Three-year-old Parvis is a resilient child who was born in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and is the third of four siblings. Three months ago, during a routine doctor's check-up, he was diagnosed with a heart defect. He was then sent for further comprehensive tests at a central hospital in Uzbekistan, where he was diagnosed with a heart condition called Partial Atrioventricular Canal.
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His parents, who couldn't understand how they suddenly found themselves in such a medical predicament, began searching for a place where Parvis could receive treatment. "I will never forget the moment when I was told about Parvis' heart disease," his mother Nigina recounted with tears.
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Parvis was diagnosed with a heart condition called Partial Atrioventricular Canal
(Photo: Tomer Noyberg)
But then reassuring news came from Israel, where Parvis' aunt works as an elder caregiver in Holon. With the help of his aunt's family the search began, leading Parvis' family to the organization "Save a Child's Heart" – an Israeli humanitarian organization dedicated to saving the lives of children with heart diseases from countries where access to pediatric cardiac care is limited or nonexistent.
After the medical staff examined the findings, it was decided that Parvis could be treated in Israel, and preparations began to fly him and his mother for surgery in the country. Two weeks ago, Parvis underwent open-heart surgery at Wolfson Medical Center.
"Life in Uzbekistan is difficult," his mother says, "I work very hard and take care of my children and my in-laws, who live with us in our house. I am grateful for the opportunity we were given to bring Parvis here and save his life."
Parvis was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect that included a septal defect and significant leakage in the mitral valve, resulting in incomplete separation between the right and left chambers of the heart, and both ventricles did not fully develop. "During the surgery, we repaired both ventricles and created a complete separation between the right and left sides, allowing the heart to function properly like a normal heart," explained Dr. Hagi Dekel, director of the Cardiac Surgery Department at Wolfson.
Alina Shutikhin, a pediatric nurse at Wolfson, is one of the team members who diligently cared for Parvis. To the surprise of the family, Shutikhin, along with other staff members, is also originally from Uzbekistan, which facilitated communication between staff and the mother and child.
"I only came to this country at the age of 16, and I have been a nurse in this country for 10 years," Shutikhin shares. "It's very emotional to see children from the country where I was born, and I have already seen many of them through the activities of Save a Child's Heart organization."
"When I found out that Parvis was from Uzbekistan, I immediately approached his mother and started talking to her. It turned out that they came from the same city where I grew up. It's definitely a sense of resemblance and connection, which gives a pleasant feeling both to me as a caregiver and to the parents, who come to a foreign country, feeling the most overwhelmed and concerned about their little son's medical condition. She told me that she feels the most at home here, and every time she sees me around the ward, she has a big smile on her face. There are other team members who speak Russian, which is definitely a great advantage and touches all our hearts," Shutikhin says.
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Parvis is currently recovering at the children's home of the NGO together with children from other countries
(Photo: Tomer Noyberg)
Parvis is currently recovering at the children's home of the NGO together with children from other countries. He enjoys playing with them and, despite not speaking the same language, he is happy to be in their company. In the coming days, the medical team will decide whether he is ready to return home to Uzbekistan and continue his life there as a healthy child.