. Afterwards, she was able go to the old city, visit the Mosque and get some shopping in. It’s the first time she’s been able to go outside of the hospital for about four months!
She has now returned to the hospital so today, co-worker Margarita and I visited Asmeen’s mother there. Even though she is a very strong and lovely woman, she is struggling so she cried during our visit. We told her we know that this whole time must be very difficult for her and she agreed and said she also misses her husband back in Kurdistan. We tried to encourage her that everything is in God’s hands and that we can and should trust in him. That calmed her down. She said she knows this to be true and is thankful for it.
She is very tired, but she needs to continue to wait for the Lord and who knows how long? So please pray for new strength and patience for this lovely woman and her cute Asmeen, for each new day.
Yesterday I visited the lovely mother of Asmeen in Alyn Rehabilitation Hospital in Jerusalem. At the start, Asmeen’s mother was happy to see me and in a good mood. We went outside to sit down on a bench together because I am not allowed to go to visit little Asmeen.
The weather was beautiful. The sun was shining and it was lovely to sit and chat with her despite our language differences. It was a mix of Kurdish, English and Arabic. She told me with tears in her eyes that she is very tired from being in the hospital for such a long time with her little daughter now. They are here now four months. I tried to comfort her with a hug and I hope I gave her the feeling that I understood the difficulty in this. She seems a bit like she is about to give up hope on her lovely daughter, but I told her she should try to continue to have hope for a good recovery for her and even though it is difficult now to wait so long, the wait will be worth it in the end.
Nevertheless, Asmeen’s mother is looking forward to having a little bit of rest this coming Sunday or Monday. She would like to see a bit of Jerusalem. The Kurdish families that are with us at the moment in our Jerusalem guesthouse would go with her, maybe even visit the Mosque to pray – a very important thing for Asmeen’s mom.
Please join me in prayer that this will be possible, and that it gives her new strength and patience even though it is still very difficult.
Today I visited the lovely mother of Asmeen at the Alyn Rehabilitation Hospital in Jerusalem. One of our Kurdish mother’s joined me during the visit. When we arrived there we weren’t allowed to go to visit Asmeen because we are not vaccinated, but I called Asmeen’s mom and told her please come to the entrance because we would love to visit her. So she did with the help of a very friendly nurse. When she saw us, she greeted us with a warm hug and happy as she is always when we visited her before. It was very nice to see her even though we couldn’t see little Asmeen. She sent me a video and a picture of her cute daughter.
When I asked her how she is doing and if she likes the new hospital, she said with a smile that she is very good, and that she really likes the new hospital. She feels that they take very good care of both her and Asmeen.
I’m happy that one of the Kurdish mother’s could join me for the visit and talk for a while with Asmeen’s mother. I hope this encouraged her since she had been such an encouragement for so many other families she had met at Sheba hospital in her time there. We really miss them at Sheba because it was much easier to visit her there since hospital staff and personnel know us, but still it is a blessing that she can be in this hospital now for Asmeen’s sake.
Today was the day for Asmeen’s transfer to Alyn Hospital in Jerusalem. Her mother has waited a long time for this, and it’s a real blessing that Asmeen should be given a place at this hospital. We are told its the best place in Israel for children in Asmeen’s condition, and beds are almost always given just to Israeli citizens. Asmeen has a place, we are told, as a special favour for the doctor in the ICU at Sheba hospital.The ambulance that transferrs patients to Alyn Hospital, came early in the morning, so Asmeen had to leave Sheba while we were still on the way there. We shared a video chat and saw little Asmeen bundled into the ambulance.
We will really miss seeing Asmeen’s mother each day at Sheba, but we can still visit with her and Asmeen at Alyn hospital. Asmeen’s mother is also hopeful that she might be able to take a day herself and see the other Kurdish mothers who are currently staying at our guesthouse in Jerusalem. Perhaps it will be possible. Asmeen’s mum sent me a message and video when she arrived to the new hospital. I took a few images from the video, Asmeen in her Sheba bed and Sheba pyjamas. Also the view out of the window, the beautiful mountains of Ein Kerem, near Jerusalem.
When we looked at photos online yesterday of Ein Kerem, Asmeen’s mum said the mountains are like Kurdistan. It’s also a reminder to us that, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore.” Psalm 125:2 We can pray that Asmeen’s mother continues to grow and shine in strength and dignity, and little Asmeen’s condition improves, as she is surrounded by the Lord.
After waiting patiently, with a few occasions of disappointed hope, Asmeen’s mother is preparing to transfer to Alyn hospital in Jerusalem tomorrow. She has been a wonderful rock of support for the other new mothers at Sheba hospital, always appearing at their time of need, whether it is giving emotional support or translation. It has been a big blessing to have such a steady and patient lady with us this long in the hospital.
Asmeen will be travelling by ambulance tomorrow, as of course, she cannot be removed from the mechanical ventilator. Please pray for Asmeen’s recovery, and her mother’s hopes, that this would all go ahead tomorrow as planned and that the outcome would be successful. God willing.
Please continue to join us in praying for sweet Asmeen. She continues to wait for a free space to open up at a Jerusalem hospital that specializes in weaning children off ventilators. The waiting has been long for both Asmeen and her mother. Co-worker Sabrina and I tried to coax a smile out of Asmeen this afternoon; she is so alert, but not too generous with her smiles! Still, we love this baby and want to stand with her and her mother in hope for a good recovery, and in particular that she would be able to be weaned from the ventilator as soon as possible. In Jesus’ name, we long for progress for Asmeen!
We have been very moved to hear over the past few days how difficult it is becoming for Asmeen’s mother to bear the weight of the circumstances she’s in. She is longing to be back in Kurdistan, and is losing hope for Asmeen’s future.
As we heard again from one of the doctors today, the hospital in Jerusalem is the best place in all of Israel for children like Asmeen, specialising in weaning their patients off ventilators. On the other hand, the lack of time frame is discouraging, and it takes so much strength for Asmeen’s mum to aim her hope into so many unknowns. As she always says, Asmeen is not in her hands, or our hands, or the doctors’ hands, but in the hands of God.
Certainly, when Asmeen’s tracheostomy tube came out of the hole in her neck during our visit this morning, her mother did not act like a lady who had given up on her daughter’s chance of life. She ran out of the room shouting for a doctor or nurse to come, as the alarms on Asmeen’s machines starting ringing out to alert us that Asmeen was in a dangerous situation. The expert care of the nurse ensured that this incident was over in a matter of seconds, but even during this short time, we saw her oxygen level plummet.
Asmeen’s mother agreed that because it is the Jewish holiday of Pesach this week, there are not so many doctors at the hospital. So we will wait until next week before we can really discuss Asmeen’s situation with them. She was hopeful for this discussion to be on Sunday, but I told her that it will then be our Christian holiday, where we are celebrating “new life” (my limited Kurdish skills…!), and I promised that we will hope and pray for this new life for Asmeen.
Please remember this long-suffering and sweet family in prayer; that God will surround and uplift the mother and renew her hope! We are also hoping and praying for healing for Asmeen, to be weaned from the ventilator.
Asmeen’s mother was outside the Sheba hospital pediatric ICU when I saw her, and she asked if I could come in to see Asmeen. It always strikes me when I see Asmeen awake, that she is so beautiful. She was moving around a lot, and kicking off her blankets; her mother commented on this with delight. She asked if there was any news for Asmeen, and my response was the same as before, that we are waiting for a bed to open up in the hospital in Jerusalem for her.
Please pray for this to happen or for ways in which we could help move things along for Asmeen. Her mum saw all of the Kurdish New Year celebrations happening this weekend, and instead of a tone of bitterness that she wasn’t there, she took joy in describing the Newroz festivities that she has attended before and hopes to go to again someday.
Asmeen’s mother has been the epitome of patient as she continues to wait for a space in the hospital in Jerusalem which specializes in tracheostomies. That hospitalo said they will contact Sheba hospital when there is a bed available for Asmee.
Please pray this will be soon so that Asmeen can start working on being taken off mechanical ventilation. Asmeen has been in the hospital for three months now, and especially in times of waiting, her mum has shown incredible endurance.
This week Jonathan shared that there is a hospital in Jerusalem which is prepared and agreed to receive our precious little Asmeen and her lovely mother in about two weeks. I went today to the ICU at Sheba Medical Center today to give this good news to Asmeen’s mother. She was very happy to hear this and was asking when she will leave to the other hospital, she was excited and hopeful.
The hospital in Jerusalem is willing to keep little Asmeen for up to three months without charge while they try to wean her from the ventilator. After that, she would have to return to Sheba.
Praise the Lord that the hospital in Jerusalem agreed to receive this lovely mother and her precious daughter. Let us continue to keep this family in our prayers.
Asmeen’s mother is drawing her strength from her belief that everything is in the hands of God. She is holding up fantastically in the hospital for so long, and we told her today that Asmeen is really blessed to have her as her mother, faithfully by her side and patiently waiting for her to improve.
The doctors have explained that due to the anatomy of her chest, and other factors, it is seeming very difficult to wean Asmeen from mechanical ventialtion, and there is no treatment to be done, except to give her time. As she must remain connected to the ventilator, it’s not possible to move her to a different area of this hospital, as they do not have the facility to accommodate this. However, there is discussion about whether Asmeen could be transferred to a specialist setting for children requiring long term mechanical ventialtion.
Please hope and pray with us for Asmeen, for the way to be open for her to be accomodated in the most suitable place, and for time to improve her condition. Thank God that it is all in His hands and His timing.
“What is this new machine?” This is one of the first questions Asmeen’s mum asked me. She was referring to the wires attached to various points around Asmeen’s head. We were in Sheba Hospital.
In the past 24 hours, Asmeen has had a seizure, and so these wires are to monitor her brain activity. The cause of the seizure is still unknown. An ultrasound was done, but nothing was found that would be the reason for a seizure.
It is beyond difficult for Asmeen’s mother to see her daughter not getting better, and now having this new problem with her brain.
Today co- worker Sabrina and I visited our little girl Asmeen at Sheba Medical Centre. It was so nice to see her peacefully resting on the bed. She received a beautiful toy which also makes music. She likes to observe it and stay quiet.
Our cute Asmeen is still on a breathing machine and doctors don’t know when they will be free to discontinue with it. She is so long already with breathing help, and has to stay in the Pediatric ICU because of it. The nice nurse whom we asked today if there will be a new treatment plan, could not give us any information. For Asmeen’s mother, it is also difficult to cope with the unknown.
Today, Asmeen had a fever, but thank God, the medical staff had it on a string, and now Asmeen feels better, the fever is down. We hope for improvement from our little girl in everything very soon.
Please keep praying with us for clarity in this situation for Asmeen and also for strength for her lovely mother. Thank you so much for your support!
I wanted to visit Asmeen in the Pediatric ICU of Sheba hospital, but she wasn’t there. A helpful nurse showed me where our sweet girl Asmeen is now located. It is a good sign of improvement that she has been moved out of the ICU, healing little by little.
After Asmeen had the tracheotomy surgery, her breathing remains stable. She still has some support from a breathing machine. With God’s help, she will get better. Her mother has so much love for Asmeen. She caressed her small daughter on the head and Asmeen fell asleep. Her mother is waiting patiently for a miracle, waiting for the time Asmeen will be free from the machine.
Thank you so much for prayers for Asmeen and her mother. We all need God so much in our lives.
Co-worker Alena and I reached Sheba Hospital early, unsure of when Asmeen’s tracheostomy procedure would take place. The mother greeted us in her usual friendly way, and assured us that Asmeen is in the best possible hands, God’s, therefore she is feeling strong. Here she is before the procedure today.
Asmeen’s mum was visited by some of the other Kurdish mothers, now at the end of their journey here in Israel, coming to encourage her and wish her well.
The tracheostomy procedure did not take too long, perhaps around two hours. Asmeen’s mother handled the discussions with competence, now she is getting used to speaking Arabic and English. I was so proud of her! It was so great to be able to sit with her during the waiting time, and speak with her about many things, especially her life and family in Kurdistan. She is holding up well in the hospital after so long here.
Thankfully the procedure went well. Asmeen, with her tracheostomy procedure completed, was transported back to the Pediatric ICU.
Asmeen’s mother is a very patient and lovely woman. When I went into the Sheba Hospital Pediatric ICU today to visit her and Asmeen, she was finished with eating her lunch. I said a silent “Hello” to let her know that I’m there. She didn’t see me at first and I wasn’t allowed to go into her room. She came out with a smile on her face and hugged me while she greeted me. I’m impressed that she is still quite happy even though she is in the hospital for a long time with her little daughter.
It’s always funny when I visit her because as we attempt to speak with each other and it is always a mix of Kurdish, English, Arabic and German. But somehow we mange to understand each other. Every time she is trying to recall an English word and remembers it, she is very proud of it. She’s studying English on a phone App.
She told me that Asmeen had an Echo today which showed that Asmeen’s little heart is in good shape and added the word “Al-Hamdullalah,” which means ‘praise be to God’ in Arabic. I’ve asked her if she can take a picture of Asmeen for me. Sadly, you can see that she is intubated again.
Her friendly mother told me that Asmeen is not sleeping well during the night. Our precious little Asmeen will have a Tracheotomy surgery on Sunday in the morning. Hopefully, that surgery will be successful and Asmeen will heal fast and soon. Please pray for the doctors at Sheba, that they will be given great wisdom and direction for this surgery. Please also lift Asmeen’s patient mother up in your prayers, asking for her to have peace about the whole situation.
When I went to visit our little Asmeen and her lovely mother at Sheba Medical Center today, she told me that Asmeen is extubated. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and wasn’t even sure if I understood her correctly from the context because she told me in Kurdish and with her hands.
I asked her if she would take a picture of Asmeen for me since we’re not allowed to go into their rooms in the Pediatric ICU. I was so thankful and happy when I saw the picture of an extubated Asmeen. Her lovely mother told me that she is sleeping a lot and sleeping well. By extension, this means Asmeen’s mother also sleeps well.
Every time I visit this mother, she is happy to see me and is always asking how all the others families at our community house are doing. She is an extremely friendly woman, but she is tired and worried about staying in the hospital for so long.
Let’s comfort her and our lovely Asmeen in prayers, that they can leave the hospital really soon.
I met Asmeen’s mother in the Pediatric ICU of Sheba Hospital today. She was pleased to see me, and to tell me that her lovely daughter had her surgery this morning! What a surprise!
Sadly, I could not to speak with a doctor or a nurse to get more information. But the surgery was not a long time and when I met the mother, small Asmeen was already in her room again at the ICU on the sixth floor. And she did pretty well!
Last week the doctors told us they want to make an operation on her diaphragm to make more room for the lungs. We pray that the surgery will help to improve our lovely Asmeen!
Sweet Asmeen is awake and looking beautiful today! We saw her mother with the other Kurdish mothers outside the Sheba Medical Center Pediatric ICU for some time together today.
Thank God for restoring Asmeen’s mother’s peace again. I was so happy to receive this video from her of Asmeen! I realized that despite them being in Israel for a month now, I have hardly seen Asmeen, as she has spent almost the entire time in hospital and we now cannot visit her in their room.
Asmeen is scheduled for a surgery on Sunday to help improve lung expantion in her chest space. After this, there is a new hope that Asmeen can breathe on her own, and perhaps could be then extubated.
Thank you for your continued prayer for this little one.
Asmeen’s mother was quite upset today when co-worker Alena and I saw her in Sheba hospital. It has been a long time now that Asmeen is intubated after her surgery, and her usually positive mum is finding it hard that she doesn’t speak much Arabic or English, but Kurdish.
Our hearts broke for her as she tearfully showed us the apps she has downloaded for learning English on her phone, as she is so desperate to be able to understand a bit more about the condition of her baby. At the moment, we can’t enter the ICU due to corona restrictions, so not being able to speak to a doctor on their behalf can compound a difficult situation for some of our parents here who speak only Kurdish.
Thankfully, God opened a way for us today, by a very kind nurse who presented our case to the Cardiologist who heads up the care of the ICU children. We were so grateful for her time, where she gave us a full explanation of Asmeen’s current situation, and plans for the future.
She explained that the surgery for the heart had been very successful, and the heart looks well. The complex problem facing Asmeen now is that she has Pulmonary Hypertension, coupled with an unusual bone structure of her ribcage. This means that although her Pulmonary Hypertension is managed well through medications, breathing is still difficult for her, as the chest cannot expand in the typical way. This is why it has not been possible to successfully extubate her as yet. The doctors are going to discuss her case and see whether a surgery can be done which might help her breathing function.
Thank God that the good news is that Asmeen in some ways is recovering well. Please pray for peace and strength for her mum, who has been in the hospital since the day of Asmeen’s first assessment now.
Asmeen’s mother was not feeling too well today. She is a very brave and easy going person, but many days in the hospital can take their toll. We got her outside for some fresh air, and she felt better. Asmeen is in the process of recovering which requires great patience, moreover she is still intubated. So please pray for her mother to remain calm and patient.
Asmeen had a CT scan today, and we hope to find out the results of this later in the week.
Our little Asmeen is still at the Pediatric Intenstive Cardiac Care Unit at Sheba Medical Centre. Her mother met me there. She looks rested and she was happy to have a visit.
Asmeen is doing well. Her physical condition is stable and yesterday, she was extubated. But she was not quite able to breathe independently as yet, so our sweet girl had to be intubated again.
She is in Gods hands, and He cares for this blessed child!
Asmeen’s heart surgery was planned for last Sunday at Sheba Medical Center, but was re-scheduled for today. Co-worker Carina and I went to the hospital to spend the waiting time with Asmeen’s mother. While Asmeen was in surgery, we found her mom to be very upset. When she saw us, she fell crying into my arms. But after a while she calmed down a bit and stopped crying.
Even though I don’t speak any Kurdish, we were able to spend a good amount of quality time while we waited. We sipped coffee and tea together and I thanked God we were able to talk at least a little bit together and understood each other from specific contexts. It was a mix of German, English and Kurdish, it was a good fellowship together.
The whole surgery of Asmeen took about five hours and thank God, everything went well. After the doctors brought her out of the surgery area, they moved Asmeen to the 6th floor. Her mother and I still had to wait in the waiting room for half an hour as staff prepared everything. We spent that time with me learning some Kurdish, and her learning some English which was fun and difficult at the same time for us both. After half an hour, we were able to get into the ICU.
The surgery was successful, thanks be to God. Please continue to pray for the lovely mother of Asmeen, that she would remain at peace, and for the precious life of little Asmeen, that for the next 24-48 hours, all concerned would be wise and vigilant as they care over this critical time of Asmeen’s recovery.
Beautiful Asmeen was wide awake when I visited her at Sheba Medical today. I was surprised at how tiny and delicate she is and how little space she took up in the crib, but her big eyes were taking in the room around her.
After many tests, she is on the schedule to receive surgery on Sunday! Her mum was excited about this news but took it with steadiness. Please pray for this lovely family as it is the first surgery of Asmeen’s young life and her mother’s first experience of major surgery for her child.
I found Asmeen sleeping in her room today, recovering from the earlier anesthesia, as she had the CT scan as arranged yesterday.Asmeen needed a scan of many areas of her body, which the doctors will look at next week, to make their assessments. Asmeen was recovering and had a tube of oxygen flow near to her which helped her saturation to read higher than usual. Mum was in a good mood, and is coping bravely in the hospital. They will stay in the hospital over the weekend before the doctors make their assessments.
Dear Asmeen had her first trip to Sheba hospital today. She is very tiny, and coped with the assessments very well. The doctor saw her echo, and also saw that she has some other problems in her body, all of which he promptly decided needed further more detailed investigation. Asmeen was swiftly admitted to the children’s unit, along with her patient and sweet mother, with the idea that she will have the CT scan for all parts of her body requiring the assessment.
Thank God that she is able to receive the assessment here, and please pray they it will be possible to treat Asmeen here.
Asmeen and her mum travelled with four other Kurdish families, arriving in Israel last night. It was a long day, and they were both tired when they arrived. Asmeen is the only child of her mother, and is three months old. She has a diagnosis of Persistent Truncus Arteriosus, which means that her oxygen level is very low. Asmeen will see the doctor on Wednesday to make a full assessment of their condition. She and mum must stay in quarantine with all the other Kurdish families for two weeks, so please pray for an easy settling-in period for them.
Today I visited Sheba Hospital and went to visit Asmeen and her mother whilst there.
Asmeen was discharged from Sheba Hospital two days ago. Her mother was happy to return to our community home, although she would have liked it if there was more progress in Asmeen’s treatment.
For now, Asmeen is taking new medications against epileptic episodes. Hopefully this will keep her stable. We want to ask for your prayer for openings in hospital schedule, so Asmeen can have her surgeries. And of course, prayer for Asmeen’s health.
Asmeen is doing better today. She was playing a game with the nurses. Every time they come in, Asmeen pretends to be asleep, so they will leave her alone. Unfortunately for her the nurses know better than that, and they will still do their work. Asmeen had several tests, like a urinal test, an ECG, an EEG and today the neurologist saw her. She is receiving antibiotics, because her urinal test gave some sign of infection. Although she doesn’t have a UTI. Please keep praying for Asmeen and for answers for her condition, so the doctors can treat it.
Asmeen is doing well enough to be discharged from Sheba Hospital today! As a result of the seizure, she will take more medication, that should prevent it from occurring again. Asmeen also saw an ENT doctor who established that she can have the surgery to close the hole in her throat. This is great news. This surgery, plus a kidney test, will be scheduled. For now, Asmeen and her mom will be with us in Ashdod, which is a joy.
Since Asmeen was hospitalized at Sheba Medical Center, she endured several tests: EEG, x-ray, blood tests, etc. Her mother is patiently waiting at Asmeen’s side. Until now there are no results from the tests, but hopefully next week we will get answers about Asmeen’s situation.
On Sunday she will see an ENT doctor. He will take a look at Asmeen’s tracheostomy site. She might be a candidate for tracheostomy closure. Please keep praying for Asmeen.
It was a peaceful morning at the Shevet house, when I received a phone call from Asmeen’s mother crying for help. Coworker Bria ran over and found Asmeen laying on the couch, completely white and unresponsive. She called an ambulance and they brought Asmeen to the nearest hospital in Ashdod, called Assuta Hospital.
In the meantime, Asmeen came back to her normal self in the hospital where doctors suspect Asmeen probably had a seizure.
At Sheba, the doctors chose to admit Asmeen in order to keep her under observation. She will get a higher dose of the medication against seizures and the doctors want to find out if her heart causes problems for her brain activity. Maybe this hospitalization will help Asmeen’s process in Israel, to get the treatment she came for. Please pray for Asmeen.
After last week’s kidney ultrasound, Asmeen had a quick consultation with the nephrologist at Sheba Hospital this morning. It seems from the ultrasound that she may have an obstruction in the ureter than drains her right kidney. The doctor wants her to have a kidney mapping scan so he can get a better idea of what exactly is happening and how it affects her kidney function. It usually takes quite a bit of time to get an appointment for this scan at Sheba, but the doctor’s secretary is working hard to get an appointment as soon as possible. We’re so grateful for both of them for their hard work for Asmeen.
Asmeen was pretty content for the short waiting time as long as she could be upside-down, which she much prefers to sitting upright.
After the appointment, we went back to our house in Ashdod, where she and another Kurdish child named Mariya got to know each other a little better.
We took Asmeen to Sheba Hospital today for an ultrasound checkup. The nurse took a look at her kidney and said that things look good. After that he brought in the doctor to look at her while her mother waited patiently. The doctor took another look and confirmed that things look good.
Asmeen had her first appointment at Sheba hospital for this time in Israel. It was just a quick appointment with the nephrologist, who reviewed her reports from Kurdistan and asked us to take her for a kidney ultrasound so he can get a better idea of her situation. We’re used to working with the cardiology department, so I’ve been a bit nervous about navigating the nephrology clinic for the first time. But it turns out there’s nothing to worry about — the head doctor and his secretary are going above and beyond for Asmeen, even scheduling all her appointments as quickly as possible. When the doctor found out Asmeen is from Kurdistan, he said “We love the Kurds! I’ll do my very best for her.” Asmeen will have her ultrasound on Thursday and then return early next week to see the nephrologist again.
Asmeen has returned to Israel after two years of being at home in Kurdistan. Asmeen was in Israel before, as you can read in the blogs below. She had a long process of recovery after her heart surgery, which ended in receiving a tracheostomy. She left Israel after nine months, escorted by two of Shevet’s gracious volunteers.
Asmeen has returned now because of her kidney problems and for the removal of her tracheostomy. Her mother is again with her and she is a lovely woman. She went back to Kurdistan three days after I arrived in Israel as a volunteer. She is talking about the previous volunteers that were here. She loves them all so much, and I can imagine that they loved Asmeen’s mother a lot as well.
This evening co-workers Colin and Nate are escorting Asmeen and her mother from Sheba hospital to Ben Gurion airport where they will then fly to Iraq with Asmeen and her mother, with one layover in between.
I met Asmeen in Janurary. Back then she was so little. Now, eight months later, she looks like a toddler.
Her mother dressed her with a special dress for traveling. and in preparation for seeing her father after all these months.
As for the strength of Asmeen’s mother, it is always easy to give comfort to others when we ourselves are not suffering, but it is infinitely more costly to provide comfort for others when we ourselves are in pain at that moment. Asmeen’s mother, in the midst of her own nine month trial, has without fail, given a great deal of love, encouragement, and solace to other Kurdish families in the midst of their crises.
Yesterday evening I was doing an admission to Sheba hospital for one of our children to its 6th floor. When I went into the ICU, there was a lovely surprise awaiting me. It was the lovely mother of Asmeen greeting me with her beautiful smile. She and little Asmeen are back at Sheba Medical Center since yesterday.
So it was lovely to see her today, and I can see that she has grown a lot. She was readily reacting to noises and her eye contact has improved which is also an improvement.
Asmeen’s mother is a great woman with a beautiful heart. She is always comforting the mothers and encouraging them. For example, she did this yesterday evening as she showed one of our new mothers how to make her bed, where the bed sheets are kept, and the floor kitchen and so on. It is a privilege to have her back, as she is such a lovely woman.
Also today she comforted some other mothers. We call her “the Queen of the ICU” and it is really nice that they all comfort each other right from the beginning. Please pray that she may continue in her beautiful patience, she has been here for such a long time with little Asmeen and there seems to be no end to it.
A few weeks ago the Alyn Rehabilitation Hospital in Jerusalem allowed the lovely mother of Asmeen to have a a little bit of rest for one day and take some rest for herself while her little Asmeen is admitted there.
I took her to our Jerusalem Guest house where some of our other Kurdish families have been for some time. She was very happy to see all of them and enjoyed they their time together. Afterwards, she was able go to the old city, visit the Mosque and get some shopping in. It’s the first time she’s been able to go outside of the hospital for about four months!
She has now returned to the hospital so today, co-worker Margarita and I visited Asmeen’s mother there. Even though she is a very strong and lovely woman, she is struggling so she cried during our visit. We told her we know that this whole time must be very difficult for her and she agreed and said she also misses her husband back in Kurdistan. We tried to encourage her that everything is in God’s hands and that we can and should trust in him. That calmed her down. She said she knows this to be true and is thankful for it.
Asmeen’s mother was outside the Sheba hospital pediatric ICU when I saw her, and she asked if I could come in to see Asmeen. It always strikes me when I see Asmeen awake, that she is so beautiful. She was moving around a lot, and kicking off her blankets; her mother commented on this with delight. She asked if there was any news for Asmeen, and my response was the same as before, that we are waiting for a bed to open up in the hospital in Jerusalem for her.
Asmeen’s mother has been the epitome of patient as she continues to wait for a space in the hospital in Jerusalem which specializes in tracheostomies. That hospitalo said they will contact Sheba hospital when there is a bed available for Asmee.
“What is this new machine?” This is one of the first questions Asmeen’s mum asked me. She was referring to the wires attached to various points around Asmeen’s head. We were in Sheba Hospital.
Today co- worker Sabrina and I visited our little girl Asmeen at Sheba Medical Centre. It was so nice to see her peacefully resting on the bed. She received a beautiful toy which also makes music. She likes to observe it and stay quiet.
The tracheostomy procedure did not take too long, perhaps around two hours. Asmeen’s mother handled the discussions with competence, now she is getting used to speaking Arabic and English. I was so proud of her! It was so great to be able to sit with her during the waiting time, and speak with her about many things, especially her life and family in Kurdistan. She is holding up well in the hospital after so long here.
When I went to visit our little Asmeen and her lovely mother at Sheba Medical Center today, she told me that Asmeen is extubated. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and wasn’t even sure if I understood her correctly from the context because she told me in Kurdish and with her hands.
Every time I visit this mother, she is happy to see me and is always asking how all the others families at our community house are doing. She is an extremely friendly woman, but she is tired and worried about staying in the hospital for so long.
I met Asmeen’s mother in the Pediatric ICU of Sheba Hospital today. She was pleased to see me, and to tell me that her lovely daughter had her surgery this morning! What a surprise!
Our little Asmeen is still at the Pediatric Intenstive Cardiac Care Unit at Sheba Medical Centre. Her mother met me there. She looks rested and she was happy to have a visit.
Asmeen’s heart surgery was planned for last Sunday at Sheba Medical Center, but was re-scheduled for today. Co-worker Carina and I went to the hospital to spend the waiting time with Asmeen’s mother. While Asmeen was in surgery, we found her mom to be very upset. When she saw us, she fell crying into my arms. But after a while she calmed down a bit and stopped crying.
Beautiful Asmeen was wide awake when I visited her at Sheba Medical today. I was surprised at how tiny and delicate she is and how little space she took up in the crib, but her big eyes were taking in the room around her.
