Sometimes, only a mother’s faith and perseverance can save a child’s life

Layan, a one-year-old Yemeni girl, suffered from a large hole in one of her heart ventricles, along with severe pulmonary hypertension. In hopes of saving her young life, Layan’s mother and grandmother traveled with her the 800 kilometers from their home to the city of Mukalla where, they had learned, a medical campaign organized by the Saudi Volunteer Program for Heart Disease and Cardiac Surgeries was being implemented.  

As soon as the family arrived at the medical center, the Saudi volunteer medical team examined Layan and decided that she required immediate open-heart surgery. Following the five-hour procedure, which was a success, Layan was moved from the operating theater to the intensive care unit for follow up care and observation. 

While Layan’s nurse, Haya (a Saudi volunteer on the visiting medical team), was checking on Layan and comforting her, she noticed that Layan’s worried mother and grandmother were standing near the window of the ICU trying to catch any glimpse of the baby, to reassure themselves that she was all right. They had not been updated about Layan’s condition following surgery; they had only been told that they were not allowed into the ICU due to COVID-19 restrictions and space limitations. When Nurse Haya found out about this delay in reuniting Layan with her mother, she wanted to help; she understood how difficult it was for a mother to have to wait even one more minute after worrying about her daughter’s condition for so long. 

Haya convinced the doctors to let Layan’s mother be with her baby in the ICU, and when Layan’s mother heard the wonderful news, she rushed to her daughter’s side. Everyone was deeply touched at the sight of the relieved mother holding her daughter’s small hand, gazing at her with tears in her eyes and her heart full of love.