(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)
Here’s something you won’t see reported in the Mainstream Media.
A Syrian newborn was airlifted to Israel for emergency life-saving surgery to correct the child’s life-threatening heart condition.
The child is a son of Syrian refugees currently living in Cyprus due to the ongoing civil war in their country. The 2-day-old baby was flown in an incubator on board a specialized jet, and taken to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer Hospital on Friday night. A surgery was expected in the coming days, performed by an Israeli medical team.
Cypriot Health Ministry officials on erev Shabbos contacted Israeli Ambassador to Cyprus Sammy Revel, seeing logistical assistance was needed in arranging for the transport and surgery. The humanitarian assistance involved the Foreign Minister, Ben-Gurion Airport and border officials, and approval from Interior Minister Aryeh Deri.
“In Cyprus, they are unable to provide every type of complex medical treatment for children, including heart operations,” said Dr Itai Pessach, Deputy Director of the Sheba Medical Center children’s hospital.
“The baby is currently in intensive care, and we have diagnosed a complex congenital heart defect. He is only three-days-old and is expected to undergo heart surgery tomorrow or the following day. After surgery, he will need to remain here for some time for monitoring,” Dr Pesach added.
“He arrived with his Arabic-speaking father. We have a team that speaks Arabic so we are able to communicate with him.”
A Foreign Ministry statement praised the quick cooperation that enabled the baby to come to Israel for treatment.
“We pray for the baby’s good health and will keep saving lives,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said on Saturday.
It is reported the Israeli army has treated some 3,000 wounded Syrians and ill children since early 2013. Generally working at night, soldiers have provided initial medical care and then evacuated them to nearby hospitals.
A day-old baby with a heart defect was flown overnight from the Cypriot Syrian refugee camp where he was born to Israel for emergency surgery. #humanflow (Pictures: Air Bridge) pic.twitter.com/PSyCjtG7JG
— Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) December 23, 2017
Humanitarianism and the sanctity of life are key values in Israel. A 3 day old Syrian baby was airlifted yesterday from Cyprus in order to undergo a life saving heart surgery in Israel. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed that he recovers quickly. pic.twitter.com/rJHDDIoMFj
— Ofir Gendelman (@ofirgendelman) December 23, 2017
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
As the article headline states, where’s the AP on this one?
Why is Israel using their precious resources on their enemies!
I am wondering if we are obliged halachically to save the lives of Yishmaelim when we know that they are out to destroy am Yisrael
idiotic israeili leadership and millitary
they spend millions supporting future terrorists to gain favor in the eyes of the UN and then they claim they can’t support the chareidim
The baby was in cyprus, which probably is more developed than Israel, but just has the brain to know not to waste money on people who are a threat to theircountry
I want CNN , ABC MsNBC and CBS interview the father of this child and see what he says.
Jews don’t cross their fingers, or “touch wood.” These customs refer to that guy nailed to a cross.
What’s more, how many Israelis can’t get the medical care they need within months? For us, it can be 6 months to get an MRI, but a Syrian baby gets lifesaving treatment after 2 DAYS? I have kids & grandkids and I’m not callous, but I don’t think a Syrian child should come before an Israeli one. What about children needing heart transplants? Kidney or liver transplants? How long do they have to wait? It would be great publicity for Israel if this particular situation actually made the papers. If the baby dies, it will be OUR fault.
Hey Crawley,
Idiotic Israeli leadership? What the government is doing is called building goodwill with neighboring countries.
Spending millions……can’t support charedim? Who do you think pays to keep all of the bench warmers in the yeshivot and gives them millions in free healthcare and other freebies?
Cyprus more developed than Israel ? Look at the bios of many physicians in Cyprus and see where they were trained, or better inquire at Cypriotic hospitals about treating the condition that this infant has and find one hospital on the island that would treat him and if not where he would be referred