Ibrahim Sawa’d suffered extensive burns over much of his body due to an oven fire in his home. After more than six difficult months of hospitalization that included 15 surgeries, doctors arranged a surprise visit home to see his family and friends.
Ibrahim Sawa’d in the Wagner-Green Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Photography: Rambam HCC
Ibrahim Sawa’d, a nine-year old boy from the Galilee village of Wadi Salameh, has been hospitalized in the Wagner-Green Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Ruth Rappaport Children’s Hospital at Rambam Health Care Campus for seven months, after suffering severe burns on 70-80% of his body. Young Ibrahim has undergone 15 surgeries so far, and due to Rambam’s COVID-19 restrictions, Ibrahim had been unable to see most of his family while hospitalized, as visits were limited to his mother and father only.
The boy’s greatest dream was to return to his home in Wadi Salameh—even if only for a few hours—to see his family—including a baby brother born while Ibrahim was hospitalized whom he had not yet met—and to eat from his mother’s food. For a long time, his difficult condition prevented this, but recently, with the joint mobilization of the unit staff and the ambulance company Haiat Emergency, Ibrahim's request came true.
“One of the things he missed the most was his family and his home,” explains Dr. Danny Eytan, the attending physician from the Wagner-Green Pediatric Intensive Care Unit who accompanied Ibrahim for the trip home, along with a nurse from the unit. “With the help of Haiat, which donated transportation to and from the family’s home in one of the company’s ambulances, we decided to surprise him.”
While it is very unusual to take a patient out of the Intensive Care Unit without there being a medical reason to do so, an exception was made in this case. “In order to improve Ibrahim’s mental state, we decided to arrange this brief visit. We are convinced that it will have a positive effect,” noted Dr. Josef Benari, Director of the Wagner-Green Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, prior to the visit.
Ibrahim’s visit was an emotional celebration for his entire family, and he was received with a great deal of love and excitement. After spending several hours at home, Haiat carefully brought Ibrahim back to Rambam. “Ibrahim is still in critical condition and being treated in our unit. He’ll have to be there for a while. This visit will help to give him strength for the long road ahead,” says Dr. Eytan.