Dear Readers of KOL Israel Bonds,

Save a Child's Heart has been treating children for 25 years by bringing them to Israel to receive life-saving cardiac treatment - treatment that is not available to them in their home communities. To date, Save a Child’s Heart has saved more than 6,000 children from 63 countries.  Save a Child's Heart is proud that Mazen from Gaza, who is the 6,000th child treated, will grow into adulthood because of the generous support towards its programs in both Israel
and abroad.

During the first few weeks of his life, doctors in Gaza diagnosed Mazen with a complicated congenital heart condition that would require multiple medical procedures to save his life. As he grew older, it became more difficult for him to breathe and he needed emergency surgery to survive. There are no centers for interventional cardiac treatment in Gaza, and the caseload of critical cases has been made worse by border closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A major challenge for us is that we are not only responsible for ‘doing the medicine’, but for helping patients cross borders for care,” said Dr. Al Faleet, who referred Mazen to his Israeli partners at Save a Child’s Heart in Holon, Israel.

all children deserve a healthy future – regardless of where they live, their race, religion, or gender.

In December 2021, Mazen was treated at the Save a Child’s Heart International Pediatric Cardiac Care Center at the new Sylvan Adams Children’s Hospital in Israel. There, he was first screened by Dr. Alona Raucher Sternfeld, Director of Pediatric Cardiology, and then treated by Dr. Sagi Assa, Head of the Interventional Pediatric Cardiac Care Unit. Dr. Assa and his team are pioneering the use of closure devices that enable complex cardiac catheterization procedures to close holes in hearts
without the need for open heart surgery. The center and hospital are the only institutions in Israel performing this procedure on cases such as Mazen’s.

50% of the children treated by Save a Child’s Heart are Palestinian children from Gaza and the West Bank

Mazen is the 6000th child to be treated thanks to Save a Child’s Heart. (Photo courtesy of Save a Child’s Heart)

Save a Child’s Heart is dedicated to improving pediatric cardiac care in developing countries around the world through surgery, medical missions, and medical training. 50% of the children treated by Save a Child’s Heart are Palestinian children from Gaza and the West Bank and the organization holds a free weekly cardiology clinic for Palestinian children at its facilities in Holon.

Mazen’s father, Khalil​, is beyond grateful to the Israeli medical team for their attention and care. “​We are so thankful to Save a Child’s Heart and the entire medical team for repairing Mazen’s heart and giving him a second chance at life. We will never forget what you did for our family”.

Save a Child's Heart is not just the name of an organization; rather, it is a mission, a goal, and a promise. It is a reminder that all children deserve a healthy future – regardless of where they live, their race,
religion, or gender.

For a video about Mazen: https://youtu.be/GuZa7BV3EEc

For more information visit:

www.saveachildsheart.org

www.saveachildsheart.ca