Some families joke about having a phone number 1-800-Mommy. The high school girl can’t decide which top matches her Shabbos skirt. Go to Mommy. The 10-year-old needs information about President Roosevelt? Go to Mommy. The 6-year-old needs to tell over, for the fourth time, his traumatic story of how he lost his yarmulka in the folds of his blanket. Go to Mommy. On one level, it’s humorous but on a deeper level, we understand that Mommy is at the center of the home, providing loving care and advice for all those that depend on her.
For the broader population in Israel, Ezer Mizion is “Mommy”. With its many divisions servicing those faced with mental health challenges or raising a special needs child, those dealing with cancer or lack of mobility, the elderly, the CP patient…they all turn to Ezer Mizion when the going gets rough.
The Ezer Mizion bright, cheery Refreshment Carts have long been a ubiquitous presence in major hospitals. A worried family has been waiting in the Emergency Ward for hours. A parent has been sitting at the bedside of his ill child all day. A hot cup of coffee would be a welcome pick-me-up. A pastry to go with it—the ‘icing on the cake’. But in their rush to leave, they didn’t take anything with them. And that’s when they had the sound of wheels coming down the hallway. The Ezer Mizion Refreshment Cart, manned by a kindly person who dispenses so much more than coffee, sandwiches and cake.
Now the anguished father of a mentally ill son, will also be able to benefit. Ezer Mizion launched its first evening refreshment cart at the inpatient wards of Geha Mental Health Hospital. Moving from ward to ward, the carts offer hot drinks, pastries, and sandwiches, bringing warmth, comfort, and a touch of cheer to every department our volunteers reach, including three closed wards. Our appreciation goes to Ezer Mizion’s Mental Health Division for their professional guidance and invaluable support in training the Refreshment Cart volunteers.
And for a small child needing a ride and unable to travel via normal means, his parents dial the same number, a phone number known to virtually everyone in Israel. Little Yossi, a baby of about six months old, is on a ventilator due to a medical condition he was born with. Complex surgery is planned to address part of the issue.
He was recently released from ALYN Hospital in Jerusalem, where he is being cared for, to travel with his parents to his grandparents in Elad. His parents can’t bring him home because there’s not enough room in their tiny studio unit for all the medical equipment Yossi needs to keep him alive.
All the electrically powered devices required for Yossi’s ongoing care were connected in Ezer Mizion’s ambulance to a special power converter installed in all Ezer Mizion ambulances and accessible vans.
His parents extend their heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this journey possible at Ezer Mizion’s Ambulance Transport Department. Ambulances are donated from all areas of the Israel’s population and abroad. The family especially thanks the sponsor of the ambulance which transported Yossi (the Dati Leumi Forum in Petach Tikvah), and wishes them much brocha (blessing).
