Who is in Israel This Week:
02/09/10
Save a Child's Heart is currently treating eighteen children:
Before surgery 
After surgery
EL SALVADOR
Sara Madgalena Reyes Santamaria, El Salvador
Sara is a cute 2 and a half year old girl and is our first child to be treated from El Salvador. She is the youngest in her family, with 3 older sisters. Sara loves to play games with them but she doesn't like dogs. She loves pink coloured clothes.
ETHIOPIA
Abdulmalik Abdulmejed Mahammed, Ethiopia
Abdulmalik is an 8 year old boy from Ethiopia. He is the youngest child in his family, with 1 brother and 2 sisters. His father is a merchant in a market selling dry foods. Abdulmalik likes playing and learning. He wants to be a driver when he's older. In Jimma he was treated and referred to Save a Child's Heart (SACH) by Prof. Abraham Haileamlak Mitikec who was due to go on a cardiology training program in the Wolfson Medical Center through SACH. Prof. Abraham completed his training at the end of August 2010 and has returned back to his hospital in Jimma.
Newaz Abdulkadir Jebel, Ethiopia
Newaz Abdulkadir Jebel is a one year old boy from Ethiopia. He has an older brother who is 3 years old. He is accompanied to Israel by his mother, Chaltu, who is a nurse. Newaz's father was a lawyer but passed away suddenly when Newaz was 4 months old. Chaltu's mother is looking after her other son. At 12 days old, Newaz was having difficulty in breathing. His parents took him to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a congenital heart disease. The doctor in Jimma at the time was Prof. Abraham Haileamlak Mitikec. He told Newaz's parents about Save a Child's Heart (SACH) as he was due to go on a one year training program in cardiology to the Wolfson Medical Center through SACH. Prof. Abraham completed his training at the end of August 2010 and has returned back to his hospital in Jimma.
Abduraim Awol Ahemed, Ethiopia
Abduraim Awol Ahemed is a 13 year old boy from Ethiopia. He is the fourth oldest child in the family, of 5 boys and 2 girls. Abduraim's father is no longer alive. His mother and older brother are farmers. He wants to be a driver when he's older. He likes playing football but his heart hurts him and he tires easily so he needs to take lots of rest. He's excited that after his operation he should be able to play football without any pain in his heart. In Jimma, Abduraim was treated and referred to Save a Child's Heart (SACH) by Prof. Abraham Haileamlak Mitikec who was due to go on a cardiology training program in the Wolfson Medical Center through SACH. Prof. Abraham completed his training at the end of August 2010 and has returned back to his hospital in Jimma.
Sintayehu Jemal Biru, Ethiopia
Sintayehu Jemal Biru is a 12 year old boy from Ethiopia. He lives with his parents, 3 sisters and 3 brothers in a 4 room house in Jimma. He is the third oldest in his family. Both of his parents are farmers. He enjoys learning science and language. In Jimma, Sintayehu was treated and referred to Save a Child's Heart (SACH) by Prof. Abraham Haileamlak Mitikec who was due to go on a cardiology training program in the Wolfson Medical Center through SACH. Prof. Abraham completed his training at the end of August 2010 and has returned back to his hospital in Jimma.
Tarikua Demise Gebra, Ethiopia
Tarikua Demise Gebra is a 15 year old girl from Ethiopia.
KENYA
Anthony Mwangi Gatundu, Kenya
Anthony is a 4 year old boy from Kenya. He lives with his parents and older brother, age 11 in a one room house in Nairobi. He was diagnosed at two weeks old because he had difficulty breathing and cried constantly. Anthony underwent surgery at 3 years of age but his parents were told that it was not successful. His father has a small business selling clothes to shops and in the market. His mother, Grace, who is accompanying Anthony to Israel is a housewife. He is a very happy and active child who likes to try new things. He likes to play with automobiles and he loves chocolate.
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
Raound, Palestinian Authority
Raound is 5 month old baby girl from Khan Yunis in Gaza. She has a twin sister who is well and healthy. When she was a month old and went for her immunizations, they found a problem with her tracea. During an operation to solve the problem, they discovered her congenital heart disease. Raound has an older sister and older brother. Her mother is a housewife and her father works part-time.
Hanin, Palestinian Authority
Hanin is a one month baby girl from Khan Yunis in Gaza. She is her parents first child. When she was born, she was bleeding from the mouth, which the doctors said was due to what her mother was eating. After a week the doctors discovered that the bleeding was due to a congenital heart disease. Hanin's parents are recent university graduates - her mother graduated in phychology and her father in geography and history. Neither are currently employed.
Jana, Palestinion Authority
Montaser, Palestinion Authority
Mostafa, Palestinion Authority
Abd-Alqader, Palestinion Authority
ROMANIA
Mario Cornel Ciubotariu, Romania
Mario is a two year old boy from Romania who arrived to Israel with his mother, Anna Marie. Anna is a housewife and her husband works in construction. They have another boy who is 15 years old. Before Mario was born, his parents worked in Italy, looking after an elderly woman. After his birth however they returned to Romania. When Mario was 18 months old, he was checked by Dr Akiva Tamir who was on a medical mission to Iasi in Romania at the time. Dr Tamir selected Mario to come to Israel for surgery. When Mario is well enough he loves to play football and enjoys small toy cars. His favorite food is a local dish is "mamaliga" with sarmale which is cooked semolina in milk. He also loves strawberries and bananas.
Adrian Porumboiu, Romania
Adrian is a 13 year old boy from the city of Oradia in Romania. He is studying in school in 6th grade and he likes history, geography and computers. He is an only child to his parents. His father is in the army and his mother is an office administrator.
Lavinia Cristina Maturaru, Romania
Lavinia is a six month old baby girl from Romania. She lives with her mother and father, a builder, in the city of Focşani. Lavinia has an older brother who is three and a little baby sister on the way! In April 2010 Dr Akiva Tamir, the Head of Pediatric cardiology and Dr. Ilan Cohen, the Deputy Director of Pediatric Intensive Care, went on a screening mission to Romania. They screened Livinia and due to her condition, wanted her to be one the first children to be brought to Israel for surgery.
Valentin Nicolae Badoi, Romania
Valentin is a 1 year and 4 month old baby boy from Romania. He has a 4 year old sister called Isabella. He is here with his 20 year old mother Dumitra who is a housewife. His father is a part-time builder. Since his birth, Valentin has not left hospital since he was too sick and his home living conditions were not suitable for a sick child. This meant that Dumitra had not spent more than 2 weeks at one time with her son. Prior to her trip to Israel, Dumitra had never travelled anywhere on her own. Valentin is a calm and quiet toddler, who likes observing the other children playing. He loves to eat chocolate. After his operation, he began walking for the first time.
TANZANIA
Happiness Bhoke Marwa, Tanzania
Happiness is a 1 year old girl from Tanzania who is here with her young mother. She is the first child of the family. Happiness, or Happy as we call her, was diagnosed at the age of six months. She lives in Kahana near Mwanza. Happy’s father has a small shop selling oil, food and other such goods, and her mother helps in the shop. She is a very open and playful little girl.