Beneficiaries of life-saving heart surgery thank Israeli charity, envoy

The mothers and guardians of 10 South Sudanese children who underwent life-saving heart surgeries in Israel in January 2024 appreciated an Israeli medical group and the former South Sudan envoy in Tel Aviv for rendering the assistance.

On Saturday, the children, their families and doctors from Al Sabah Children’s Hospital, who coordinated their travel, received former ambassador to Israel, Wol Mayar Ariec at Juba Airport, upon his recall to Juba.

Rose Benjamin, one of the mothers of the kids who benefited from the free treatment facilitated by Save A Child’s Heart, voiced her gratitude to the former ambassador for bolstering bilateral relations between the two countries.

She said their decision to welcome the ambassador on his return to Juba after his tenure ended, is a reciprocation of his kindness and regular visits to the hospital during their time in Israel.

Ms. Benjamin further appreciated the governments of Israel and South Sudan for their “unwavering support” towards the children.

“Today is a day of great happiness for me because the ambassador has come. I am filled with gratitude towards him and Israel for their unwavering support,” she said.

“When we arrived in Israel, the ambassador warmly welcomed us, and today, we have come with our children to extend the same warm welcome to him. I also want to express my heartfelt thanks to the government of South Sudan.”

Save A Child’s Heart is an Israel based organization that treats children suffering from congenital and rheumatic heart disease who have little access to care in their own countries.

The organization works internationally to save the lives of children from countries where access to pediatric cardiac care is limited or nonexistent.

To date, the organization has helped more than 6,000 children from 66 countries, including South Sudan.

On his part, Ambassador Mayar assured them that the heart treatment initiative organization will continue despite the change of mission leadership.

He added that the incoming ambassador will still coordinate the treatment, and about 30 children with heart-related complications are set to jet to Tel Aviv in the coming months.

“This is a lifesaving program as you can see these young ones were airlifted to Israel and got treated and got their life saved,” Mayar said in an interview with Eye Radio at Juba International Airport.

“We are going to have a third or fourth batch to be taken about 13th and 14th of next month – consisting a total of 30 children whose lives will be saved.”

Ambassador Mayar said the South Sudan government is considering the possibility of engaging the State if Israel to open a heart hospital in the country and train specialists.

“Our job as the civil servants and the government is to serve our people to the best of our availability and to fulfill the promise that we are going to make sure that we even have a heart Hospital. We are going to agree with our friends to train doctors.”

He added that the Israel Ambassador to South Sudan Gershon Kedar will visit Al Sabah Hospital on June 23, 2024 to “initiate the process of their travel to Israel.