Israel offers free service for children with heart problems
By Mike Puia
In Tel Aviv, Israel
CHILDREN suffering from congenital and rheumatic heart diseases can be saved in Israel for free.
All it needs is a report from the doctors detailing the heart problem the child is suffering and a good communication link between the Wolfson Medical Centre and the child’s parent or guardians.
Wolfson Medical Centre is the hospital dedicated for children in Israel.
The hospital is fully equipped with advanced high tech machines to deal with heart diseases.
It is located in Holon, a city on the central coastal strip south of Tel Aviv.
Tel Aviv is a young but fast growing city in Israel on the Mediterranean coast.
Save a Child’s Heart (SACH), an Israeli-based international non-profit organization, runs the hospital.
SACH received and treated 15,000 children worldwide each year.
It has been in operation since 1995.
So far, it has saved thousands of children mostly from developing countries.
When the child arrived, he or she is housed at SACH’s Legacy Heritage Children’s Home also in Holon before or after admitted at the hospital.
Based on medical reports, SACH takes care of the child’s travel to Israel, transportations, accommodation, food, drinks and treatment.
Since its sole commitment is to help children, the hospital receives and attended to children from different religion, race, sex, and country.
Even children from Palestine Authority, Jordan and Iraq are currently taken good care of in the hospital and at the Legacy heritage Children’s Home.
A pacific media team visited the hospital and meet a Fijian couple that brought their three-year-old daughter to the hospital.
Saimoni Gaunavou said since their arrival in the hospital, their baby, Abigail Gaunavou, has recovered well and is getting normal.
Gaunavou said he and his wife are so happy and thankful that SACH, with the help of officials from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has given their beautiful daughter a chance to live.
Abigail was diagnosed to have a hole in her heart when she was one year old.
She has been referred to doctors but without success until he learn about the work SACH is doing.
International Young Leadership Director, Brianna Fowler said most cases referred to their children’s hospital are cases children born with and that is something their hospital can deal with.
Fowler said medical doctors in the hospital volunteered their time to save children’s lives.
She said SACH also train doctors from other countries to do the work in their own countries and even deploy teams of doctors to deliver heart care in other parts of the world.
SACH survived through donation. According to Fowler, university students also donate to save a child.
The hospital’s advance technology enabled doctors in the hospital to reduce the chances of performing open heart surgery.
For Abigail’s case, doctors sent a small tube to close a 16mm hole in her heart.
To find out more about SACH or to contact SACH, visit https://www.saveachildsheart.com/ or call the kids hospital on phone +972-58-4644168.
