Nechama Rivlin, Wife of Israeli President Ruvi Rivlin, suffered a medical setback as her condition suddenly worsened on Tuesday evening in Israel. Nechama underwent a lung transplant in Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah two weeks ago and until Tuesday was in mostly stable condition. Nechama was sedated and intubated following a severe shortness of breath that was connected to a heart problem. Due to her worsening condition, the President, who was in the middle of an official state visit to Canada, announced that he was returning immediately to Israel. The President will be landing on Wednesday morning Israel time and will head directly to the hospital from the airport.

A spokesperson for Beilinson Hospital said that the lung transplant was extremely complex due to the medical condition that Nechama had been in prior to the surgery and that since the surgery she has been in the process of recuperation and rehabilitation.

A Spokesperson for the President’s office said: “In the past few hours Nechama has been sedated and intubated due to a case of severe shortness of breath caused by a heart problem. When the President lands he will rush to the hospital to be by her side.”

Rivlin will be taking an Air Canada flight with a very small number of staff. The rest of the entourage will be flying  out later on an El Al flight. The President cancelled his attendance at two events that were scheduled for Tuesday night. The first event was for large donor from the Canadian Jewish community, and the second was participating, together with the representatives from the Jewish community of Canada, in a Kululum concert. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also supposed to participate in the Kululum concert, together with 1,800 other Canadians.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)