A toddler from Afghanistan who had multiple heart defects has received life-saving surgery in Israel thanks to Israeli non-profit, Save a Child’s Heart.
Yehia, a 16-month-old Afghan boy, who lives with his family in a refugee camp in Pakistan had several major heart defects and his parents had no way of paying for surgery which would save his life.
Thanks to a Facebook friendship, an Afghan-American family member contacted her friend in Israel who worked with Save a Child’s Heart and from that contact their journey started. Yehia’s travel to Israel required a lot of favours from friends and strangers but in the end he was able to come to Israel and have life-saving surgery.
“This is a story about people from all over the place, and from different walks of life, who came together to do good,” said Simon Fisher, the executive director of SACH.
Yehia had the heart surgery on 31 July 2016 at the tender age of just 16-months and is currently recovering in hospital with his father and Fary Moini, a former cardiac nurse from America who volunteered to care for him throughout his recovery.
“He’s doing fantastic,” Moini said to Israel21c. “He’s running around and eating. I’m constantly trying to put weight on him so we can send him home soon.”
In a lovely coincidence they discovered that she and Yaya share a birthday, April 28.
“I’m just in love with this child; he’s so vibrant and smiley. God bless Save a Child’s Heart — if they didn’t accept Yaya, he would have died. This medical team at Wolfson is incredible, everyone from the chief surgeon, Dr. [Lior] Sasson, to the staff and volunteers,” she said.
SACH has helped over 4,000 children from 51 countries so far and Yehia is the first child from Afghanistan.
He will be able to return home soon where he will meet his new sibling who was born just days before he had his operation.
God bless Yehia, God bless this wonderful charity and God bless Israel.