Heroes aren't only made on the battlefield. Mohammad Ganaim from Baqa al-Gharbiyye was born at 24 weeks, weighing 720 grams, less than a bag of sugar. For 75 days he was on a ventilator and fought for his life in the protected NICU at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center.
Hillel Yaffe Medical Center’s NICU staff with the Ganaim family on the day of discharge
Dr. Sylvia Foldi, a senior NICU physician, remembers his very first moments. "It was at the end of my shift. I had already walked out to the parking lot when I got a call about an extremely early delivery. I rushed right back to the unit, and we began resuscitation. When a baby is born that early and at such a low weight, we go into battle mode. His lungs were too underdeveloped; his systems weren’t mature yet. For the 75 days he was on the ventilator, every single day was an achievement. There were many ups and downs, nights when we didn't know if he would make it to morning, but he never gave up."
And then, just as his condition seemed to be stabilizing, the war broke out. Now a new obstacle was added to the emotional baggage his parents were already carrying: the physical distance. "In the first few days we had to stay home. Our three-year-old was terrified of the alerts and the sirens, and we had to stay with him. We would call the staff to ask how Mohammad was doing, whether he had made it through the night," recalled Azhar, the father.
"It was my worst nightmare," said Safa, Mohammad's mother, through tears of relief. "My son was fighting for his life, and I couldn't hold his hand. We called the NICU several times a day. I’d ask the nursing staff to hug him for me and tell him we were waiting for him."
Today, after almost 100 days, our little fighter is going home. He is no longer connected to tubes and instead is being held tight in his mother's embrace. The parents extend their heartfelt gratitude to the NICU staff for their dedicated work, their guidance and the support they provided throughout the entire stay. "The staff at Hillel Yaffe became part of our family. Every step of the way they supported us, embraced us and lifted our spirits, even when we had lost all hope. The bond that was formed in the middle of the war, during the fight for our son’s life, is something that we will never ever forget."
"Mohammad's story is what we call a medical miracle. A premature baby born this early, right at the cusp of viability, at such a low weight, who manages to survive, is proof that even when there is almost no hope, and even when the world outside is in turmoil, the will to live is stronger than anything," said Dr. Amit Hochberg, Hillel Yaffe’s Newborn and Neonatal Care Department Director. "Although we said goodbye to him today, but our hearts stay with him."
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