Yossi Levi, 41, from Elkanah, passes the good on further
“At age 39, as a father of four, at the peak of my career as project director in an international hi-tech company, I was stricken with cancer.
For a year and a half, I had suffered from hoarseness and sore throats. After endless visits to doctors, who decided that I’m just a hypochondriac, I suddenly had an unusual swelling in my neck. At night, I felt I was being choked and I could not breathe. A CT test at the hospital showed that I had a growth in my chest. The biopsy revealed that it was a cancerous tumor. The blow fell on me like a ton of bricks. That night, at the hospital, I collapsed.
But the next morning, I had already decided that I would recover. I have a lot of things to do here. In coping with the challenge and during the long hospitalizations that followed, Ezer Mizion was always there at my side with a good word, a smile, and very many support activities.
Oranit is an amazing place for cancer patients and their families. The fact that the organization understands that the focus is not only on the patient but also on his family members helps the patient direct all his energies to recovery. My children enjoyed the Wildlife Pavilion, the crafts room on the premises, the performances and the summer retreat.
I personally participate in classes adapted for cancer patients and survivors. As a dabbler in the gastronomic arts, I participated in the cooking workshop that took place right after a tough round of treatments. After that workshop, I went on to take a comprehensive cooking course, and now I pass on the knowledge I acquired further, in sessions I run for teens.
This is my way to continue this chain of good and pay it back to the community. I don’t wish anybody to be in my situation, but if such a calamity befalls you, it’s a good thing Ezer Mizion is there. Without them, it would be a lot harder.
Now, I am at the conclusion of the chemotherapy treatments and radiation and in the process of recovery from the cancer and its aftereffects. With G-d’s help, from now on, I hope to see the oncology ward only for follow-up visits.”
