Update on two girls: Battul and Malak

It is the first day of Ramadan, a good day to share good news. We are proud and happy to share with you that Battul Jaludi, the little girl from Jenin recovered from open-heart surgery and is on her way home! The operation was successful. After six hours, the doctors were able to close the hole in her heart, and to restore the valve almost completely (80%). If it had proved impossible to restore the valve, there was the option to install an artificial valve , but in this case the doctors all agreed that it was better to leave the natural valve, even if its functioning was less than perfect.

Battul’s mother and grandmother were with her the whole time and every day some one from Neve Shalom/Wahat al Salam came to visit. The hospital invited a journalist from Yediot Aharonot, the largest daily newspaper in Israel, and they wrote a short article about Battul. She will go home today, after only a week, and will come for regular visits to the doctor. We wish her a fast recovery and much joy.

More News:

On Saturday, the 4th of November we will hold the first meeting with delegates from the three Palestinian villages that will take part in our 3-clinic project. Medical staff and community leaders from Naalin, Midia and Budrus will meet with the HAP committee to brainstorm about the proposed project. We plan to help equip the three clinics and form a training program for the young doctors there. At this stage we hope we can get to the meeting, without army interference.

Malak, the little girl from Naalin, is suffering a small setback in her long journey to recovery. We take her to the hospital every two weeks to see the plastic surgery doctor and for physiotherapy. Her situation is not so good and we are trying to find some sort of support system for her. We are looking into several options; right now we are consulting local doctors, social services and international NGO’s in the West Bank. We knew Malak’s case was complicated when we started this journey. It is complicated from the medical point of view, but the siege, the closure and the forced unemployment have a devastating effect on the ability of her family to cope with her situation and on our possibilities to help her.