Baby Kenan slept soundly amidst his chaotic discharge from Sheba Hospital. The late afternoon quickly turned into evening before we were on the road to Erez Border Crossing which closed at seven.
Kenan and his grandmother shared a hospital room with another Arab family who assisted in almost every aspect of his discharge. When they heard me speaking Arabic to Kenan’s grandmother, the father of this family came over to see what was going on, and then enlisted his wife to write down the directions for how to prepare the medications in Arabic. Once she understood the medicines, Kenan’s grandmother quickly packed up her bags. Then this kind father even helped us bring all of her luggage downstairs and packed it into the Shevet van for us. The last thing he did before saying goodbye, was to make sure I saw the time, it was 5:55 p.m. The border closes at 7 and it takes about an hour to get there from Sheba without traffic. It seemed like ‘mission impossible’ to get sweet Kenan home tonight.
But the Lord really did allow for us to make it just in time. We arrived five minutes before Erez closed. Somehow, during rush-hour, there were no major traffic jams on the highway. Another blessing from God was the guard at the border allowed me to assist Kenan and his grandmother all the way into the security building on the Israeli side. Since Corona emerged back in March, they’ve taken the precaution that no one who isn’t crossing into Gaza is allowed to go that far. But I was particularly thankful that on this one occasion, I could accompany them in. Kenan’s grandmother has said since this morning, when she found out they could go home today, that it was very scary for her to cross the border when she initially arrived with Kenan. It was her first time ever crossing Erez. She asked me this morning to please take care of her because there is so much that she doesn’t know. I told her as we waited at Erez, God was indeed with us, and recounted to her that previously I was never allowed to come inside with anyone else!
Now, thank God, Kenan is back with his mum and dad after his first weeks of life were spent away from them. He will return in three weeks for doctors to check how his heart is working with the stent they placed to treat his Pulmonary Atresia. Thank you for praying for this sweet boy!
Step by step, our little friend gets better. This was confirmed by the results of Kenan’s Echo-cardiogram given today at Sheba Medical Center.
Today’s Echo also shows that his heart is working well. In addition, I discovered his antibiotics-therapy is completed. He is still receiving some fluid via vein. Nutrition for Kenan also goes slowly forward.
Kenan’s very lovely grandmother is so skilled with her grandson! She is caring well about the cute baby boy. She also takes time to help her neighbor in the room. So nice to see!
The small Kenan looks so cute in his sleep! When I came to Sheba Hospital today to visit him, he was sleeping so peacefully. His grandmother was so pleased about that, but then last night was difficult for both of them.
We discovered that little Kenan was fasting over the weekend because it was discovered that he has an abdominal infection. He was receiving nutrition via his vein.
Starting today, he can again receive milk but in small quantities. Also he is receiving an antibiotics-therapy for a while to combat the infection. We hope it will help him.
Our Lord is with peaceful little Kenan und his grandmother. Thank you so much for blessing him with your prayers.
I met Kenan and his wonderful Grandmother at the Secondary Pediatric ICU in Sheba Hospital. Both of them were doing pretty well. Kenan’s Grandmother was very open and pleased. Vital signs on the monitor above Kenan were good. But as I approached his bed, I woke him and he wasn’t too happy about that. Grandmother knew what she needed to do for her lovely grandson however. She had a syringe with glucose in it so she gave him a little bit to help him stop crying.
His doctors believe that Kenan has an abdominal infection and that it is better if he stays in hospital and be supervised
A discharge date for our little boy has to wait. Please pray for this blessed boy, that he will soon be reunited with his family in Gaza.
As I was in the Sheba Medical Center Pediatric Secondary ICU, I was delighted to see Kenan’s grandmother. She ushered me into her hospital room which she had been transferred to late last night. As we spoke about Kenan and the possibility of him returning to Gaza tomorrow or early next week, she repeated many times in Arabic that the most important thing is Kenan’s health.
“Two months… [I am here now],” she said. “As long as he goes back healthy.”
The same tender love that I saw in her expression while talking with her yesterday, is present whenever she is speaking about her grandson. She also expressed her gratitude for the excellent care of the doctors at Sheba.
Please pray for their road ahead, that in God’s timing, Kenan would be healthy enough to return to his family in Gaza.
As I left them for the evening, I thought about all the circumstances that must be just right in the order of the work of Shevet, not just on our part, but on the part of the doctors who are among the best in the world. They daily take incredible care of their patients, devote countless hours to their health, often sacrificing their own comforts to conduct surgeries and give the care their patients need.
I’m also touched by the willingness of each appointed guardian, chaperone or parent, who sacrifices much of their life and time, sometimes expense, for an unknown period of time so that a child in their family might live.
God bless the family of Kenan, his grandmother, and those waiting for their return to their home in Gaza.
At just over one week of age, Kenan had an Interventional Catheterization today. He came urgently last Friday to Sheba and has been in the Pediatric ICU waiting for a decision on the course of treatment he’d need.
His grandmother faithfully waited for the duration of the Catheterization and was so joyful after it was finished. She was beaming as she repeated “Thank God,” over and over again in Arabic.
She told co-worker Georgia and I that this was her son’s first child, and that Kenan is her very first grandchild. When we asked about how Kenan’s mother was, she said that she is crying very much over the separation from her son, so please keep this family in your prayers and for Kenan’s future.
Kenan was transferred from a hospital in Gaza to Sheba Medical Centre in Israel, arriving on Friday.
He was born only last week, on 11th January. He came to us in the care of his grandma, traveling by ambulance.
His diagnosis from the doctors in Gaza is Pulmonary Atresia. He was seen by a doctor in Gaza when he was three days old. He presented as blue, with dangerously low oxygen saturation. He was also intubated.
Thankfully, he made it safely to the Pediatric Cardiac ICU at Sheba Medical Center. He had a CT scan today, which will be discussed by the doctors tomorrow. They will then make a decision about what should be the best treatment plan for him.
