The Battle of the Spirit
They were not relatives. They were not guests in our home whose comfort we would put effort into. But they were two Jewish women who were about to enter a very difficult phase in their lives and we gave it our all.
They had dealt with the ravages of cancer treatment. The terror. The despondency. One of the two had received her diagnosis a week before her wedding! Now they were about to prepare for a stem cell transplant which would hopefully save their lives. The preparation involved spending months(!) in treatment, often isolated behind closed doors. Each month held thirty days of fear, of loneliness. Each day held twenty-four hours, each hour sixty minutes. Sixty minutes slowly crushing the human spirit down, down, down. The spirit that was so much needed to partner with the body to regain its health would be lying there helpless, a frail creature devoid of even an ounce of strength.
No! No! Ezer Mizion could not allow that to happen! And so we brainstormed.
If personal visits would not be possible, perhaps we could leave our ‘footprints’ in those solitary, impersonal rooms. And so began the project of injecting caring and love into every corner.
The bed was newly dressed in happy, colorful linen that would surely elicit a smile. Its crown was Snoopy nghtwear. Warm, fuzzy slippers stood sentry at its side with a furry wastebasket to match. The night table was graced with a lovely vase holding stunning silk flowers. A plant stood in the corner, waiting to be nurtured.
A CD player awaited her every mood. Craft kits offered the joys of accomplishment. And a pile of children’s books, a pile of hope for when the children would be allowed to visit. Gifts galore wherever she would look.
A decorated room cannot change their diagnosis, but it can change how they feel as they walk into this chapter: seen, supported, and not alone.
Along with cancer’s frightening medical repercussions, the dreaded disease brings with it a host of other challenges, and drains families’ physical, emotional and financial resources. The Ezer Mizion Cancer Support Division offers cancer patients and their families comfort, love and support, as well as an array of services tailored to meet their unique needs.
Oranit, Ezer Mizion’s guest home for children with cancer and their families, is a beautiful home away from home for families battling the dreaded illness. Close to treatment centers, it eliminates the need for travel and offers everything from Pet Therapy to rides to the hospital, from professional psychological support to Art Therapy.
Video-conferencing system to enable these sick children to join their friends at school. Volunteers to play with the children, do homework with them, bathe them, prepare meals, and fill in the many gaps normally filled by a mother.
