Israeli surgeons saved the life of a five-year-old Gaza boy born with a heart defect, Save A Child’s Heart announced on Monday.

Amir Yichya Mabchuch, who lives in Jabalia, north of Gaza City, was born with a congenital heart defect which was first diagnosed when he was two months old.

The defect was the result of a blockage in Amir’s coronary arteries, and it severely limited his activities. The exertion from simply walking put a strain on his heart that was potentially life-threatening and he was not allowed to run.