Please Help Odel

(btw, the latest Haveil Havalim is UP at The Israel Situation. Go. Read.)


My friend Naomi is a physical therapist in Jerusalem. Some time ago she sent me the story of one of her patients, Odel, a 13-and-one-half year old girl with a terrible disease, who would be happy if she could just have a special chair, to help her live as normal a life as she is capable of . . .


Naomi sent me a letter in Hebrew, which I translated (with some 'poetic license') below. Please, if you can, do a mitzvah* and help her to help her patient, by commenting on this post (leave me your email address and I will reply) and telling me of your willingness to help.You can also email me and/or Naomi, whose email is in the letter below.

I left out other personal details 'to protect the innocent,' but if you are genuinely willing to help, I will give you some more details, as will Naomi--in our replies.


I am also adding her original letter in Hebrew below, for my Israeli readers who prefer to read it in leshon hakodesh*. She also sent a photo in the letter, and if I can get it formatted right (my Tech Support Hubby is trying to do it), I will add it later.

Odel Kadosh, 13 and a half years old, suffers from a muscle-atrophying disease called Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy. Her disease has worsened, and now Odel cannot walk anymore, nor is she capable of standing, and it is also very difficult for her to raise her arms.

Odel attends a regular school—she is a diligent student and very sociable! As her physiotherapist, I strongly recommend a motorized wheel chair for her, which would be suitable for getting around her home environment in Ramat Bet Shemesh.

This chair can be electrically adjusted to recline (in order to rest her back), and raise the seat so that Odel could reach items at table level, and so that she could see her friends at eye level. This chair is essential in order for Odel to independently function in school, in her neighborhood and in the various social activities in which she participates.

The cost of such a chair is approximately NIS 45,000 ($10,743.40). The Ministry of Health can only fund this under 50%, according to the standard for such funding. Odel’s family is having great difficulty in raising the funds; her mother has stopped working in order to care for Odel and her two little brothers, who are also afflicted with the same syndrome. . .

Please, please help Odel’s family by donating whatever you can for her! Donations (in Israel) are tax-free.

Please email me, Naomi (her physical therapist) at naomigold2@gmail.com.

May you merit mitzvot.


אודל קדוש, בת 13 וחצי, סובלת ממחלת ניוון שרירים מסוג Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy

בשל החמרה במחלתה, אודל אינה מסוגלת עוד ללכת ואף לא לעמוד ומתקשה בהרמת הידיים.

אודל לומדת בבית ספר רגיל, תלמידה חרוצה וחברותית.

כפיזיותרפיסטית שמטפלת בה, אני ממליצה על רכישת כסא גלגלים ממונע, מתאים לנסיעה בסביבת הבית שלה (רמת בית שמש), עם אפשרות לפיקוד חשמלי על הטיית הגו (לצורך מנוחה) וכן הרמת המושב, כדי שתהיה מסוגלת להרים חפצים שמונחים על השולחן וכן שתוכל לראות את חבריה בגובה העיניים.

הכסא קיומי וחיוני לצורך תפקודה העצמאי והבריא בבית הספר, בשכונה ובפעילויות חברתיות שונות, בהן נוטלת חלק.

עלות כסא כזה היא כ-45000 ₪. משרד הבריאות משתתף במימון של פחות מ-50%, לפי אמות המידה שלו.

למשפחה יש קושי לגייס את הכסף, האם הפסיקה לעבוד, כדי לטפל באודל ובשני אחיה הקטנים, הלוקים באותה תסמונת.

אודה לכם על עזרתכם בגיוס תרומות עבורה.

תרומות יתקבלו בברכה לחשבון: 12/532/660978, קו לחיים, עו"ד איתן ארז. תרומה פטורה ממס.

לפרטים נוספים ניתן לפנות אלי במייל Naomigold2@gmail.com

נעמי ג. – פיזיותרפיסטית מוסמכת

*mitzvah - a good deed/commandment

*leshon hakodesh - the Holy Tongue (Hebrew)

Comments

Anonymous said…
Lady-Light, I think you should create a group for this cause on Facebook and invite everyone you know to join. Then ask all of those people to invite their friends. I would bet that the money can be raised very quickly in this manner. Tizku l'mitzvos!
11:23 PM
Lady-Light said…
Shoshana: In my experience, not much money is raised in these groups, however, your idea is still a good one. I just need to find the time to do it!
I actually was very pleased to receive several calls about helping Odel, and I am starting to make arrangements for donations to be transferred...
2:09 AM
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