Amidst great joy, Mo’ath Hamoudeh, a Palestinian infant, returned to Gaza through the Erez checkpoint after three months of treatment in an Italian hospital where a malignant tumour was removed from his liver. A number of PRCS employees and volunteers greeted him at the checkpoint.
Dr. Khaled Joudeh, PRCS Deputy-Director General, expressed his joy at the successful yet very complicated surgery undergone by the infant, a process which would have been impossible in Palestine. Moreover, several doctors in Gaza and inside the green line had said that the child might need a liver transplant, which would put his life in danger. He added that PRCS will continue to make every possible effort to provide support and assistance to Palestinians. In this case, PRCS had coordinated with the Angels Association in Italy which covered the costs of the child’s treatment.
The child’s father, who works as a nurse in Al Shifa’a Public Hospital in Gaza, said that the surgery took place in one of the best Vatican hospitals in Italy, and was performed by a renowned surgeon from France. He added that his son’s condition was diagnosed one year earlier, i.e. when, the child was 3 months old. He was suffering from anaemia, loss of weight, a deficient immune system and changes in the colour of his skin. Mo’ath’s father thanked all those who helped cure his son, namely the Angels Association (Italy) and PRCS.
Azmi Al Astal, Head of PRCS’s Psychosocial Programme in Gaza, said that the child’s problem was first detected during a psychosocial support visit by a team from the Department to children living with cancer and to their families. Later on, when an Italian delegation visited PRCS and AbdelAziz Al Rantissi hospital for children, the case of two children, including Mo’ath, was submitted to them. Both cases were approved by the Angels Association which cares for children injured during wars or suffering from grave illnesses.
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