Today our good old friend Kenan and his wonderful mother came again for an echo at Sheba. It was a day full of long waiting hours for them. First they had to wait at Erez, then we had to wait for hours for the echo and then for the doctor and in the end we needed the report for Kenan so that he could go home.
Kenan didn’t mind all this waiting time. He improved his driving skills with the cars in the echo area, made friends with another girl from Shevet and practiced walking and talking with us. He is a very cute boy and we missed him a lot in the last weeks.
In the end, Kenan’s doctor was very happy with Kenan’s heart. His condition is good and his heart is beating strong. For now there is no reason to worry and Kenan will come back in three more months for another echo.
We will also see him again in three weeks for a dietary appointment and I’m looking forward to seeing his mom again who makes every hospital so much fun! Thank you God for all those good results from today. It’s a miracle to see Kenan doing so well after we were so afraid before his last big surgery and if we remember in what condition he was when he first arrived in Israel, we can be very thankful indeed.
Only six days after his discharge from Sheba Hospital, after his big surgery, we brought our good friend Kenan back to the hospital for an echo today. It was an exciting day for especially his mom as today we learned about the decisions from the doctors, if Kenan needs a pacemaker implanted or not.
Thank God he surprised us with the good news that Kenan is doing very well, that he doesn’t need a pacemaker and that he can go hometo Gaza today. After all the fun time we had with him and his mother in Ashdod, we are a little bit sad to say goodbye now, but we are looking forward to seeing them again for an echo in one month.
Thank you Lord for Kenan’s great recovery and that he can finally go back to his family today!
Kenan has been given permission to stay in our community home in Ashdod for the week. He had a Holter test and with the results from this, the doctors at Sheba Hospital will decide next week if he needs an implanted pacemaker.
Kenan’s mother is very happy to be in a different environment from the hospital for a week. The drive is long, it is busy on the road. In Ashdod, Kenan is going to play nicely, he is having a good time.
Coworker Jonas and I thank God for his care and love for Kenan and his mother.
Our sweet Kenan was moved to intermediate ICU today. However, when we looked in his room this morning he wasn’t there. Instead, he was hanging out with his mother outside in front of the hospital! His mother says that he never wants to go back inside his hospital room, and that he’d rather sleep outside.
He is doing very well, and enjoyed playing with coworker Jakob for a while. After the first day of Sukkot on Monday is over, he will have a 24-hour Holter test to watch electrical signals in his heart. The results of the test will tell the doctors whether he will need an internal pacemaker or not. It’s so wonderful to have our cute Kenan back to his normal self – Praise God!
Please pray for good results from his Holter test.
We visited Kenan at Sheba Hospital today and he was doing well. His mother and he played some games, and blowing bubbles. Kenan was made up as a lion. Fortunately, a lion with a balloon.
Kenan’s mother gives God all the credit and also thanks for making it possible for Kenan to have surgery. It is not yet clear about the placement of a pacemaker, the doctor said a decision will be made in a week. It depends on the further recovery. A prayer point.
Kenan was doing well today and could even sit in his stroller for a while. He played with his stuffed animal and tried to tell us some stories in his own baby language. His nurse told us he is on an external pacemaker and they will track his progress for the next 7-10 days until they decide if he needs a pacemaker implanted. He doesn’t need oxygen support anymore. Kenan’s happiness brightened the day of all the volunteers at the ICU today and we’re happy that he was so good today.
We want to pray for Kenan’s recovery and the next few days where the doctors will decide if he needs a pacemaker. Pray for his parents so that they don’t have to worry so much.
Coworker Elise and I were so glad to hear from Kenan’s doctor at Sheba Hospital today that Kenan is stable, only needs a minimum of oxygen support, and is slowly improving after his big surgery a few days ago.
Right now, Kenan still has a long-term ECG, which should help the doctors to check on the electrical problems in his heart. The doctors even consider giving him a pacemaker, Doctors are still concerned about Kenan’s electrical problems in his heart and they’ve considered placing a pacemaker for him. But for now it’s important for Kenan to fully recover from his surgery.
Earlier his mother tried to explain to us that Kenan was really tired these last days. We could see she struggles with seeing her son like this in his bed instead of jumping around and playing. She really cares for her son and before we could take a picture of him, she had to make sure to brush his hair.
You can continue to pray for Kenan that he keeps improving and even as he continues his treatment, that everything goes well for him. Please also pray for his mother who is really worried for him.
Kenan’s surgery was supposed to be the first thing in the morning at Sheba Hospital, but when coworkers Petra and Craig arrived in hospital, they heard that there is another emergency surgery.
Our little hungry boy was waiting until 1:30 until they finally took him to OR. Now there were starting long hours of waiting and praying together. Kenan’s mother was understandably nervous but very strong. After five hours the doctors told us that the surgery went all well and they are closing his chest now. During Kenan’s last echo, his doctor wasn’t sure whether they could fix his heart or if they will have to reroute all the blood in his body, as they do in single ventricle defects.
Today after the surgery the doctors told us that they were able to successfully fix his heart and to the Tetralogy of Fallot repair surgery. They patched the whole between the lower chambers of the heart and widened his pulmonary artery. We are very thankful for those great news!After another hour of waiting,
Kenan was back in his room and again two hours later his relieved mom was finally allowed to go to him.
Thank you Lord for this successful surgery! Please help Kenan to recover well!
Our sweet Kenan, who went to Sheba Hospital’s ER on Monday night with low oxygen, is feeling much better today.
When I came in to visit him and his mother, he was pulling himself up to stand at the side of his hospital crib, and played a lively game of “I throw, you fetch,” with his mother.
He would throw a toy down to the ground, then his mother would give it back to him – again and again and again. I blew up one of the hospital gloves for him to play with, and he was also very excited about that. He tried very hard to pop it.
It’s hard to believe that this lively boy was rushed to the hospital with low oxygen just two days ago, and that even now his oxygen is only 75%. However, that is the way it is – and he needs his next surgery as soon as possible. Fortunately, he is first in line for surgery tomorrow morning. His mother is very worried about his surgery.
Please pray that all will go well, that God will guide the doctors’ hands and keep little Kenan safe. Please pray that God will be with Kenan’s mother, to comfort and strengthen her as she worries about his surgery.
Late in the evening, Kenan’s very concerned mom brought him over to the staff house. After a month of increasingly frequent tet spells (episodes of oxygen desaturation), he was having a much more severe episode than usual, struggling to breathe and with a very high heart rate.
We brought him straight to the emergency room at Sheba. During the car ride, Kenan’s oxygen slowly came back up and his breathing and heart rate slowed to normal. Even so, when we arrived at the ER, the doctor decided right away to admit him for monitoring.
We waited several hours for a room to be ready for him. This was no problem for Kenan, who is the happiest child I’ve ever seen in the hospital. He loved the plastic shofar the nurse gave him to play with,
the piano,
and the big colorful fish in the waiting room, and all the attention from the doctors.
and all the attention from the doctors. Many of the doctors and nurses recognized him from his lengthy hospital stay some months ago and were amazed by how much he’s grown.
Kenan is now resting safely in the pediatric ward for observation while the doctors decide what to do for him next.
This morning coworker Jan and I picked up our good friend Kenan at Erez. His mother directly greeted me with a big smile and a “Marhaban Um Kenan,” as we are always joking that we switch roles and I am Kenan’s mom while she is volunteering at Shevet.
Before Kenan had his echo, his mom already told us that Kenan was in the hospital in Gaza a few days ago as his oxygen levels dropped to 50. Also in the echo, his numbers haven’t been very good and so his doctor decided that it is time for his next surgery. The doctors will discuss his case this week and then call him soon for a cath before surgery or directly for surgery. In the meantime, Kenan and his mom will wait with us in Ashdod and we will enjoy our time together with them.
Please pray that Kenan will stay safe in his time here and for wisdom for his doctors!
Today, coworker Elise and I went together with Kenan and his mom to an appointment in the dietary clinic at Sheba Hospital. Because we were really early, we still needed to wait for about two hours. We used this time to learn some Arabic with Kenan’s mom and she taught us some new really useful words. She even told us that she taught the volunteers yesterday also some new words and it was so nice to see how she enjoys helping us learn Arabic.
Kenan was really funny today and was smiling a lot. He enjoyed faking his cough and seeking all the attention which made us and his mom truly laugh at him. We really enjoyed waiting with them for their appointment.
After asking some questions the doctor said that Kenan is improving well. He‘s eating well like he should do and gained a little weight. In three months, Kenan will have to return for a follow-up appointment.
Kenan’s mother was a little worried about his bowel movement, but the doctor assured everything is okay and that she doesn’t need to worry.
After the appointment Kenan was really tired and fell asleep. Fortunately he and his mother were able to return home to Gaza afterwards.
A CT and neurological check-up. That was today’s plan for eleven-month-old Kenan. Because of the CT, he couldn’t have eaten anything for six hours beforehand and his mood wasn’t the best. While we waited a long time for the CT, Kenan kept crying, his mother showed strong nerves. She pushed the pram up and down and even helped coworker Lena and I to learn some Arabic vocabulary.
After Kenan was done with the CT, the doctors observed his condition for 1 1/2 hours in the recovery room. There he slept well and, thank God, was able to leave the room refreshed. In about a week we will receive the results of the appointment, for which you are welcome to pray.
But that was not the end of the day for Kenan. In the neurology clinic, for example, the doctor tested his ability to respond to stimuli and asked the mother questions about his current stage of development. Thank God, Kenan has been making good progress. He still applies to catch up, but follow-ups are no longer necessary. It’s enough if his reflexes and motor skills are stimulated every day with exercises and toys. How beautiful it is to see God bringing improvement in Kenan – Let us praise the Lord!
Kenan had a nice straightforward dietary appointment today at Sheba Hospoital.
He is steadily gaining weight, though he also lost a little bit since his last appointment. The doctor wants him to eat more solid food and less milk so he’ll grow better.
He was very sweet while we were waiting, and enjoyed listening while his mom and I played a toy xylophone there. Please pray that this little boy will grow bigger and stronger.
This morning we brought Kenan and his mom again to Sheba hospital for another dietary appointment. Surprisingly, we saw that he was gaining weight which is very good. The doctor was still a little worried that he is not eating enough and was thinking about maybe placing an NG tube next time he comes, but first she wanted to talk to his cardiologist again.
For now Kenan is fine, he is getting grape sugar additional to his milk and he can go back to Gaza until his neurology appointment at the beginning of August.
I had a lot of fun with Kenan and his cheerful mother as we were waiting for his appointment. Kenan loved to play with me, so his mother joked that I am his mother today, and she is working for Shevet Achim. We were laughing a lot and enjoyed our time together.
Let us pray for his wonderful mother and especially for Kenan, that he will gain more weight back in Gaza!
Our happy boy had a priority echo at Sheba Hospital today, after staying a couple of days in our community home in Ashdod.
Today was a good opportunity to discuss all the aspects of Kenan’s condition with his doctor, especially after his dietary appointment last week and a brain CT he already had in Gaza.
Now with a better view of him and his improvement, the doctor determined Kenan still needs a neurology appointment and a chest CT, to determine what the next steps will be for him.
Today at Sheba Hospital, Kenan had a nutritionist appointment so we collected them from the Erez Border Crossing.
Kenan didn’t show good numbers today, losing weight faster and according to his mother, doesn’t have so much appetite. The doctor knew this could be a possibility, and requested that Kenan stay with us in Ashdod. We’re glad to have these amazing people in our community home, so that’s good news for us.
The doctor will see Kenan next week and according to Kenan’s condition, they will consider the option of placing a peg tube. When he was hospitalized before, the doctors wanted to give him a peg tube in his stomach because he wasn’t gaining weight even at that time.
The doctor changed Kenan’s dose of medication and supplements, and requests a follow-up appointment in two weeks.
Today, young Kenan crossed the border with his mother from Gaza to Israel for an echo appointment at Sheba Hospital. They were relieved to get into the air conditioned van at Erez, as it was a particularly hot day.
The results of the appointment were positive.
Kenan is stable enough to continue growing older and stronger back home in Gaza while the doctors monitor his condition and wait for the best time to admit him for surgery. The doctor encouraged Kenan’s mother to feed him generously with oils and fruits to build his body up.
It was a joy to see Kenan’s eyes lighting up in the hospital. Pictures of children on the wall, blinking lights, and our face masks were all of particular interest to him.
His curiosity kept us on our toes and provided levity to a hospital visit that can be very stressful.
We are looking forward to seeing this child again, all in the Lord’s timing of course. Please pray that Kenan’s body continues to grow stronger and more prepared for the necessary surgery ahead.
This morning coworker Jenny and I picked up little Kenan and his wonderful mother at Erez boarder crossing. He had a genetic appointment, including a blood test and a cardiac checkup, requiring an ECG and an echo. During the genetic appointment, Kenan’s mother talked with the doctor to find out more about her family and how to protect against this genetic disease in the future.
Later, after his echo, his doctor told me that Kenan still has a lot of different problems and that he still needs another heart surgery. He thinks that it is the best to have this heart surgery soon so he has one problem less and because his oxygen is still not very good. The doctors will discuss this in their next meeting. Also Kenan gained only 100g of weight since he was here two weeks ago. He will come back in one month for another echo and a dietician appointment. But for now he is stable enough to go back to Gaza.
His mom still knows a lot of people in the hospital because she was here with Kenan for two month previously and she was happy to see them again. After a long day in the hospital, Kenan and his mother were very tired when we brought them back to Gaza. She gave us a really nice snack in the car and we enjoyed our time with her. Lord we pray that you keep cute Kenan and his whole family safe in Gaza and that you give the doctors wisdom for this case.
When coworker Frank and I arrived on floor five of Sheba Medical Center today, Kenan’s mother was greeting us with a big smile and said, “We are going home!” Kenan was still laying in his bed, but his mother was already packing everything.
We talked with a doctor and he explained to us that Kenan will go home and come back to the hospital in two weeks. In this time, he should gain weight. They will check on the weight in two weeks and if he gained 3.5 kg, he can have his next heart surgery. If he doesn’t gain that weight, he will need a PEG tube to make sure he will gain the weight for his next surgery.
Kenan and his mother were now for nearly three months in the hospital. The time wasn’t always easy, with many ups and downs. In all that time, Kenan’s mother always tried to be joyful. Today she was even more happy to go home. With these treats you see in the picture, she went to all the nurses, doctors and other patients to let them be part of her joy. Also, all the people love Kenan and are good friends with both of them.
Kenan was smiling the whole day in the hospital and also the whole drive, as if he would know that he is going home. So he also enjoyed the time in the car, watching out of the window and smiling at me, whenever I turned around.
Because of the long time they spent in hospital, it took a while to write the discharge report. There was also the question if they should go home tomorrow, but Kenan’s mother insisted on today, so nothing will come in between, as so often happened before now. So, we arrived quite late at Erez Border Crossing and could see the sunset.
Kenan’s mother was so excited to see her husband and other child again, and that both her sons will be united.
In the car she also thanked us all so much. It was always so nice to visit her with all the joy and love she spread. So, also a big thank you to her!
Both of them have a special place in all of our hearts. We hope and pray that Kenan will gain weight in these next two weeks at home, thereby qualifying for his needed surgery. Thank you for joining in prayer.
When coworkers Tatiana, Amelie and I arrived on floor four in Sheba Hospital, we saw Kenan and his mother waiting in the echo area. This mom has been here two months and she already knows a few words in Hebrew to communicate with the medical team and with us.
The doctor said that Kenan’s weight does not improve and also he has eating problems related to an existing neurological problem. They want to wait two more weeks to see if he needs a PEG tube or not. Today he had an echo for his heart and the doctors now wait for the results.
In the last few days, when needed, they had to fed him via sonde and the doctor said it’s not good to send him to Gaza with a sonde. The mom is missing her home, but she also doesn’t want Kenan to have a PEG. So, the decision for now is to wait for two more weeks, to see if he has improvement and won’t need a PEG tube. They might go to Gaza and back to the hospital again in these two weeks. But the medical team is not sure about this as he might not be able to come back at the right time.
When we left, Kenans mom thanked us and Kenan smiled to us. We hope that Kenan will be able to gain weight and to eat properly and that he and his mom will be healthy and well.
Today, coworker Elisabeth and I visited Kenan and his mother. They both smiled happily at us as we entered the room.
Kenan did gain a little bit of weight, because he gets now very thick milk. This week is somehow his last chance to gain enough weight by normal eating. If it works he will be able to go home. But if it fails, the doctors consider a PEG tube so that he will gain weight. The doctor explained that his weight is a real problem.
Kenan is such a cute guy and it’s nice how he smiled today and even tried to do some sports. His mother hopes so much that he will not need a PEG tube.
Today, I visited Kenan and his mother at Sheba Hospital. A nurse explained to me that Kenan is losing weight. If he doesn’t gain weight this week, the doctors will consider placing a PEG tube to feed him.
Kenan’s mother showed me pictures of Kenan back in Gaza. He was very big and I could even see that he lost weight in the last months. She feels very sorry for her son. We talked a while and she is tired of the long time in the hospital, but she wants just the best for him and hopes very much that he does not need the PEG tube.
Let’s pray for Kenan and his mother. They both need strength. May God’s will happen that Kenan will have a good life.
Today at Sheba Hospital, a feeding specialist came to see little Kenan. He decided that it is the best plan for Kenan to take milk through a normal bottle but one with a bigger hole. Also they want to add cornflour to his milk and see if he will gain weight then.
Kenan’s mum is still full of joy and always happily walking around in the hospital.
Thank you for praying that her waiting time will soon have an end and that now finally Kenan is eating well enough!
Today, coworker Amelie and I went to Sheba Medical Center to visit little Kenan. I was very happy to hear the doctors saying that he hasn’t had a fever in two days and that he is eating better. The doctors are monitoring his weight right now and if he continues to gain weight and eat well, he might be discharged next week.
I really hope that Kenan and his mom can go home soon since the doctors already said that he can go home a few times before, but it never happened.
I am impressed how, threw all this, Kenan’s mother is always happy and is in a good mood and I always have a fun time while visiting Kenan.
When I wanted to visit Kenan at Sheba Hospital today, he was not in his room. His doctor told me that he developed a fever again after he was doing better yesterday. They were trying to find out more about the reason for the fever and so they sent him to a chest x-ray. I went downstairs to meet him and his lovely mother and she was very said that Kenan is again not doing well.
Tomorrow it is already two months that little Kenan is in the hospital in Israel and it has to be such an exhausting and challenging time for his mother who is missing home, family and a significant holiday.
Let us pray that her time here soon has an end and that Kenan is finally improving!
Today, we met Kenan and his mother again on a walk through Sheba Hospital. Kenan’s fever is gone and he also laughed when I saw him.
Otherwise there is no big news. The doctors still want to wait on discharging Kenan until he eats better. It could be at the end of the week or next week.
Please pray for Kenan and his mother. It is not very nice for her to wait from week to week always with the hope to go home next week. We can pray for patience, joy and that Kenan will improve his eating skills and get them to a place worthy of discharge.
When I wanted to visit Kenan today, two doctors were standing in front of his room. They told me that Kenan developed a fever and they are trying to find out why.
They also said that they are still not happy about how much he is eating and that they do have to wait again until they can discharge him. His mom was sadly not there and so I couldn’t enter the room and also not talk to her, but I’m sure it has to be very frustrating for her that she now has to wait again.
Please pray for cute Kenan and for his faithful mom!
When coworker Hanna and I visited little Kenan at Sheba Hospital today, we were really happy and surprised that he is now without his feeding tube. The doctors also did some other examinations and everything is good now with Kenan. He might be able to be discharged at the beginning of next week.
We’re all very happy about this great news. I really enjoy spending time with little Kenan and his lovely mother. They will be missed but we’re all very thankful that they can go home to their loved ones in Gaza.
Today coworker Willem and I visited little Kenan and his lovely mother at Sheba Hospital.
Yesterday they did a bronchoscopy and didn’t find what they expected to find between the airway and gastrointestinal tract. But they found something else and took a test of some kind, results are pending.
Now the focus is to try to make Kenan eat. They don’t want to feed him with the sonde. Today Kenan had a cardiologist appointment, and from a cardiology standpoint, Kenan should be allowed to return home. If he eats, he should be released. His mother is hopeful to this end. Let’s pray for them and especially that Kenan begins to eat by himself soon.
When we visited Kenan at Sheba Hospital today, his mom told us that he just came back from his bronchoscopy, and she is still waiting for results. She was quite happy today and also Kenan was looking at us and reacting to us.
We came later this afternoon again and asked a doctor if the results are back, but they are not yet and so we have to wait until tomorrow. Let’s pray for wisdom for the doctors and healing for cute little Kenan!
Today I visited Kenan and his mother at Sheba Medical Center. Kenan is still struggling with eating and he has a lot of congestion in his chest. He can eat little bits of pudding, but he receives the rest of his food still through an NG-tube.
Tomorrow Kenan will have a bronchoscopy, so that the doctors can see if something is stopping his food from going down, and also to see why he has so much congestion and a bad cough.
Kenan’s heart condition is really good. It is the eating disorder and the coughing that is keeping him in the hospital. Please pray for wisdom and insight into the problem, so that the doctors can make an effective treatment plan for sweet Kenan.
Today I went to Sheba Medical Center to visit little Kenan. When I entered his room, Kenan welcomed me sitting in his bed and his mom laughed out loud and was very happy. His mom is a very happy and funny woman and I really enjoy spending time with her.
The doctors told me that Kenan has again trouble eating without the tube. Every time he tries to drink or eat, he starts swallowing. To find out what is going on, doctors ordered an x-ray today. We don’t know the results yet, but please keep praying for him so he will be able to eat soon and can finally go home.
Today I visited Kenan at Sheba Medical Center. He’s doing well after he had some bacteria in his body in the last days. Today he had some exams and the doctors said that he can start drinking milk and eating again. He already started eating a little bit today but also still has his feeding tube in case he won’t eat again.
If he continues eating he can be discharged in a few days. I really hope that Kenan will keep improving and that he and his mother can go home to their loved ones soon. Let’s continue in praying for this little boy and his lovely mother.
Today we were meeting Kenan and his mom on the second floor of Sheba Medical Center where he had an appointment. Kenan’s mom is always very happy and was glad to see us.
The doctor told me that Kenan gets antibiotics right now because he had bacteria in his blood. Kenan still gets his milk through a sonde and is not allowed to eat normally. On Tuesday they will do another exam. After this the doctors will decide if he can start to drink milk again.
If this works out positive, he may be discharged at the end of this week. Let’s pray that he and his lovely mom can go home soon again.
Today, coworker Joanne and I went to Sheba Medical Center to visit Kenan.
His heart is doing well. The only thing that keeps Kenan from going home to Gaza right now, is that he has problems with swallowing and is presently receiving food via a feeding tube.
It’s always really nice to visit Kenan and his lovely mother. I always laugh a lot with her which makes me really happy. Please pray for the two of them, that they hopefully can go home soon and that Kenan develops his ability to eat and swallow normally.
Kenan’s doctors hope to discharge him from Sheba Hospital soon, but he is still not eating. His mom told me today that he has to receive all of his milk through an NG tube because he chokes and coughs it up when she tries to feed him by mouth.
The doctors think that Kenan’s low muscle tone may cause difficulty swallowing. Please pray that Kenan will be able to eat normally soon so he can return home to Gaza.
Today I went to Sheba Medical Center to visit little Kenan. I met him outside enjoying the sun with his lovely mother. If he remains stable, he will be discharged on Sunday.
He is still on medication that needs to be injected so the nurses taught Kenan’s mother how to do this correctly because she will have to do it when they’re back home. Right now she is still a bit afraid, but hopefully in the next days, when she does it together with the nurses, she will become more confident about doing it.
She is a very nice woman with whom you can laugh a lot and have a lot of fun.
Thank the Lord that Kenan’s doing so good right now and pray that he and his mom can return home soon.
Today, coworker Doro and I visited little Kenan and his mother at Sheba Hospital. Kenan was just out of his examination. The doctors tested how he is swallowing and how he can eat on his own.
It was hard for Kenan to swallow the liquid milk. The majority was going to his stomach, but a bit also was despositing into the lungs. So, they will change his nutrition to a thicker milk. Hopefully he can eat that better.
His body gets more and more strength – the therapy really helps. Today, he grabbed my finger and didn’t let it go for some minutes.
For now he is in the Secondary ICU and will learn how to swallow and eat. So we can pray that he will learn fast.
Today I visited Kenan and his mother at Sheba Medical Center. The doctors told me that in the echo yesterday, there was no visible fluid around Kenan’s heart now! That’s such good news.
Also the physiotherapy with Kenan has helped him to improve. His body is still very floppy, but it is getting better with therapy. Tomorrow they will do the procedure with the sonde to see if milk is going into the lungs when Kenan is eating.
Let’s pray that also this area of struggle will resolve itself for Kenan. We can also pray for his mother, that she gets enough sleep and strength.
Today, I visited Kenan and his mother in Sheba Hospital. It was very nice to see them.
Kenan still has some areas where he struggles. He had an echo today to check on the fluid around his heart. And also his eating is still difficult. Kenan is coughing very much too. The doctors will watch now with a sonde how he is eating and to check if milk is going into the lungs.
Concerning the fear Kenan may have neurological damage, it seems better at the moment. They will still monitor him carefully to see if he may have neurological damage.
The time with Kenan’s mother today was very nice. She is a lovely woman. But also she is very, very worried about her son. She hopes that he soon will be so improved that they can return to their home in Gaza.
Please pray for all the issues Kenan is struggling with, that he may be soon more healthy. And let’s pray also for strength for Kenan’s mother.
“Kenan is the handsomest child” – was the first thing the doctor told me when I asked about Kenan’s condition. He was moved to the Secondary ICU, but still there are some issues he’s struggling with.
Kenan’s body is very floppy. He can’t really move his arms or legs. The doctors are concerned he has sustained neurological damage. They will do tests and Kenan will receive physio-therapy.
In addition to that, doctors discovered fluid around Kenan’s heart. But gladly the echo today looked already much better than yesterday’s. I also went with Kenan and his mother to have a chest X-ray done.
It was a big day for Kenan. After the X-ray, he slept shortly and than a nurse fed him with a feeding bottle to find out how well he can suck and swallow. He is a strong guy and could drink a little bit. But he still has to practice a lot. A better pacifier should help him with practicing.
During all the time I spent today with Kenan’s mother, I realized what a wonderful mother she is. She is already friends with many nurses. And all the doctors and nurses love little Kenan.
When we walked through the Secondary ICU, nurses came to Kenan because they were so happy to see him. Please pray for this lovely little boy, that he soon will be better and the doctors can help him further. God brought him already so far!
Today, coworker Willem and I went to Sheba Medical Center to visit Kenan.
When we entered his room, he welcomed us with his eyes wide open.
Maybe today or tomorrow, Kenan will get a visit from a speech therapist which will see if his reflexes are strong enough to begin receiving food orally, or if he still needs to receive it through a feeding tube.
Kenan’s mother was also in a really good mood today and we were laughing a lot. She is a really nice and lovely woman.
Please keep praying for this cute little boy and his lovely mother.
When coworker Elisabeth and I visited Kenan at Sheba Medical today, his mum was standing next to his bed. She was really happy that he opened his eyes a little bit.
The doctors said that his cardiac situation is good, that also his lungs are improving and that he is off of oxygen. But now they are mostly concerned about his neurological state because he is not waking up well.
The brain scans showed mild atrophy of the brain which is quite common and doesn’t have to be permanent. He may also have had some epileptic seizures, but there is no clinical confirmation of this. That’s why they recommended a brain MRI and EEG to find out more.
Let’s pray that the doctors can find the best way to treat him!
When we asked the doctor about Kenan this morning at Sheba Medical, he was telling us that after Kenan’s surgery, Kenan at first was really sick but that he was improving. Now he is doing quite well, but is still in a great danger. They also have to check his neurological situation because now that they are reducing his drugs, he probably will have withdrawal symptoms.
The doctor also said that there is still a lot of hope and we could really see this hope in the eyes of his Kenan’s mom. She is such a strong woman and stays with her son faithfully all the time.
Let us thank God that Kenan is improving so well and pray for a full recovery!
When we visited Kenan at Sheba Hospital today in the ICU, where his mother was sleeping.
But a nurse told us the very good news that Kenan is extubated and doing better. He will still need a while until he will be fully recovered and can go home, but this is already a big step for him.
Let’s continue in prayer that Kenan is improving soon!
Today I visited little Kenan at Sheba medical center. Doctors yesterday took him in for exploratory surgery, and placed a BT shunt to improve his circulation. He’s still intubated but he is slowly improving and the doctors are starting to reduce his medicine.
I met his mother today and she is a very kind and lovely woman.
Please pray for a good recovery for this cute little boy.
Kenan is still intubated and stable at Sheba Medical.
Tomorrow morning, Kenan will have a diagnostic catheterization. In this procedure, the doctors will decide if they can help Kenan right away during the catheterization or on the same day in a surgery.
It will be a tense day. Please pray for Gods grace and his wisdom.
Today I found Kenan and his mother in the Pediatric ICU of Sheba Hospital. Kenan was sleeping and intubated.
Kenan’s mother was very kind and showed me immediately pictures on her phone of Kenan from before he had trouble breathing in Gaza. I saw that she cares a lot about her son.
The doctors are still trying to find the reason why Kenan had trouble breathing. So today he had a CT-scan and we will get results hopefully tomorrow.
We ask for your prayer that the doctors will find the problem and that God will give them wisdom as they are trying to make the best possible treatment plan for Kenan.
Today our good old friend Kenan and his wonderful mother came again for an echo at Sheba. It was a day full of long waiting hours for them. First they had to wait at Erez, then we had to wait for hours for the echo and then for the doctor and in the end we needed the report for Kenan so that he could go home. 
Kenan didn’t mind all this waiting time. He improved his driving skills with the cars in the echo area, made friends with another girl from Shevet and practiced walking and talking with us. He is a very cute boy and we missed him a lot in the last weeks. 
In the end, Kenan’s doctor was very happy with Kenan’s heart. His condition is good and his heart is beating strong. For now there is no reason to worry and Kenan will come back in three more months for another echo. 
