During the car ride from Erez to Sheba Hospital, Ahmed was very unhappy because he had to sit in a car seat for little children and was not allowed to sit on his mother’s lap. Thankfully the car ride was not that long and after a while he fell asleep from exhaustion of crying.

After he arrived at the hospital, he enjoyed walking around and playing with a red car. This made the long wait at the hospital seem short because he had a distraction.

Ahmad had an echo and EKG check at Sheba Hospital. Sadly he was so scared of getting an echo that he screamed the whole time so it was not possible to do it. But since he looked so healthy the doctor said that the EKG would be enough.

And since he is doing so well in his EKG and physical check, we will see him again in six months.

Pictures courtesy of Elise

Today Ahmad returned to Sheba for his follow-up echo. Ahmad is a large and chubby baby, bursting with life, and he wailed for the entirety of his examination, which made it last that much longer.

I sympathized with the fear he must have been feeling–in his shoes I expect I’d have reacted the same way. Only when his mother held him would he be calm, and as soon as he was, he was all smiles, eager to play and engage.

Eventually the examination was over, and praise God! good news all around. The doctor is very pleased with his overall condition.

He’ll be back in three months for a follow-up echo and Holter test, and in the meantime, Ahmad will continue growing big and strong.

Only a day after his catheterization Ahmad was again discharged back home! He is doing great and when I entered the hospital to pick him up he and his mom were already ready to leave. Ahmad was smiling a lot and I’m very happy to see this cute boy again in one month.

God bless little Ahmad and his whole family.

Today was a special day for Ahmad and his family because an important catheterization was due. Unfortunately, the results did not live up to the hopes of the family and doctors. Originally the plan had been to open his blocked superior vena cava–the vein that returns blood from the upper half of his body to the heart.

Unfortunately, alternative branches had already developed in the meantime. Therefore, the doctors had to stop the catheterization and now look for new solutions for the problem. The mother was sad because of the fact that further treatment would be necessary. The only consolation is that the blood flows a little better now. But that’s only a short-term consolation.

May God give the doctors wisdom in their decisions and be with the family.

Our little Ahmad just had his interventional cath today and fortunately everything went so well. The doctors managed to open one of his veins and didn’t have any complications. Ahmad will need another cath to open the vein again, otherwise it will close again. For now, he is in a very good condition and will keep recovering.

Thank God for the work done today in Ahmad’s life.

Ahmad was discharged today after a another last-minute change in his medicine. All the doctors and nurses on his floor joined in our happiness that he will now spend time with his family.

“Finally, finally,” was Ahmad’s mother’s words, she was so excited and she didn’t know how to express all she was feeling. Her son also looked happier. He definitely knew he would be home in the afternoon.

Ahmad’s mom had to learn how to supply her son with the medication in Gaza.

Ahmad had an appointment with the endocrinologist before leaving and will have an echo in one month and will be hospitalized at that time for two days to check on his progress with the new medication. So pray for his health and goods results in his follow-up appointment, and also for wisdom for his doctors.

Our cutest Ahmad had an X-ray taken today at Sheba Hospital, and the doctors wants to do a few more tests to check his improvement with the change in his medication, and to confirm the fact that he is ready to go home.

When I asked after Ahmad because I found his room empty. Everyone knew whom I was seeking; our Ahmad is loved by a big part of the staff at Sheba. He’s been in hospital for more than three months.

As usual, Ahmad’s mom was smiling, but a little nervous, hoping that this time both she and her son can finally be released home to be with their family as soon as possible.

Our little Ahmad had a decrease in his medication and had a good response to the new medicine for his arrhythmia.

Because Ahmad had an improvement yesterday after the holter test, the doctors will decide if he can be discharged home in the afternoon.

You can see in Ahmad’s face the happiness and shyness when our new friends came to said hi. Ahmad’s Mom is excited for tomorrow’s test. She trusts in God’s time and prays for the doctor’s wisdom.

Ahmad had been having a holter test for three days in Sheba Hospital, and will continue until Monday with the holter so that doctors have a better picture of his heartbeat.

It’s beautiful to see how lovely Ahmad’s mother is with him and how patiently trusting she is in God’s time.

For now, Ahmad has had a change in his medication.  He couldn’t be discharged a few weeks before because the doctors discovered Ahmad had an arrhythmia sometimes. Now he needs a new diagnosis. Doctors are also watching his reactions to the new medication. Ahmad’s discharge is near. Thanks for your prayers for this little one.

Our cute Ahmad is waiting already quite a long time to finally return home. The last weeks he had to learn how to eat, which he now finally can do. He is completely eating on his own!

Yesterday the doctor was still quite optimistic that Ahmad could be discharged today, but this morning they told me that his heartbeat is now arrhythmic. He is receiving a new medication now which should help him, but it means again waiting for his mom who is eagerly anticipating the return home.

Ahmad was smiling to me today and I think that’s the only reason why his crying mom can wait still so patiently – her child already improved so much and she wants only the best for him.

Thank you for praying that this new drug will help Ahmad and that he can go home soon.

Today I visited cute little Ahmad and his lovely mother at Sheba Medical Center. He was peacefully sleeping and his mother cared so lovingly about him. She and I talked a little bit and she asked me directly if I could speak with a doctor.

I did that and the doctor gave me a lot of information about him. He is eating very well, so they could take his sonde out and he is eating completely on his own! Praise the Lord!

Before I had arrived today, Ahmad had an echo and it looked okay, but the Cardiology department want to follow him further. He also had a blood test, but they hadn’t all the results yet, and the one result they already had is okay.

Furthermore, the doctors have to see how the result will be of his endocrinology tests. The function of his thyroid gland was very interrupted, but they don’t know the result yet. They have to talk to the endocrinologist to see if they have to change something in his medications.

It is possible that Ahmad could be discharged at the end of this week at the earliest, but probably later, because they have to wait for the results of everything tested. When I explained everything to Ahmad’s mother, she started crying. She really misses her family and doesn’t want to wait longer to return back home. I tried to calm her and she stopped crying. She wanted to leave the hospital today.

So let’s pray for Ahmad, for good test results, and patience for his mother.

It was so good to see Ahmad so active and smiling today. His mother’s spirits were also up. Ahmad is still not gaining enough weight, but at least his weight is going in the right direction.

Today the doctors were checking his kidneys and his thyroid function. They will check his thyroid again on Sunday with a blood test. The doctor also wanted to see about some physical therapy to help with his eating and his motor skills. There is a lot of testing going on, but it seems like Ahmad is slowly going in the right direction. Praise God!

After his successful cath yesterday, coworker Frank and I visited Ahmad at Sheba Medical Center today. Right now Ahmad’s heart is doing well.

However, during the coming days, Ahmad has to learn to eat without the feeding tube and because he has a cleft pallet he probably needs some time for that.  When I talked to the doctor he said that if Ahmad can eat he will finally be released to return home. I’m very happy to see how he is improving.

Please continue praying for Ahmad and his lovely mother, that they will be able to go home to their family soon.

When I visited Ahmad at Sheba Hospital today he was awake and happy. His mother told me that he is doing well so far. Ahmad is stable but has a bit of trouble still with swallowing. His cath, postponed due to bacteria, is now scheduled for Tuesday. Ahmad’s mom was happy that someone came to visit her and told me about all the other children from Gaza that are in the hospital right now.

Let’s pray that the cath on Tuesday will take place and it will go well!

Today,  doctors at Sheba Hospital began the process of preparing Ahmad for a catherization with the plan to widen a narrow artery, when they detected that he has bacteria in his blood. So the cath is postponed until next week.

Ahmad’s mother was hopeful and is always with love at her son’s side. Let’s pray that everything will work out well and Ahmad can have his cath when he’s ready.

Our cute little Ahmad is doing so well, that he has been moved to the secondary pediatric ICU at Sheba Hospital. There, coworker Joanne and I met him and his mother today.

Ahmad’s mother is so lovely and always very well informed as to how her only child is doing. So, she explained today that he may have a cath tomorrow to widen his narrow arteries.

So, let’s continue praying for Ahmad. God brought him already this far and will never leave his side.

Today coworker Frank and I visited little Ahmad and his mother at Sheba Hospital.

Today the doctors took out two of Ahmad’s drains, so he has only one left. He is doing very well and looks better than the last time I saw him!

He also had an ultrasound of his Thyroid gland today and now we are waiting for results.
Please pray for this little guy, his mother and that everything continues to improve for Ahmad.

Today coworker Hanna and I went to Sheba Medical Center to visit little Ahmad.

Right now, he has some infections in his body. He has bacteria in his blood and urine. He also has leukocytosis (low white blood cell count). He gets antibiotics now and the doctors will do some more tests to find out where this comes from.

Please pray for him that he will get better soon.

Ahmad is extubated! His mother and the doctors at Sheba Hospital are very happy about this. For now, Ahmad is still on oxygen support and the doctors will try in some days to feed him through his mouth.

Coworker Doro and I found Ahmad today awake and active in his bed. It was very nice to see him and his mother, who is patiently, and happily at his side.

Please pray for Ahmad, that he will continue to improve. May God restore his health.

Today I visited little Ahmad in Sheba Hospital. He had a catheterization today which was very successful and the doctor is really happy about the good result. They were able to delete the narrowing of a vein. Now they will see how he is doing and if he needs further treatments, which, if he does, they will decide which ones he will need.

Let’s pray for Ahmad, his family and that he is doing better now.

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Today I went to Sheba Medical Center to visit little Ahmad. The doctor told me that his case is very complicated. Ahmad is edematous (he has fluid in his body). He had a CT scan today because the doctors suspected that one of his veins is blocked. Later today Ahmad had to go to an emergency surgery because of a blood clot. The doctor could not find the blood clot but was able to free the blocked vein. For now Ahmad is okay and stable; please pray that he will stay stable and will get better.

Today, coworker Celina and I visited little Ahmad. Yesterday, he had his heart surgery which went really well.  He is stable now and the doctors are pleased by it.

The doctors had planned to extubate him, but his blood pressure was not very good, so the doctors changed some medication and now want to wait until the circumstances are better to extubate him. Probably he will also need quite some time to recover.

We also talked with Ahmad’s mother a little. Ahmad is her first and only child. I’m sure she will be a good mother to him.

Let’s pray for this precious child, that God restores his health. We can also pray for the special relationship between mother and son.

Today little Ahmad had his surgery to repair his Tetralogy of Fallot at Sheba Medical Center. The doctor told me that his surgery went perfect and without any troubles.

Ahmad’s mom was very nervous while waiting during the surgery, but a grandmother, who has a grandchild in the hospital right now, waited with her and was there for her. It’s really nice to see how all the moms and grandparents of the children in the hospital are there for each other.

Please continue praying for little Ahmad and his lovely mother.

As so often happens in life, plans change. Ahmad’s surgery was postponed today. He will have his surgery next Sunday.

For the doctors, it’s probably not always easy to decide when to take which child into surgery. We can pray for all the doctors, for the decisions and especially the surgery of Ahmad on Sunday.

In all this we know for sure: God sees and loves everyone. “Are not five sparrows (or fish) sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows (or fish).” – Luke 12, 6+7

How much more does he love all those sick children in the hospital! Also little Ahmad. He will keep his hand over him.