Monday, April 18 (day #4)

First case in the operating room today is Marah Fayez Odeh Dahini, a 5 year old Palestinian girl who lives in Amman. She has a complex combination of heart defects which include an Atrioventricular Canal, Pulmonary Stenosis, ASD and Single Ventricle. Her operation is a Fontan.

Marah in her new Minnie mousse dress before surgery

Our visitor in the OR today is Joana Hindeleh (Daoud’s wife). Towards the end of the case, we were informed that this patients’ mother had become overwhelmed with anxiety and emotion and had fainted just outside the main OR doors, so we put Joana to work translating and reassuring mom that Marah was doing well during the repair and that the doctors were pleased. Everyone has a job here! The case goes very well but its a bit more involved and complex so we don’t get out of surgery until after 12:00. Our 2nd case is Moh’d Sadeq Nafea Zora Al-Fandi, who is almost 3 years old from Baghdad, Iraq. He is a gorgeous boy with great big brown eyes. We met him and his very nice parents 1 1/2 years ago on a prior trip.

Moh'd Sadeq getting his pre-op evaluation

They came at that time hopeful that Moh’d could be part of the GOL program with a surgical repair, but after the cardiac catheterization, it was decided that his pulmonary arteries needed more time to grow before he could safely undergo the procedure. He will also need a Fontan procedure to correct his complex problem which includes tricuspid atresia, VSD, single ventricle. The operation is long and fairly tense, but we finally finished up with him around 5:00. As Dr. Turrentine and Dr. Fadi go out and start talking with the parents, they are clearly elated. The mother grabs the nurses with hugs and kisses; they are all smiles and gratitude– great relief on their faces.
Moh’d joins the others in the ICU as Dr. Turrentine and Dr. Fadi go find Dr. Farrell and Dr. Salaymeh to make rounds on everyone.

Drs. Fadi, Kal and Mark with Matti

Megan walking with Murtada and Mariam

Marah right after surgery! Trying to muster a smile

Once content that everyone is doing ok, they leave around 6:30 to return to the hotel.

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