This past Wednesday we had a nice farewell party for the lovely Lia as she was finally ready to return to her family in Kurdistan. It was really nice and we shared some nice words and what we all love about Lia and her mother and how happy all of us were that we’ve met them.
It really was a privilege for us to share a bit of their lives. Lia’s mother expressed that she is very thankful to God and to the hospital and Shevet Achim. Lia’s mother is a really good mother.
This past Thursday, Sebastian and I brought Lia her lovely mother and another Kurdish family who were ready to travel back home to Kurdistan. The next day, they called us to say that they arrived back at their home in Kurdistan safely.
It was lovely to see them reunited with their loved ones and to see them very happy on the phone. Lia needs to have follow-up appointments with the cardiologist in Kurdistan. She is still on quite a few medicines which they want to wean her off of, step by step, in Kurdistan.
Thank you for your prayers during all their time here.
Our beautiful went to Sheba hospital for an echo today to check how her heart is doing on a new medication.
She needs to see the doctor on Thursday once again, but he was happy with her condition. Lia and her mum were cleared to fly back home to Kurdistan. However they will wait for this appointment which coincides with another Kurdish child’s last appointment, God willing.
Lia’s heart function has improved, but also her personality has really blossomed. She is like a new girl now, open and engaged and expressive. This is one of the best things to witness in a post-operative child, their corrected heart has far reaching implications for the better.
Lia had an echo at Sheba hospital today; we were all hopeful that this could be the final check-up for Lia before returning to Kurdistan. The doctor saw quickly on the echo that there is some fluid build-up around her heart. It’s a problem for her, as she has just weaned off of a medicine which helped this. The doctor recommended that she restarts this medication again, and therefore prefers that she stays for another echo at the start of next week to see that the medicine is helping her again.
It was not the outcome that Lia’s mother had hoped for today. It isn’t just that she is still unable to return to her family in Kurdistan, but moreso that that Lia is not recovering as well as she had hoped for. Lia is so precious to her mother and it’s not nice to think of Lia continuing to be unwell, even if on the outside she seems to be in a wonderful condition. We have in fact seen a big change in Lia in the past week or so, becoming more chatty and confident, eating everything and generally always being in a happy mood.
Lia’s mother did not let the disappointment of today’s appointment prevent her from making a beautiful cake to celebrate the happy departures of some other Kurdish children, leaving in the coming days. Lia’s mum is very talented and creative. She also spent the rest of the afternoon making beautiful beaded necklaces as gifts for us.
We also hope that Lia and her mother will be able to go and spend a few days at our guesthouse in Jerusalem tomorrow; as there is time now. God knows the best timing for them to return safely to Kurdistan.
Please pray for Lia as she starts again on her strong medication.
Lia had an echo today at Sheba hospital, and the doctor was happy with how she is recovering from the surgery.
We too at home see the changes in Lia since the surgery. She is brighter and seems more alert and full of energy. She is much chattier, making lots of noises and interacting with more confidence with all of us which is a big joy.
She will continue with a plan to wean her medications even further before having another echo next week.
We returned home to a nice lunch and a visit from a Kurdish-background Israeli friend of Shevet Achim.
Lia’s lovely mum is hoping it will be possible for a visit to Jerusalem later in the week, which will be special for her and Lia.
Less than one week after her surgery, Lia has been discharged from Sheba hospital. She and her mother are truly so wonderful to live with, and Georgia and I both said before how good it will be to have them with us again in our community home.
I’m so happy for both of them, that they are on the other side of the surgery, and Lia’s mother can be relieved for her girl.
Please continue to pray for Lia’s life; really praise God for the difference this operation will make for her life.
We saw Lia’s mother on the phone, outside the intermediate department of Sheba hospital’s pediatric ICU. She was full of joy and we hugged each other. It was clear Lia has made some good progress over the weekend.
Lia’s doctor told me today that her echo was very good, but Lia is with a small amount of fluid around her heart. For this reason, they started her on some steroid medication, which the doctor is hopeful will clear the fluid. If it’s successful, it will most likely mean that Lia could be discharged tomorrow.
Lia is looking beautiful and I think a little more grown up since the surgery. Her mother is so happy, and her happiness is infectious. We really miss their presence at home; they are a very special pair.
When I went to the ICU at Sheba hospital today to visit Lia and her mom, I found Lia was still intubated and sleeping due to medicine she is taking.
With a big smile on her face, Lia’s mother showed me Lia’s oxygen level which is very good now. The doctors told her that Lia is doing very well, but that it will take some time for Lia to recover from her surgery.
God willing, Lia is recovering step by step. Her mother is a very nice woman. She expressed today how good the doctors are at the hospital and that she is thankful for them. Thank you for your prayers for this cute girl and her lovely mother.
Early this morning, Lia was prepared for her surgery and one of the friendly nurses was washing her. She quite enjoyed this, laughing as it went on. Her lovely mother showed me the picture she took of Lia during this prep.
Afterwards, Lia was taken into surgery. Doctors wanted to close the VSD. When I arrived to the hospital, I joined Lia’s mother for the waiting time. She was praying and concerned for her daughter. She was happy when she saw me there, knowing she was not alone. The waiting time was spent a lot on the phone speaking with relatives whom she knew were also praying for her and of course they wanted to know how Lia was doing.
In between times, Lia’s lovely mother also cried a bit because she was worried. Then the doctor came out to tell us the surgery was going well so far. This update calmed Lia’s mother down a bit. So we continued to wait.
The surgery was quicker than expected. When the doctor came out again to tell us they finished the surgery and everything went as planned, and I explained that to her, she hugged me and was very happy. She was a changed woman. She immediately thanked God by getting down on her knees and praying. It was wonderful to see that she knows to whom she must give thanks.
After the doctor told us the good news of a successful surgery, it took them an additional hour to close her chest and bring her out of surgery. When she was finally rolled out, her mother was very happy to be close to Lia again. They brought her to the ICU on the 6th floor and when we went there, we still had to wait for some time because they were working on stabilizing Lia. For Lia’s mother, that wasn’t a problem at all. She said as long as Lia is good, she didn’t have a problem with waiting.
We were joined by some of our other Kurdish mothers in hospital. They were a pleasant comfort for Lia’s mother as they shared lovely community. Thank you for your prayers for the surgery. Please continue to keep this beautiful girl in your prayers, that she may recover well now.
After some weeks of patient waiting, Lia’s mother brought her baby today to Sheba hospital, to be admitted ahead of her surgery tomorrow.
They both looked wonderful today, Lia’s mum in a very modern all black outfit, and Lia in a beautiful white jacket with pink beads sewn into it. Lia is a real treasure to her mother. As we spoke about traveling to Israel for the surgery, Lia’s mother expressed, “Lia is my eyes!” This doesn’t translate so well into English, but it is a beautiful way of saying how precious her baby is, and how Lia’s mother and family have done everything they can to help get Lia the surgery she needs.
Lia and her mother, along with a few other families, have moved now into our home, and we all have been extremely pleased for the opportunity to get a bit more time with Lia’s mother. She is an extremely pleasant lady, never pushing herself to the front, but is steady, kind and quietly generous. We have noticed many examples where she looks out to make sure that others are not left out, and is never complaining about any delays in Lia’s treatment.
A fun experience today at the clinic was that the ECG technician spoke Farsi, which Lia’s mother also knows.
Lia was admitted to the pediatric ICU this afternoon and won the hearts of everyone there. Many doctors and nurses stopped to put their heads into Lia’s room and exclaim how beautiful and sweet she is. One of them even brought her a doll to welcome her in.
Please pray for lovely Lia going into her surgery tomorrow, and for her mum alongside her tonight.
This morning the hospital called and said Lia will be discharged today, just one day after her cath. So I went there to collect Lia and her mom.
When I arrived, both were already waiting, the papers were ready, the bags already packed, so we could leave immediately.
The driving was fine, all in all a very quick and smooth discharge. The nurse in the hospital told me that the cath yesterday was fine and that Lia is doing well, thank God! She will have a follow-up in one week, now she‘s staying with her mother in our house in Jaffa.
Lia’s mother has waited so patiently for Lia’s diagnostic catheterization day to come because it must take place before a surgery.
Lia was not taken into the procedure until around one in the afternoon, and her mother continued to entertain Lia throughout the morning. She told me how grateful she was and happy that Lia is such a content child. Today Lia was happy to watch lots of videos of Kurdish dances and play with some toys in her bed, followed by sleeping so she perhaps didn’t even realize she was fasting.
Her mum coped beautifully when Lia was taken into the catheterization, shedding a few tears, but also looking out for the other parents around her who also had children in surgery.
Shortly after Lia’s catheterization began, the air raid sirens sounded, and we all were ushered into the bomb shelter room. This was fairly upsetting for Lia’s mother, not knowing of the safety condition her daughter was in, even as we waited and listened to explosions overhead.
Thankfully, the sirens did not sound for long, and not too long again after we exited the shelter, Lia was brought out of the cath.
The doctor gave the good news that Lia was in a good condition. The outcome of the cath is to be discussed with the team of doctors, but the cardiologist today felt that it is likely Lia can have a surgery to close her VSD, however it might be with some risk to Lia.
It was a lot of information and a lot of emotions to process and think about all at one time, but thankfully with Lia in a good condition sleeping in her room, it meant that her mum could go to her side and focus on being with her in the moment.
Little Lia was admitted to Sheba hospital today because she is having a cath tomorrow. When we arrived at the hospital, the first thing done for her was an Echo and ECG.
After the Echo and the ECG, we had to wait until the room for Lia was ready. She is admitted to the intermediate pediatric ICU and is having her cath tomorrow.
Her mother is doing fine and is familiar with the hospital already, since she has spent some time there. Thank you for your prayers for this precious little girl and for her mother, and the whole family.
Lia was discharged today back to our shared home in Jaffa. It’s good to see her happy and feeling well again, and also to see her mother calm and no longer worried about Lia’s health.
The pair seem to have made an impression in the hospital, as when we departed. many people waved goodbye and wished them well. From what I have seen already, Lia’s mother is generous with her friendship, and keen to test out her English and Arabic skills, so I’m not surprised that she has connected with so many people in her short stay at Sheba.
Lia will return to hospital again later in the week, as she is scheduled for a diagnostic catheterisation on Thursday, which thankfully she now seems to be well enough to undergo.
Lia has been fighting off a cold for the past week. Her mother was bravely at her side, caring for Lia diligently and doing her best to patiently nurse her back to full health. Today though, as Lia has some sores on her mouth, she was not drinking milk so well, and her mother was worried Lia might be in pain, and with a bad chest.
We spent the day at the hospital with Lia enduring the full and thorough range of tests. The doctor’s decision was to hospitalize her; although she does not seem in too poor a condition, there are some unanswered questions, or ‘red flags,’ which meant that he was not satisfied to send her home.
Lia’s mum accepted the news of preferred hospitalization with calmness as ever, always putting her daughter’s health first.
Please pray for Lia to recover from her illness, and be healthy enough to continue with her cardiac treatments.
Two year old Lia came to the hospital today. She was scheduled for a cath tomorrow, so this day was to be her admission. After completing all of the pre-procedure tests, the doctor checked her and saw that she had a cough which puts her at risk in the cath, so it will now be at a later date. Her mum was so understanding and good natured about it.
Lia and her mum have a lovely relationship, and it was clear that her mum is both worried about Lia’s condition, and an expert in keeping her baby happy.
Lia’s echo was fairly long, but she coped very well, with her mother’s help. She met a few other Kurdish families during the waiting period.
The doctor said that Lia first needs to have a catheterisation to check the pulmonary pressure before a decision can be made about her suitability for surgery, so we will wait for this to be scheduled.
Lia was collected today at the Jordanian border crossing along with another four Kurdish families. We’re so happy to have them here with us. Lia will be two years old this week.
She traveled here with her grandmother while her mother and father in Kurdistan are caring for her five other siblings. Her grandmother’s phone has pictures primarily of their family stored in it. She proudly showed us each of her grandchildren, especially dressed up for Newroz, the Kurdish new year which was a few weeks ago. Please pray for them both as they adjust to Israel and begin treatment at Sheba hospital!
This past Wednesday we had a nice farewell party for the lovely Lia as she was finally ready to return to her family in Kurdistan. It was really nice and we shared some nice words and what we all love about Lia and her mother and how happy all of us were that we’ve met them.
This past Thursday, Sebastian and I brought Lia her lovely mother and another Kurdish family who were ready to travel back home to Kurdistan. The next day, they called us to say that they arrived back at their home in Kurdistan safely.
