Chain of Hope mends 15 little hearts in the Middle East

In its ongoing effort to help children in need, international charity organisation Chain of Hope led a recent surgical mission to the Middle East.

There, the medical volunteer team, led by volunteer surgeon Dr Mark Turrentine, helped 15 children from Gaza, Syria and other countries in the region in partnership with Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, USA, and Gift of Life Amman at Al Khalidi Hospital, Amman.

Among those whose hearts were mended is six-month-old Sohail from Gaza.

Suffering from tricuspid atresia and malposed great arteries, baby Sohail was born in Gaza amidst the ongoing conflict, with no access to the vital medical care he desperately needed. With the help of Gaza Kinder Relief, Sohail and his mother were safely evacuated out of Gaza for urgent medical attention.

Chain of Hope covered the costs of Sohail’s surgery at Al Khalidi Hospital in Jordan which, due to the severity of his case, was carried out by a local surgeon, as he could not afford to wait even a week longer for the volunteer medical team’s arrival.

“Sohail is now recovering well in Jordan with his mother by his side. We are deeply grateful to our donors, whose generosity has made it possible for Chain of Hope to fund their accommodation and living expenses throughout his recovery,” the charity organisation stated.

OTHER LITTLE HEARTS MENDED

Other little hearts mended on the mission were: five-month-old Nour from Syria, who suffered from patent ductus arteriosus (PDA); 19-month-old Ahmed from Jordon, who had ventricular septal defect (VSD); six-year-old Sham from Syria underwent interventional catheter; and 15-year-old Mar’i from Syria needed a balloon valvuloplasty – interventional catheter.

“A heartfelt thank you to our partners: Gift of Life Amman, Riley Hospital for Children, Gift of Life Indianapolis, Rotary Club Greenfield, the Josh Lindblom Foundation and Gaza Kinder Relief, as well as to all of Chain of Hope’s supporters and donors who enable us to continue carrying out our life-saving work,” the organisation said.

“Thank you to everyone for your continued support this year, and we take this opportunity to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!”

Persons and organisations can assist the Chain of Hope initiative by donating to @ChainofHope and @ChainofhopeJa.org.