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WE HAVE KIDS IN SURGERY RIGHT NOW! THROUGH THESE STORIES WE'RE INVITING YOU TO BE A PART OF THE NEXT LIFESAVING SOLUTION. GET TO KNOW THESE KIDS & PLEASE GIVE WHAT YOU CAN FOR THE NEXT GROUP! |
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Dua is Out of Surgery with a Total Correction for Her Heart
February 27, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
I reported incorrectly on Thursday when I introduced Dua as having “tricuspid atresia.” She in fact came to us with “extreme Tetralogy of Fallot.” The great news is that she just received a total correction for her heart problem that we plaguing her and threatening her life just days ago.
While everything did go according to plan, Dua does have a fever right now in ICU and nurses are monitoring her closely as we head into the weekend.
Please continue to pray for this little girl; specifically that whatever is causing her fever would subside and that she will stabilized and be removed from life-support in the next day or two.
With gratitude and joy,
Follow Dua Arif on Twitter: @Dua_Arif. Subscribe to Dua’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Dua’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
Dua Looking a Little Unsure as She Waits to be Taken to Surgery this Morning
February 26, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
There’s not much more to say… this picture pretty much captures the uneasiness of this part of the journey. So much hope, fear, trust, and distrust is inherent to the moments right before surgery.
Thanks for joining Dua and her family as they entrust her into the hands of the Turkish team… from their perspective, this is the only chance she’s got. And thanks for all you’ve done to fund her surgery to get her to this point.
Dua’s name means prayer. So as we all remember Dua right now, we honor her parents and honor GOD by entrusting her life to GOD in prayer. More to come after she emerges from surgery…
Follow Dua Arif on Twitter: @Dua_Arif. Subscribe to Dua’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Dua’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
Sozyar is Resting, Doing Well, and on Life-Support in ICU
February 26, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Sozyar’s surgery went great - exactly according to plan. Her situation is so complex that she will likely need a follow-up surgery in four or five years - but even with today’s fix, known as a bidirectional Glenn, she has the chance to live a much healthier, longer life than was imaginable just a few hours ago.
That said, no child is “out of the woods” until they are extubated and out of ICU. She is still in critical condition. Do pray for her.
From all of us at the Preemptive Love Coalition and her parents,
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Isn’t it amazing to watch life-saving in progress? We are able to do this because people like you give $10, $25, and $50 - or whatever they could - to impact the future of kids in Iraq. |
Follow baby Sozyar on Twitter: @SozyarHamdan. Subscribe to Sozyar’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Sozyar’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
Muhammed Resting, Intubated in ICU After ‘Total Correction’
February 26, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
The words “total correction” bring a great deal of joy to our ears every time we hear them! The doctors here have repeatedly found highly complex cases unlike anything they see elsewhere in the world when working on our kids from Iraq. So every total correction is that much more exciting!
But as we’ve said before, Muhammed was rushed to us due to his extremely high pulmonary pressures. Things seem to be under control right now in ICU, but these things have a propensity for going south quickly. Please keep Muhammed, his mother in Istanbul, and his anxious father in Iraq in your prayers.
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Isn’t it amazing to watch life-saving in progress? We are able to do this because people like you give $10, $25, and $50 - or whatever they could - to impact the future of kids in Iraq. |
Follow Muhammed Adnan on Twitter: @MuhammedAdnan. Subscribe to Muhammed’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Muhammed’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
Sozyar’s Surgery Was a Success Thanks to the Perfusionist & the Whole Team!
February 25, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Did you ask yourself what this highly trained medical professional is doing sitting down in the middle of an intense, life-saving surgery? We did too the first time we saw it! But it turns out that most of the time, these heart surgeries - while interesting - are rather uneventful for a team that has logged thousands of hours together like our partners in Turkey.
Still, this man is not sitting down because he’s too good to stand up. This is - Hasan Solak - one of the perfusionists on Prof. Dr. Sertaç Çiçek’s surgical team. During Dr. Çiçek’s visit to Iraq last week we talked a great deal about the need for highly trained perfusionists if the centers that are in development in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Dohuk will ever be able to perform full-blown open-heart surgeries. So it seemed like a good time for us to pause and tell you a bit more about this critical, unsung role.
In short, the perfusionist is the one responsible for the operation of the “heart-lung” machine - or the pump - for cardiopulmonary bypass surgeries. Essentially, the machine replaces the heart and lungs and allows for surgery to be performed on those vital organs. It is such a critical role that it cannot be attended to by someone multitasking something else. The perfusionist’s sole job is to maintain the machine - to keep the patient alive.
For more information see the Perfusionist and Cardiopulmonary Bypass articles on Wikipedia.
Follow baby Sozyar on Twitter: @SozyarHamdan. Subscribe to Sozyar’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Sozyar’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
Sozyar Rests Before Going in to Surgery
February 25, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Sozyar is settled in to her private room at the Anadolu Medical Center resting before surgery. More information about her surgery should be available later today…
Follow baby Sozyar on Twitter: @SozyarHamdan. Subscribe to Sozyar’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Sozyar’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
Total Correction for Muhammed!
February 25, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Doctors accomplished the total correction they were hoping for with Muhammed. But he came to us with extremely high pulmonary pressure (in his lungs) so the coming days in ICU will be incredibly important.
Special thanks to Erica Fischer of EMF Images for partnering with us to save Muhammed’s life. At the suggestion of EMF’s Erica Fischer, Cameron and Ben (left) donated the sitting fee for their engagement pictures to the Preemptive Love Coalition to help fund Muhammed’s surgery. This ongoing partnership with EMF promises to save a lot of lives in Iraq and engage the hearts of many who thought they were just signing up for EMF’s great photography!
We know there are hundreds of you out there doing amazing stuff like this to save lives. Sometimes we just don’t know what you’re up to! Contact us.
Follow Muhammed Adnan on Twitter: @MuhammedAdnan. Subscribe to Muhammed’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Muhammed’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
The Fear in a Mother’s Eyes as Muhammed Goes in to Surgery
February 25, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Both baby Muhammed and his dear mother looked pretty concerned as Muhammed went into surgery… the first of this February group.
Going first is a blessing and a curse. There is always a lot of tension among the mothers until that first child comes out of surgery… and then out of ICU. On the other hand, there is a lot of tension seeing other children go before yours into surgery and there is always this lingering suspicion that the goodwill will run out before the doctors get around to helping my child.
So Muhammed drew the first straw with all its attendant excitement at this healing that has been so long-delayed and all the anxiety at the dangers after hours of serious conversations with medical professionals about the course of treatment and very real risks associated with these difficult surgeries.
There will be more information on Muhammed in a few hours.
Follow Muhammed Adnan on Twitter: @MuhammedAdnan. Subscribe to Muhammed’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Muhammed’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
Muhammed Resting & Smiling in His Room Waiting for Surgery
February 25, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Muhammed is full of sweet smiles waiting for surgery. More information about timing and his condition forthcoming….
Follow Muhammed Adnan on Twitter: @MuhammedAdnan. Subscribe to Muhammed’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Muhammed’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
Meet Dua (Twitter: @Dua_Arif)
February 24, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
We met Dua and her family through a partnering organization on the northern Iraq-Turkey border near the area where Dua lives. As a result, we’re just now getting to know her (whereas we’ve had relationship with some of these other families for months).
Dua was diagnosed in Iraq with “tricuspid atresia” - a defect that only accounts for 1-3% of all congenital heart defects. In short, this defect means there is an absence of the tricuspid valve. From Wikipedia (because a lot of other sites prohibit quoting their information!):
Therefore, there is an absence of right atrioventricular connection. This leads to a hypoplastic (undersized) or absent right ventricle. This defect is contracted during prenatal development, when the heart does not finish developing. It causes the heart to be unable to properly oxygenate the rest of the blood in the body. Because of this, the body does not have enough oxygen to live, and steps must be taken to keep the child alive.
And for bonus points, you can click here to read more on the Fontan procedure for which Dua is a candidate (though her operability is still undetermined).
Follow Dua Arif on Twitter: @Dua_Arif. Subscribe to Dua’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Dua’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
*In accordance with PLC’s desire to lend a hand-up by avoiding strict hand-outs (when possible), Dua’s family worked with the regional government and with personal and government funds contributed $6,000 towards PLC’s highly-discounted surgery prices.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
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