Children Treated in the Europe
The PCRF has worked hard to provide many sick and injured Arab children in the Middle East with specialized medical care that is not available locally. The PCRF accomplishes this by sending teams of surgeons to treat children locally and by arranging cost-free treatment for them abroad. The PCRF has been fortunate to be able to work with many excellent hospitals and institutions in Europe in order to provide these poor children with the treatment they desperately need. The PCRF established programs in both Belgium and Italy, in which those institutions agreed to donate treatment for sick and injured children in their facilities each month. Below is a list of some of the children that have been treated in Europe through the PCRF.

Ala' Raslan 9 years (Tulkarem) She was sent to Vienna, Austria for open-heart surgery by Dr. Gregor Wollenek in August.


(See Program with University of Gent in Belgium)


Palestinian refugee sent to London for life-saving surgery
On April 13, 2-year-old Mohammed Shehade from the Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria was sent by the PCRF to the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, England for life--saving open-heart surgery. This was in cooperation with Chain of Hope Charity in the UK. Mohammed went with his mother Rania and are staying with a local host family. The boy was born with complex heart disease which cannot be treated in Syria. The PCRF is the main organization providing free open-heart surgery for Palestinian children in the Middle East. Hundreds of children have had life-saving care through the PCRF over the past few years.

Gaza Baby has successful surgery in London
On April 12, 2006, 8-month-old Zaynab Fayyad and her mother Sobhia from the Khan Younis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip went to London, England for facial surgery. The baby was born with a cleft lip and palate and was sponsored for treatment by the UK Charity "Facing the World." They were cared for by the local Arab community in London during her treatment.

Gaza Boy Returns from UK after Life-saving Surgery
In early August, 2003, Moaz Abdo, 10-years-old from the Tuffah area of Gaza City, went to London for life-saving open-heart surgery. This operation is not available in Palestine and was arranged through the PCRF with "Chain of Hope" in the UK. Moaz went with an English volunteer from Gaza on August 4th and stayed with a host family in London. Moaz's surgery was completed on August 6th and he is recovering well.

Yasmean Shkeir: 6 years, from Zawyah/Nablus. She was born with heart disease and had life-saving open-heart surgery at Brompton Hospital in London.


Huda Abdel Mabod: 4 years, Baghdad/Iraq. She had life-saving open-heart surgery in France.


Girl has life-saving surgery in Germany
In September, 2005, the PCRF sponsored the trip for 7-year-old Mona Abu Jaber and her father to travel from Jalqamoss village in the Jenin area to the University Hospital of Giessen, Germany for life-saving heart surgery. She had a large PDA closed in the catheterization lab through amplatz device.

Palestinian Child Travels to Germany for Life-Saving Open-Heart Surgery
In April, 2004, the PCRF sent Thaymah Abu Daghash, 2-years-old from Tulkarem, traveled to Munich, Germany for life-saving open-heart surgery, which is not available to her in Palestine. This child was first diagnosed by Prof. Ra-id Abdulla in December, and will be treated by Dr. Christian Schreiber at Deutsches Herzzentrum München. In December of last year, the same team in Germany treated Ward Sleiman from Ramallah.

Boy Travels to Munich for life-saving open-heart surgery
In December, 2003, the PCRF sent Ward Sleiman, 6 years, and his mother to Munich, Germany for life-saving open-heart surgery that is not available to him in Palestine. He is being treated on a charitable level by Dr. Christian Schreiber, a Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon at Deutsches Herzzentrum. This boy and mother are staying at the Ronald McDonald House there, and will return home to the Ramallah area once his surgery is completed.


(See Program in Bergamo, Italy)

Palestinian refugee from Syria travels to Italy for life-saving surgery
On June 24, 10-year-old Hazem Mawad and his mother from Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus traveled to Bergamo, Italy for the complete repair of a heart defect that he was born with, but could not be treated for in Syria. This is his second trip to Bergamo through the PCRF, as he went there during the first stage repair of his congenital heart defect by Dr. Giancarlo Crupi, a renowned heart surgeon who has saved the lives of many dozens of Palestinian and Iraqi kids through the PCRF over the past 10 years. Hazem had to go back to Italy because his defect required staged repairs. He has a very complex defect and is being treated on a humanitarian basis.

Iraqi baby sent to Italy for life-saving surgery
On May 2, 23-month-old Mohammed Qasim and his mother Fatima from Basra, Iraq were sent to the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery department of the "Ospedale del Cuore" Fondazione G. Monasterio for life-saving surgery. The boy suffered from a severe form of congenital heart disease known as "Tetralogy of Fallot" which could not be treated in his homeland. He was referred to the PCRF for care through the Iraqi National Assistance Center of the Multi-National Corps in Iraq. He was treated as a charity case by Dr. Stefano Luisi, who has treated previous children sent to Italy through the PCRF in the past, and has led two missions to Palestine through the PCRF for free care in the past year. The PCRF helps any child in the Middle East regardless of his religion, nationality or ethnicity. We are dedicated to helping children get free medical care that is not available to them in their strife-torn homelands.

Iraqi boy recovers from life-saving surgery in Italy
In early November, the PCRF sent 10-year-old Mohammed Husain Sa'eed from Baghdad was sent to Ospedale "G. Pasquinucci" in Massa, Italy for open-heart surgery. This boy was born with a hole in his heart and could not be treated in his war-torn country The PCRF arranged for him cardiac surgery through Dr. Stefano Luisi, a surgeon who is working with the PCRF to build a congenital heart program in Palestine. This boy traveled with his mother for surgery. Dr. Stefano is taking a team from his hospital to Jerusalem in late November for 10 days of surgery on Palestinian children.

Two Refugee Children Sent to Italy for Life-saving Surgery
In late October, the PCRF sent 11-month-old Hasan Hourani and his mother Kawther from the Nareb refugee camp in Aleppo, along with 13-month-old Muntaser Al-Fout and his mother Sahar from the Yarmok refugee camp in Damascus, to Naples, Italy for free open-heart surgery by Dr. Carlo Vosa. The children are being treated at Seconda Università degli studi di Napoli. Dr. Vosa has treated dozens of children with heart disease sent by the PCRF to him on a charitable basis. These children could not be treated locally in their hospital.

2 kids from Syria sent to Italy for open-heart surgery
On December 15, 2006, two Palestinian refugee children from Syria were sent to Children's Hospital in Naples, Italy for donated open-heart surgery by Dr. Carlo Vosa. Mahmoud Dowad, 10 y, from Yarmouk refugee camp, and Safa Mohailan, 12 y, from Damascus were both born with congenital heart disease. The PCRF has sent dozens of Arab children to Dr. Vosa in Naples for donated care over the past several years. He also led a mission to Jerusalem, where he operated on a dozen more kids. Both kids traveled with their mothers.

Refugee Baby Travels to Italy for Surgery
On May 10, 2006, 2-year-old Mohammed Salem from the Rashadiya refugee camp in south Lebanon was sent to Milan, Italy for open-heart surgery. The boy was sent with his mother Amal to San Donato Hospital, where Dr. Alessandro Frigiola treated the boy as a charity case. This child was discovered with heart disease by a mission in March to Lebanon's camps by Dr. Ziad Saba.

Palestinian Child Sent to Naples for Surgery
On May 5, 2006 4-year-old Ahmed Saed from Damascus was sent with his mother Hanadi to Naples, Italy for free open-heart surgery. This boy is treated by Dr. Carlos Vosa, a surgeon who has treated dozens of Palestinian and Arab children through the PCRF on a charitable basis over the past several years.

Syrian Refugee Travels to Italy for Free Surgery
In December, 2004, the PCRF sent 7-year-old Ghada Mostafa and her mother Ensaf to Naples, Italy for donated open-heart surgery by Dr. Carlos Vosa. The PCRF has sent several children from Palestine, Lebanon and Syria to Naples for surgery over the past few years, and Dr. Vosa has treated children in Palestine by visiting Makassedd Hospital in April, 2004.

Palestinian Refugee from Lebanon Has Heart Surgery in Italy
On December 20, 2004, 14-year-old Bahaa Soheil from the Badawi refugee camp in Tripoli, Lebanon had open-heart surgery through professor Carlos Vose of Naples, Italy. This is part of an ongoing program with the PCRF and Professor Vosa to provide free cardiac surgery for Palestinian suffering from heart disease. Dozens of children have had surgery in Naples, and Prof. Vosa led a mission to Makassed Hospital in April, 2004 in which several more children were treated in Palestine.

2 Babies and Their Mothers Travel to Italy for Life-saving Surgery
On June 29th, 2004, Ali Mazen Halahleh, 2 years and Thikra Ala' Wredat, 1 year, traveled with their mothers to Naples, Italy for life-saving open-heart surgery. The two boys are from the West Bank town of Hebron and will be treated by Prof. Carlo Vosa, who accompanied the children back from Palestine following his mission there in which he signed an agreement with the PA MOH to treat 50 children a year for free in Naples. These two boys were born with heart disease and would eventually die without treatment, which is not available locally. Over 30 children have been treated by Dr. Vosa in Naples through the PCRF over the past year, all done on a charitable basis.

More Sick Children Have Life-saving Surgery in Italy
In early April, 2004, the PCRF sent Bissan Zaban, 6 years, from Ramallah and Ro'a Al Wazir, 12-months, from Nablus to Naples, Italy for life-saving open-heart surgery that is not available to them locally. This is an ongoing program with Professor Carlo Vosa in Naples, who recently led a mission to Jerusalem, where he treated a dozen babies with heart disease. He also has been accepting children in Naples as charity cases for open-heart surgery.

Palestinian Refugee from Lebanon has Life-saving Surgery in Italy
In November, 2003, the PCRF sent 4-year-old Sarya Mohammed and her grandmother from Ein el Hilwah refugee camp in Lebanon for life-saving open-heart surgery in Naples, Italy.  This child was born with the life-threatening disease, and is treated by Professor Carlos Vosa, who has treated several Palestinain children for free through the PCRF in the past year.


PCRF sends Palestinian girl to Portugal for heart surgery
On January 25, the PCRF sent 7-year-old Hadeel Bzour from Raba village in the Jenin area of the West Bank for life-saving open-heart surgery through Prof. Jose Fragata in Lisbon, Portugal. This is her second surgery in Portugal, as three years ago the PCRF sent her to the same doctor for free care for complex heart disease. She is suffering from a very complex disorder that cannot be treated by the PCRF in Palestine, despite sending several heart teams to Jerusalem to treat children. She is being cared for through the support of the Palestine embassy in Lisbon.

Refugee Girl has surgery in Portugal
On April 5, 2006, 7-year-old Ala' Anis Ahmed from the Badawi RC in Lebanon had life-saving open-heart surgery at the Hospital Santa Marta in Lisbon, Portugal, but Professor Jose Fragata. This is the third Palestinian child who has been treated by Professor Fragata as a charity case. She traveled with her mother Ezees.

Palestinian Girl Travels To Portugul for Life-saving Surgery
In May, 2004. the PCRF sent Hadeel Albazour, 2-years-old from Jenin, went with her mother to Lisbon, Portugal for life-saving open-heart surgery through Professor Jose Fragata, Director of the Pediatric Unit of the Hospital of Santa Marta. This is the second case that Prof. Fragata has treated at his hospital through the PCRF. This child was diagnosed with heart disease by Prof. Abdulla last December through a PCRF mission.

Abdullah Kattan: 6 years, Damascus,Syria. He had lifesaving open-heart surgery in Lisbon, Portugal in June, 2002.  

Rana Abu Aker: 3 years, from Khan Younis. She had ophthalmic surgery in Russia.


Gaza Baby Sent to Spain for Surgery
On May 2, 2004 the PCRF sent 13-month-old Bilal Wadi and his mother Suhad from the village of Beit Lahia in the Gaza Strip to Seville, Spain for life-saving open-heart surgery. The boy had surgery through Dr. Antonio Sanchez and was cared for by local volunteers. This is the fourth child the PCRF has sent to Spain in the past several months for open-heart surgery.

Girl Returns Home from Madrid Following Life-saving Surgery
On March 9th, 2004 Amani Ahel and her grandmother returned back to the Gaza Strip after the 12-year-old girl had life-saving open-heart surgery at the RC Hospital Ramon y Cajal in Madrid. She was treated as a charity case by Dr. Pedro Sanchez, and was well cared for by the local Palestinian community in Madrid, including the office of the Ambassador, Nabild Marouf and Dr. Taisir Jadallah.

Jerico Girls Gets Treatment in Spain
In May, 2003 the PCRF sent 3 year-old Hiba Johari from the West Bank town of Jerico to Valencia, Spain for lifesaving open-heart surgery. Hiba was treated by Dr. Jose Caffarena on May 26th who successfully very complicated operation to repair a congenital heart defect. She had a transposition of the great arteries with interventricular septal defect and severe pulmonary stenosis. The operation lasted 7 hours. Hiba was later transported to the intensive care in very good clinical condition. Her postoperative evolution went very well and she has since recovered completely.

Ibrahim Al Masri, 5 years, from Gaza. He had orthopedic surgery in Spain in June, 2001.

(See Program in Lusanne, Switzerland)