Orna, like all of us, would tend to think that bad things happen to other people. Then she discovered that ‘others’ are people just like her. This is her thank you letter following her experience at Ezer Mizion’s Summer Camp for Cancer Patients and their Families:
Dear Ezer Mizion:
On a fine, hot summer afternoon, during a routine blood test that I did in the middle of an ordinary wor
k day, the sky fell on me. This time – it was me.
I was all alone.
True, family members and friends encircled me and tried to give me their support, but still – I felt alone. On the way home, I was shocked to discover that life was going on as if nothing had happened. Traffic jams, drivers honking, impatience – business as usual. The loneliness intensified.
Very soon, I fo
und myself spending more time in the hospital than at home. There I first become familiar with the Ezer Mizion representative, who introduced herself and the fantastic organization she represents.
The opening words are somewhat hesitant. She did not want to bother me or to be a nuisance. But at the same time, she persisted, with determination and perseverance, tim
e after time, encounter after encounter – until I understood that she was here to stay. She was there for me, appearing like a guardian angel at my low moments and high points, in tears and in laughter, like an unshakeable anchor.
With time,
I also become aware of all the programs Ezer Mizion has to offer: Recreation activities, holiday events, trips, getaways and of course, the piéce de resistance -summer camp for the whole family.
I want to tell yo
u that throughout this summer camp experience, I cried a lot. They were not tears of sadness or of fear or worry. This time, the choked up throat and teary eyes were the result of deep emotion and gratitude. I felt surrounded by love and caring.
I was profoundly moved by the fact that in such a cold, cynical world, there are warm peopl
e who care, people who are willing to give so generously of their time and energy, people who are willing to do so much for others.
Ezer Mizion’s su
mmer camp has brought me and my family tremendous pleasure. It was a desperately needed “breather,” filled to the gills with wonderful, exciting experiences. But most of all, it was a week that taught me about genuine
caring.
For that – I thank you. Thank you for thinking of us. Thank you for the smiles, for the marvelous patience of the staff and volunteers. Thank you for the unbelievable organization, logistics, coordinating to perfection every minute detail, for all the surprises, for the great joy. Thank you for the encouragement . And most important – thank you for the love.
With all my heart,
O. W.
