Netanel and Aviel’s parents are neighbors-just a two minute walk from each other. They are good friends but their boys are four years apart and, up until recently didn’t have much in common. Now they do. What can a ten-year-old have in common with a six –year-old, you ask. The answer is chilling.
Cancer.
Last year they each watched from the window as their friends mounted the school bus. Their knapsacks remained forlorn in a corner while their owners spent grueling days receiving chemo.
photo credit: Dana Kopel
It was a difficult year. A frightening year. An agonizing year. As the chemo did its job on their bodies, their spirits often fell to the lowest point. That’s where Ezer Mizion would come in.
Play therapy in many forms helped them to cope with the nightmare that had taken over their lives. Their favorite was Animal Therapy when they got to care for cuddly pets who became their best friends.
As is well-known in medical science, a happy spirit becomes a powerful partner in helping the body fight its battles. Towards that goal, there were birthday parties, trips, fun days, retreats. The highlight is always Ezer Mizion’s Summer Camp for Cancer Patients and their Families. Behind the scenes, all medical needs are taken care of with the utmost precision enabling the families to enjoy a vacation from cancer-every moment filled with fun, fun, fun. What a change from IV poles and hospital walls to, for instance, a surprise visit by the Border Police.
The connection between the Border Police and Ezer Mizion began many years ago. Every year, dozens of Border Policemen, from all the different units, arrive at the summer camp’s premises. They take a break from their other operational activities and engage in Operation: Make the Children Happy. 
In the course of the special activity day, the children saw displays of the Border Police’s special units in action and even had a chance to take part in some of them. The customs-sniffing dogs unit, Sapir unit, Samag 7, cavalry unit, police-dog trainers unit, sabotage unit, “Bat” unit (observation post), Shomron rescue unit, and motorcycles unit are just a few of the units that took part in the exciting day. The children saw displays of anti-terrorism warfare, crime-fighting, riot control, field work, target shooting, work with dogs, criminal identification, hand-to-hand combat, dealing with a scene involving dangerous materials, and more. Another day of joy at Ezer Mizion Summer Camp.
Natanel and Aviel’s knapsacks are no longer forlorn. They are filled with pencils, rulers, snacks and all the other thing that make knapsacks happy. Netanel and Aviel will be going to school this year. The nightmare is over. Ezer Mizion wishes them a stupendous school year and only the best of health from here on in.
For further info: www.ezermizion.org
