At the end of January, Israel's national rescue team brought 6 year old Woodley Elysee and his aunt from earthquake-stricken Haiti to Israel so that Save a Child's Heart could perform the heart surgery that Woodley needed to survive into adulthood.
One of the volunteer doctors on that team was SACH pediatrician, Dr. Yuval Levy. From SACH’s previous fieldwork in Haiti, the doctors here knew that Woodley suffered from a congenital heart defect which would have prevented him, unless treated with surgery, from reaching adolescence. At Dr. Levy's impassioned urging, SACH brought Woodley back to Israel to save his life.
After ten days of tests and preparations, Woodley entered surgery on February 9, 2010. During the complex surgery, serious complications developed and Woodley's life was in danger.
But Woodley kept fighting for his life and after a week in the Intensive Care Unit at Wolfson Medical Center, his condition has significantly improved to the point that doctors have brought him out of his induced coma.
After a month of recuperation in the SACH children’s home, Woodley recovered and gained back his strength. In April he returned back to Haiti, a happy and healthy child, with a beaming smile on his face.
"Ynet" (Hebrew) - Woodley is back in Haiti, April 2010
Jerusalem Post, Quake survivor, 6, to return to Haiti soon - March 2010
IBA Israel - Woodley is now back in the children's home, March 2010
Channel 2 Israel - Woodley is getting better, February 2010
Channel 10 Israel - 6 year old Woodley in Israel, February 2010
Jerusalem Post - Woodley Elysee will be like new, February 2010
YnetNews - Haitian boy to undergo heart surgery in Israel, January 2010