Herzog backs Nobel Peace Prize recognition for Save a Child’s Heart at 30-year celebration

President Isaac Herzog has pledged to support Nobel Peace Prize recognition for Save a Child’s Heart, the Israeli medical charity that has provided cardiac treatment to 9,000 children from 75 countries.

Speaking at an anniversary gathering at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, Herzog praised the organization for bringing children to Israel for care across borders and political divides. He highlighted its treatment of patients from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Palestinian Authority.

The event marked 30 years of work combining surgery in Israel with efforts to expand pediatric heart care overseas. According to the charity, more than 180 medical professionals have received training through its programs.

Among the guests was Shalom, a six-year-old from Malawi whose family sought help after she was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, a serious heart defect present from birth.

Her mother, Nelesi, had already lost her own mother to heart disease. She accompanied Shalom to Israel, where surgery arranged through the organization gave her daughter the prospect of a healthier childhood. The charity says Shalom is now active and enjoying time with her twin sister.

Doctors from Zambia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia who are undertaking fellowships in Israel also attended. Their training is part of the organization’s effort to help hospitals abroad develop the expertise to treat children closer to home.

The gathering recognized donors who finance treatment, medical education and equipment, and included a tribute to the late Morris Kahn, a longtime supporter.

Save a Child’s Heart works with Wolfson Medical Center in Holon and its Sylvan Adams Children’s Hospital. Beyond individual operations, its programs support local medical teams through international missions, professional exchanges and hospital partnerships.