Today I went with Mohammed and his mother to a pulmonary appointment in the children’s hospital at Sheba. The doctor was very nice, and the appointment was pretty fast.
She told us that she is not worried about anything according to his lungs. They look good, and a little strained breathing is normal for him, and it will be that way in the future. The doctor was a little bit concerned about his weight because he isn’t gaining a normal amount. So we will try to talk with a dietitian to figure out why he is not eating as much as he should.
After that very short day, we got the chance to drive them back to Gaza. We thank God that Mohammed is doing so well, and pray he will continue getting better.
Muhammad Albiari is not a fan of the hospital at all, and his fear goes deeper than just his visits. He doesn’t like things that remind him of the hospital, such as the color white or coats that look like a doctor’s coat. So we were very proud of how brave he was today at Sheba Hospital when getting his heart echo.
After a short wait, he was called in for an echo, and despite being afraid and crying some, he was cooperative with the doctors and very brave through the entire situation. When it was done, we were greeted with good news! His heart was in tip-top shape, and healing well. They scheduled another routine appointment in six months, and we pray we shall be met with the same results.
On the way back he had peace during the car ride. All the crying might have tired him out.
Mohammed came back to us yesterday for his dietary follow-up. He’s a bright and shy little boy who doesn’t make much sound, but looks around him with clear intelligence. His mother spoke excellent English, so I was mostly able to relax and not worry about translation during their visit. Mohammed never fully warmed up to me–he thought I was a doctor, and like many of our children, was subsequently afraid of me–but by the end of the trip he was a bit more comfortable. And I took a supermodel-level photo of him before he went back to Gaza:
The follow-up gave him a path forward for the next six months and plausibly longer, a daily diet that will help him get the weight and health he needs to continue growing. We’ll see him again in September for his next cardiac follow-up.
Today cute Mohammed had his dietary appointment at Sheba Hospital which he waited for with us in our Ashdod community house. Mohammed doesn’t like the hospital at all as he probably has many not good memories there. As soon as he found out where we were going, he was in a bad mood and only wanted to be with his mom.
His dietician talked a lot with his mother about what Mohammed is eating and what the problems are. He is not swallowing a lot of normal food but mainly drinking milk still. His mother and the doctor made a plan together how they can motivate him more to eat normal food and Mohammed may also need some other appointments to find out if there is another medical problem as to why he doesn’t want to swallow normal food.
At the end of the day, we brought a much happier Mohammed and his mother back to Erez and we are excited to see them again in a couple of months. Please pray for them and their family!
Mohammed had a follow up appointment in the Pulmonary Department of Sheba Medical Center today. We collected both him and his mother up at the Gaza border and brought them to the hospital.
Once he had eaten something, he was in a good mood and enjoyed the hospital, apart from the appointment itself, looking around and discovering new and very interesting things such as the animals on the walls. His mother was a little worried because he’s not swallowing food so well and also doesn’t talk yet. Happily he will also have a dietary appointment in two days where his mother will have a chance to ask the doctor about this.
Mohammed’s pulmonary doctor said today that from her view Mohammed’s doing well apart from a few coughs he has from time to time. For his cough he got a special type of medicine which should help him.
Since he’s having another appointment soon, he and his mother will stay in our Ashdod Community house for a few days. He is already enjoying the time here, playing with the toys and getting to know other children his age. We are glad to have them and are especially enjoying the time with his mother. She is a very kind and fun person who knows English very well. After only a few hours in the house, she already helped us with translating since other families in the house don’t know English. Thank you for praying for him and his mother.
It was a beautiful sunny day today and spring was in the air as we collected Mohammed and his mother from a warm Erez Border crossing. Mohammed was here for a follow up Echo appointment and was called in as soon as we had checked in at the reception desk. Even though Mohammed didn’t like the Echo procedure, he put on a brave face and faced his time on the table admirably.
Everything from the Echo looked good which was great news. Mohammed is having problems eating so the doctor has recommended we talk to the Gastrologic specialist at Mohamed’s appointment which is in about seven days about possibly a CT scan to explore more clearly the reasons for his eating problems.
Well Mohamed got to spend some quality time with mom in the waiting area, playing before the quiet trip back to Gaza and a well-earned sleep on the way back. Please pray the doctors can find what is causing Mohammed’s eating problems and that he would stay happy and healthy. I am looking forward to seeing Mohammed and his mother again in seven days with their awesome smiles and positive outlook on life.
After staying with us in our community home in Ashdod for a few days waiting for his appointment, Mohamed had a pulmonary follow up appointment today at Sheba Hospital, and the results were very good. The doctor was very happy with Mohammed’s progress since the last follow up.
The recommendation from the doctor was a nutritionist and swallowing appointment. Mohammed has gained weight slowly. He still is not eating so much food and also is having some coughs when he is drinking.
Mohammed was so afraid of the doctors, but later during his X-ray, he was more relaxed.
At the end of his hospital visit, Mohammed found a friend and was kicking a ball around in Sheba’s hallways. So Mohammed is showing a good improvement overall, we will see him again in six months for the next follow up appointment.
There was only a routine echo appointment at Sheba Hospital for Mohammed on the schedule when coworker Yukako and I collected him and is chaperone, his mother, from the Gaza border.
Having arrived at Sheba Medical Center, we waited in the treatment room for the doctor. Suddenly, Mohammed started to cry there. But while Yukako and I just looked at each other helplessly, Mohammed’s mother knew how to remedy the situation. Without further ado, she took one of the plastic gloves and blew it up like a balloon. Thereupon Mohammed stopped crying, and played with the newly won toy. His mother explained to us, “You learn tricks like this quickly as a mother of several children.”
After the doctor finished the echo, he told us that Mohammed was doing very well. He couldn’t find anything abnormal and was happy about the good development. Therefore, the next routine appointment is in six months again. How good that God faithfully cares for his children like a father.
When Jonathan and I arrived at the Gaza border this morning to pick up Mohammed, his mother greeted us with a big smile and a hug. Mohammed was a bit more timid and preferred to stick close to his mom. Together, we drove to Sheba hospital for his echo appointment.
Mohammed didn’t much enjoy the exam process, but it helped that the echo technician encouraged his mom to snuggle him during the echo. We were glad to hear that the results of the echo are very good. There is a small amount of regurgitation in one of the valves, but his doctor assured us that this is normal for children with Mohammed’s heart defect and repair surgery, and it is not causing any problems at the moment. He will need to come back in a couple of months for another check-up, but for now he can go back home to Gaza without any worries.
By the end of the day, Mohammed had cheered up quite a bit and was even willing to give me a shy smile in the elevator– but just for me, not for the camera.
Today, coworker Willem and I picked up Mohammed and his mother at the Erez Border Crossing. We were both very happy to hear how well Mohammed’s mother could speak English. It was so nice to talk with her on our way to the hospital.
Also, little Mohammed’s pulmonology appointment went very well. The doctor was very pleased and said, “He is in a very good condition.” Mohammed will return in six months for the next checkup, with an x-ray included.
Today is also the Purim Festival, so it was quite fun to be in the hospital. Some nurses dressed up nicely for the kids and there were many balloons.
I would like to share something else with you, something Mohammed’s mother shared with me. She was telling us about two months she had spent in the past, in the hospital. During this time, our dear coworkers Georgia, Alena and Sabrina became family to her. She was telling us how much these girls mean to her and that she, back in Gaza, always talks about them.
“They are like a second family to me.”
This really touched my heart and encouraged me to build up relationships with the mums we are visiting in the hospital for weeks. We can have an impact on their lives. And when they see Jesus in us, what a great impact it can have!
Let’s thank God for the good condition of Mohammed and lets also pray that God uses us to touch the hearts of the families of Gaza and Kurdistan.
Yesterday, Mohammed Albiary was scheduled to travel from Gaza into Israel to Sheba Medical Center for an echocardiogram for doctors to better see the condition of his heart.
The doctor said that everything looked great. They would like to see him in six months from now for a check-up echo. His mother is such a kind and friendly woman, it was nice to be able to spend the time waiting with her.
Co-worker Rachel and I went to the Erez crossing border this morning to collect this handsome boy. It was some months ago that I’ve seen him and his lovely mother and he was really small then and not in his best condition.
I was really happy today when I saw his mother outside of Erez and couldn’t believe how much Mohammed has grown in these past months. He had to come back today to see the pulmonologist and according to the doctor he is doing excellent, praise the Lord!
It was a really quick and nice appointment and the doctor was really friendly and happy that Mohammed was doing so well. He wants to see him again in three month’s time from now.
It’s always really nice when the families that you know very well have to come back for follow-up appointments and you see how much the children have grown and you can spend some time with them. Mohammed is a charming, cute little boy now, and he has to come back in January for his heart follow-up.
Please pray for him and his lovely, good mother to have a good time again back with their family in Gaza and that this cute boy continues to be in a good condition.
We shall all miss handsome little Mohammed and his sweet mum. The Kurdish families whom she has been living with this week, consider her a sister, and have swapped clothes to remember each other by.
Mohammed had a great echo; the doctor commented that he is surprised that the baby is looking so very well. A different picture to what was seen a few weeks ago.
Mohammed saw the pulmonary doctor as well, who also was pleased with his condition.
In conclusion, both doctors felt Mohammed was so well, he could return to Gaza. His mother wanted to say a happy farewell to all the nurses and doctors who have helped her and her baby during these weeks.
We look forward to seeing her again and seeing how Mohammed has grown when he returns for his next check-up.
Sweet Mohammed and his mum have been discharged from Sheba hospital. It is good news, as he is getting better and bigger and stronger!
He needs to return in a week for an echo and check up at the pulmonary clinic also, and so they will stay with us in Jaffa for this time, which is a blessing for all of us, to be able to spend time with both Mohammed and his very lovely mother.
Mohammed had to be placed on high flow oxygen as his respiration suddenly increased rapidly while his oxygen dropped. Initially his mother was worried he must be reintubated, but while he is receiving a lot of oxygen support, she is happy he is not on mechanical ventilation.
Please keep praying for this beautiful boy and the road ahead for him.
This beautiful boy has been extubated and is only now with oxygen. His mother is so, so happy and apparently Mohammed is too. She captured his first smile after his extubating!
His condition has improved and he is being slowly introduced to feeding orally. His mother is an outstanding caretaker, and I think that much of Mohammed’s progress stems not only from the excellent medical care, but also from his mother’s keen eye for her precious little Mohammed.
Thanks be to God for this lovely boy and his big smile.
“He is so tired and he is trying to tell me something; I can feel it.”
These were the words of Mohammed’s lovely mother today during my visit with them at Sheba hospital. Our little boy is extubated again and he was crying a lot during my visit. His mother is generally a really happy woman, never complaining about anything, smiling a lot. I love to visit her because she has that beautiful attitude of smiling and giving her love to other people no matter what circumstances she is in. It is lovely to be a witness of that attitude and I can learn a lot from her.
However, the happiest of women are sad sometimes and today was Mohammed’s mother’s day for sadness as she looked at her beloved little son wanting to help him, but could not. She said she knows that God can help him and she continues to pray for him.
She really has a beautiful attitude in the whole situation but that doesn’t mean it is easy for her. So please join me in prayer for this lovely mother and for Mohammed.
Mohammed’s breathing became very labored recently even though in the days after his surgery, he seemed to be improving. This caused his mother a great deal of alarm. His doctors saw that Mohammed’s trachea had narrowed and in order to breathe, needed to be reintubated, or placed back on mechanical ventilation.
His mother has asked for prayer for her son. This remarkable lady has beautiful faith in God, and is in many ways an encouragement to my own.
We love her and Mohammed dearly. Please pray for his recovery with us.
Mohammed is extubated after his surgery, and his mum is very happy for this improvement. In the midst of this joy for her own son, she has been a very good friend to some of the other mothers from Kurdistan who experienced the tragic loss of a baby recently. She texted me the day after this sad event to ask after the child’s mother.
This lovely boy is just one month old and today underwent surgery to correct the Tetralogy of Fallot at Sheba Medical Center. His mother, an English speaker, has already researched his condition extensively and picked up very well the intricacies of the procedure.
The surgery took about five hours. After he came out of the OR, she wanted to tell everyone on the ward! Some of our Kurdish families in hospital at this time, were also checking on her even though they’d just met her. There was shared joy when the surgeon came out to say that the operation was successful.
Mohammed’s surgery was scheduled for last week, but today was different. Even before she knew for sure that he would have surgery today, she said she knew in her heart that he would and a mother’s heart always knows. All the doctors of the ward she was in, commented on how wonderful Mohammed’s mother is and how well she cares for her son. She is quite a uniquely remarkable woman.
It was a beautiful day today, we pray there are no complications as he recovers.
Baby Mohammed came urgently to Sheba today from Gaza, for treatment for multiple heart defects. His mother was well up to date on his condition, as she said that her father is a nurse and could help her understand everything.
While it is often that babies from Gaza come in an emergency situation, hearing the story of each individual family makes me realize I couldn’t imagine what they go through. For many guardians, this is the first time they are outside of their city, with a newborn baby that traveled between Erez checkpoint and two ambulances.
But one thing his mother mentioned today, was that she found comfort in the warmth and receptivity of the hospital staff. We are so thankful for Sheba hospital taking on these difficult and urgent cases, and treating every child with compassion and love.
Please pray for this little one as he undergoes treatment.
Baby Mohammed was born in Gaza just four days after the end of recent fighting there. When doctors saw he was blue, they sent him for an urgent echocardiogram. This revealed he has pulmonary atresia which can only be treated in Israel.
He is being kept alive by administration of the medicine prostaglandin, which keeps open a crucial duct to the heart which normally closes after birth. The Sheba Medical Center has agreed to accept him today and our coworker Amar is working to transfer him by ICU ambulance
Today I went with Mohammed and his mother to a pulmonary appointment in the children’s hospital at Sheba. The doctor was very nice, and the appointment was pretty fast.
She told us that she is not worried about anything according to his lungs. They look good, and a little strained breathing is normal for him, and it will be that way in the future. The doctor was a little bit concerned about his weight because he isn’t gaining a normal amount. So we will try to talk with a dietitian to figure out why he is not eating as much as he should.
