The "Syrian baby," an infant who was flown to Israel a few months ago for life-saving surgery when it was only a few days old, will be back in Israel today for an additional operation, according to Israeli media.
The case of the Syrian baby made headlines late last year, when it was flown to Israel on a special medically-equipped plane from Cyprus, where the child's parents, Syrian refugees, are staying, and its life was saved thanks to an emergency operation at Israel's Sheba Medical Centre.
At the time, the Cypriot Health Ministry approached the Israeli Ambassador in Cyprus, Sammy Revel, with an urgent request to fly the baby, who was born with a severe heart defect, to Israel for medical treatment. After receiving special authorization from Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, the baby arrived with his father, a Syrian national, and underwent the complex heart surgery. The baby and its father remained in Israel for some time for monitoring before flying back to Cyprus.
With the assistance of the consular wing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Israeli Embassy in Cyprus, the "Syrian baby" will arrive back in Israel today for another scheduled procedure.