- Title: Palestinian boy braves Israeli surgery alone during coronavirus closure
- Date: 7th May 2020
- Summary: HIZME, WEST BANK (MAY 7, 2020) (REUTERS) HAMZA DAR- ALI MOHAMMED, TWO YEAR OLD PALESTINIAN BOY, MEETING HIS MOTHER AFTER TWO MONTHS APART, DUE TO CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS AS HE WAS BEING TREATED AT ISRAELI HOSPITAL MOTHER OF HAMZA, KHETAM DAR-ALI MOHAMMED CRYING WHILE HUGGING THE CHILD HOLON, ISRAEL (MAY 7, 2020) (REUTERS) HAMZA AT HOSPITAL DOCTOR CHECKING UP HAMZA TWO YEAR OLD BOY EATING SNACKS (SOUNDBITE) (English) DR. LIOR SASSON, SAVE A CHILD'S HEAT LEAD SURGEON, SAYING: "But when he was ventilated she went back home to visit her family . And it happens to be the coronavirus hit us all and the lockdown was imposed on Israel from Israeli side and in the Palestinians Authority by the initiative of the Palestinian Authority and the mother need to stay home." VARIOUS OF HAMZA HAS VIDEO CALL WITH HIS MOTHER KHETAM HAMZA SENDING KISSES TO HIS MOTHER DOCTORS AROUND HAMZA (SOUNDBITE) (English) DR. LIOR SASSON, SAVE A CHILD'S HEART LEAD SURGEON, SAYING: "A small child two years of age he needs his mother and the void was filled and this is really amazing story by the all the staff her the doctors and the nurses that took him as if he was their own child." VARIOUS OF DOCTOR PUTTING ON SHOES OF TWO YEAR OLD BOY MEDICAL TEAM WALKING WITH HAMZA HAMZA WALKING INSIDE HOSPITAL DOCTOR CARRYING CHILD HAMZA KISSING DOCTOR DOCTOR TAKING OFF THE HOSPITAL BRACELET HAMZA LEAVING HOSPITAL ROOM HAMZA SITTING INSIDE VEHICLE MEDICAL TEAM WAVING TO HAMZA VEHICLE DRIVING AWAY FROM WOLFNSON HOSPITAL HIZME, WEST BANK (MAY 7, 2020) (REUTERS) PARENTS OF HAMZA WAITING AT HIZME CHECKPOINT VEHICLES DRIVING THOUGH ISRAELI CHECKPOINT MOTHER OF HAMZA WALKING TOWARD VEHICLE AND CARRIES HAMZA DOCTORS AND FAMILY TAKING PICTURE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOTHER OF HAMZA, KHETAM DAR-ALI MOHAMMED , SAYING: "I was not with my child because of coronavirus, this prevented me to be with my child. I was afraid that he will catch the disease also us we will get sick. " VARIOUS OF DOCTORS WITH HAMZA AND HIS MOTHER HAMZA WAVING TO THE DOCTORS RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (MAY 7, 2020) (REUTERS) MOTHER CARRYING HAMZA AS THEY GET OFF TAXI WOMEN ULULATING HAMZA WALKING INSIDE HOME HAMZA SMILING
- Embargoed: 21st May 2020 15:23
- Keywords: Israel West Bank child coronavirus mother save child heart
- Location: HOLON, ISRAEL/ HIZME AND RAMALLAH WEST BANK
- City: HOLON, ISRAEL/ HIZME AND RAMALLAH WEST BANK
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Health/Medicine,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001CCXKZ7R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Heart surgery is a trial for anyone, and especially for a young child.
It was even harder for Hamza Ali Mohammad, as the two-year-old Palestinian had to undergo the procedure in Israel while his family was kept away by coronavirus closures.
A resident of the Palestinian hub city Ramallah, Mohammad was born with life-threatening congenital heart disease that required he be operated on as a baby.
In February, the two-year-old had a surgery performed under Save a Child's Heart, an Israeli-based volunteer organization that seeks to improve child pediatric care in developing countries.
As he was placed in a ventilator, his parents - Khetam and Issam Dar Ali Mohammad - decided to return home to check on his siblings.
But they were unable to travel back to the hospital as Israeli and Palestinian authorities sealed the boundary to prevent a coronavirus spread.
Dr. Ahmed Amer, a member of Israel's Arab minority, took the lead in communicating with the boy and updating his parents by phone.
Mohammad was reunited on Thursday (May 7) with his mother, who whisked him into her arms after he arrived in a van, escorted by medical personnel, at a checkpoint on the boundary between Israel and the occupied West Bank.
With tears in her eyes she hugged him close and kissed his cheeks.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, two people have died in the Palestinian territories, including Gaza and the West Bank and nearly 547 cases have been reported.
In Israel, there have been 235 deaths and 16,381 cases
(Production : Roleen Tafakji/Lianne Back/ Dedi Hayoun/Saed Hawari) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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