Whoever said that Lego is only for kids? “In my opinion,” says a recently wounded soldier, “it’s something really therapeutic, certainly for anyone who sustained an injury in his hands. Building with Lego combines creativity, calm, serenity with fine motor skill.” He regards Maor, the Lego Man as part of the medical staff. “He visits us and simply boosts the whole ward here. You can come here and see men sitting together and building with Lego.” Maor has devoted much of his time to helping kids with cancer with his Lego sets. Of recent months, he has visited over 200 wounded soldiers and found Lego to be excellent therapy for them also.
One soldier describes his need for Lego. “I found myself sitting and building until two in the morning for a few days running. It’s my outlet. It gives me serenity.” Not long ago, he found himself plagued by nightmarish thoughts at a late night hour, and in order to not waken the people who were sleeping, he simply walked into the only room that remained lit up at night – the bathroom. There, he sat and built with Lego until four in the morning. Only then did he get into bed and fall asleep.
Zer Kfir, 25, married and father of a little girl, experienced the war from the very first day. He is a resident of Sderot, and he locked himself up with his family in their fortified room while the terrorists invaded the city. Later they were evacuated to a hotel in Jerusalem. At the end of November, he was drafted and joined the armed forces in Gaza. “We went into Gaza and were sent to Han Yunis. Just two hours after we entered, terrorists came out of a tunnel and shot RPGs (rocket propelled grenades) at us. I immediately lost consciousness and very soon found myself in Soroka Hospital.” Zer’s wound was serious. The left side of his body was hurt and the poisonous gases that he inhaled in the tank critically damaged his lungs. On top of all that, he was infected with a fungus. Kfir was transferred to a Hospital and connected to a ventilator. After his condition stabilized, he received the lungs of a fallen soldier, and had a double-lung transplant at Sheba-Tel Hashomer Hospital.
When his rehab started, he discovered Lego and its healing power. “In the attack, my eyes were also damaged. When I came here and saw a lot of the chevrah in rehab building with Lego and creating amazing things, I said to myself — there’s no chance I’ll be able to do it, since both my vision and my fine motor abilities were affected. But Maor caught my glimmer of interest and didn’t give up on me. At first I did everything very slowly. I built small things and Maor always made sure to provide me with kits. Later I moved from simple Lego to challenging kits. It’s the best occupational therapy there is. You work on motor skills, on exerting your fingers, on concentration. I want to thank Maor and all the donors who help make this thing happen. Every shekel has a purpose and everything gets to people who need it.”
