Doctors trained in Israel and living in Tanzania and Zambia joined forces to save the lives of 10 children in Zambia, explained Save a Child’s Heart Executive Director Simon Fisher.
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(ILTV)
Speaking at the Lights of Hope virtual event this week, Fisher detailed a mission to Zambia at the end of 2024. Dr. Godwin Godfrey Sharau of Tanzania and Dr. Mudaniso Kumani Ziwa of Zambia, both trained by Save a Child’s Heart in Israel, worked alongside Tanzanian and Zambian teams to perform life-saving operations. Dr. Lior Sasson, director of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Wolfson Medical Center, was also present, observing firsthand the collaboration between two generations of surgeons he had trained in Israel over the past 15 years.
“You should have seen the smile and satisfaction on Dr. Sasson’s face,” Fisher said, "and the glimmer of hope for these children. We as Israelis are so proud to be able to make our world a better place.”
Watch the full Lights of Hope event:
Save a Child’s Heart is dedicated to saving the lives of critically ill children suffering from heart disease in countries where access to pediatric cardiac care is limited or nonexistent. Through bringing children to Israel for treatment, conducting medical missions abroad, and training medical professionals, the organization delivers hope to families, communities, and even entire nations.
However, Fisher acknowledged the challenges faced since October 7.
“We’ve found ourselves in a very, very difficult situation, and against all odds, Israel is reaching out to the world and showing the better and the best face of Israel—reaching out in a humanitarian way, saving lives, teaching, giving knowledge,” he said.
“And the beauty is, it is not only done by Israelis, but it is done by Israelis in partnership with Tanzanians and in partnership with Zambians,” Fisher added.
Dr. Zachias Moonde Muulu, currently in Israel to further his skills in pediatric cardiac surgery, highlighted the stark reality in his home country.
“My country has a population of 20 million people, but for years, there were no heart operations done on children,” he said during the conference. “When you have a child with a heart problem and you do not have the medical expertise to help your child, there is no hope."
Since 2017, however, Save a Child’s Heart has been conducting operations in Zambia and training local professionals.
“So, I am now coming in as a second-generation surgeon. We have a team that has already been built by Save a Child’s Heart to conduct these operations right from home,” Muulu said. “And so my coming [to Israel] was a joyful moment. It was not scary… it is a dream come true for me.”