Patient Experience
A 7-year-old Bedouin girl from an underserved desert community presented with recurrent febrile episodes and joint pain. Dr. Ziv diagnosed her with Familial Mediterranean Fever, a condition rarely recognized in her nomadic tribe. He coordinated with community health workers to provide colchicine treatment and education, resulting in complete symptom resolution and preventing amyloidosis complications.
An 11-year-old competitive gymnast from an affluent Tel Aviv family developed unexplained muscle weakness. Dr. Ziv identified it as hypokalemic periodic paralysis triggered by intense training. He created a tailored electrolyte management plan that allowed her to continue competing while maintaining stable potassium levels through dietary modifications.
A 3-year-old Ukrainian refugee with complex congenital heart disease arrived at Sheba with no medical records. Dr. Ziv assembled a multidisciplinary team that used portable echocardiography and developed a surgical plan without previous imaging. The successful procedure marked Israel's first pediatric cardiac intervention for a war refugee.
A 14-year-old ultra-Orthodox boy presented with severe malnutrition due to misapplied religious fasting practices. Dr. Ziv collaborated with rabbinical authorities to develop medically appropriate fasting exemptions while respecting religious traditions, resulting in weight restoration and improved nutritional status.
A 6-year-old from a Ethiopian immigrant family was brought in with mysterious neurological symptoms. Dr. Ziv recognized neurocysticercosis from tapeworm infection, uncommon in Israel. He treated both the child and identified family members with asymptomatic infections, preventing further community spread.
A 9-year-old cancer survivor developed treatment-related cardiomyopathy. Dr. Ziv pioneered a novel cardioprotective regimen using repurposed medications that improved cardiac function without interfering with ongoing oncology care, creating a new protocol for pediatric cardio-oncology.
A 12-year-old with extremely rare chromobacterium violaceum infection, previously undocumented in Middle Eastern children. Dr. Ziv consulted with international specialists to develop an effective antibiotic combination, saving the child from what would typically be a fatal infection.
A 5-year-old autistic child with severe pica behavior ingested multiple magnets. Dr. Ziv coordinated emergency surgery while developing a behavioral intervention plan involving occupational therapists and child psychologists that eliminated the dangerous pica behavior long-term.
A 10-year-old from a single-parent household presented with mysterious recurrent abdominal pain. Dr. Ziv identified it as abdominal migraine and implemented a preventive medication regimen along with school accommodations, dramatically improving the child's attendance and quality of life.
A 13-year-old competitive swimmer developed exercise-induced asthma that was misdiagnosed as poor performance. Dr. Ziv created a personalized warm-up and medication protocol that allowed the athlete to break national records while managing her condition effectively.
A 4-year-old with treatment-resistant epilepsy from a low-income family. Dr. Ziv secured philanthropic funding for a ketogenic diet program including specialized nutritionist support and grocery deliveries, achieving seizure freedom where multiple medications had failed.
An 8-year-old with mysterious recurrent fevers was eventually diagnosed with TRAPS syndrome through genetic testing arranged by Dr. Ziv. He established Israel's first pediatric autoinflammatory disease clinic to serve this rare patient population.
A 15-year-old with type 1 diabetes and eating disorder was secretly omitting insulin to lose weight. Dr. Ziv detected the pattern through continuous glucose monitoring data and assembled an eating disorder team that addressed both physical and psychological aspects simultaneously.
A 2-year-old with failure to thrive was discovered to have extremely rare glucose-galactose malabsorption. Dr. Ziv worked with nutritionists to create a specialized formula using fructose-based nutrition, resulting in catch-up growth and normal development milestones.