{"id":381,"date":"2013-04-10T14:11:50","date_gmt":"2013-04-10T18:11:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ezermizionusa.org\/blog\/?p=381"},"modified":"2013-09-12T15:38:03","modified_gmt":"2013-09-12T19:38:03","slug":"they-told-me-id-never-have-another-baby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/they-told-me-id-never-have-another-baby\/","title":{"rendered":"They Told Me I’d Never Have Another Baby"},"content":{"rendered":"

They Told Me: \u2018You\u2019ll Never Have More Children\u2019
\nWhen Efrat was diagnosed with cancer, the doctors told her she would never have more children * Soon, she will be celebrating her son\u2019s firs\"prt birthday<\/p>\n

One doctor told her she\u2019d never have a baby. Another offered guidance in adoption.\"pr<\/a> They all agreed that Efrat Keren\u2019s chances of bearing more children of her own were next to nil.
\nFive years ago, Efrat (39), mother of two, was in the midst of divorce proceedings when she discovered that she had cancer. \u201cIt had spread throughout my body,\u201d she relates. \u201cI literally had one foot in the grave.\u201d Due to the dire situation, her doctors told her that she would have to begin aggressive chemotherapy treatments immediately. There was no time to take measures to preserve her fertility. This meant that she would almost definitely forfeit the chance to bear children in the future.
\nAfter six months of treatments, tests showed that Efrat had overcome the cancer. My children would have a mother,\u201d she rejoiced. But there in a hidden corner of her joy buzzed a gnat of angst. \u201cNever to hold an infant in my arms again? If I were to remarry, never would there be a child to seal the marriage? Never\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Two and a half years ago, Efrat did remarry. The couple knew that children were impossible but they dreamed. Dreams are funny things. They do not recognize facts. Hope flutters even when facts try to annihilate it. And so she visited the doctor. \u201cNo,\u201d he asserted, leaving not a tiny bit of room for the hope that continued to bubble up.
\nThen there were symptoms. Imagination? Probably. But she went for an ultrasound and there it was. A fetal heartbeat! It came as a total shock.
\nHer third son was born healthy and normal. Her gratitude knew no bounds \u201cEvery morning, when I wake up, I thank G-d again for the miracle that happened to me,\u201d she says. \u201cThanks to Leo, we are a real family.\u201d
\nThen Efrat began to hear about others. Others that she had met at the oncology clinic. Other that had survived like her. But unlike her, they had not rejoined the world of normalcy. Not only was there no joy in their lives, but they were not even able to function as wives, parents, employees, neighbors. Physically they were healthy but emotionally they remained in the world of cancer. Trapped. Unable to find the door to normal living.
\nFeeling so utterly blessed and exuding happiness, she longed to reach out to these others. Ezer Mizion became her vehicle.
\nEzer Mizion had long ago understood the plight of the cancer survivor and thus was born one of its newest divisions, New Beginnings, which offered a vast array of professional help for those unable to cope. As an expression of gratitude for her good fortune, Efrat decided to volunteer at Ezer Mizion\u2019s New Beginning Cancer Survivors Clinic, where, under the guidance of trained psychologists, she offers cooking workshops for cancer survivors.
\n\u201cEzer Mizion\u2019s Survivors Clinic provides a comprehensive response for survivors,\u201d explains Tzippy Kestenbaum, Clinic Coordinator. \u201cAt the New Beginning Clinic, survivors have an opportunity to see a variety of professionals who can help them cope with the lingering effects of the illness on them and their families. We walk the survivors through the process of re-absorption into the community, help them get psychotherapy and other necessary medical treatments. We also offer therapeutic workshops including photography, nutrition, and drama for survivors, all free of charge.\u201d
\nAnd so the circle has turned. From despair to hope, from hope to joy and from joy to giving to others, enabling them to rise from their own to despair to hope\u2026 to joy.
\nFor more information: www.ezermizion.org<\/p>\n

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