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In an impressive and moving ceremony, a cornerstone was laid this evening (Tuesday 12/3/19) for a hotel designed to house families of children with cancer who come for daily treatments at the Ruth Children's Hospital in Rambam.
The ceremony was held in the presence of the CEO of the Lev Hesh Association, the CEO of Fatal Hotels Mr. David Fatal, the Minister of Construction and Housing Yifat Shasha Biton, Rabbi Dovi Hayon, municipality representatives, senior rabbis and many other dignitaries.
For the establishment of the hotel, which is an initiative of the Lev Hesh association, nearly 12 million shekels were raised, with the majority of the money coming from a generous donation by the Fatal family, and generous assistance from the National Insurance. Haifa Municipality assisted in the allocation of space (near Zim Square in a lot adjacent to the port).
The hotel is designed to make it easier for the families who now have to travel back and forth from the north for daily treatments.
The director of Rambam Hospital Dr. Michael (Mickey) Halbertal said to Lahi Fe:
"This is typical of Israeliness and mutual guarantee. People take it upon themselves to relieve other people who don't even know people who are suffering, come with all kinds of means to relieve them and it is very exciting. The Lev Hesh Association and the CEO of Fatal Hotels are among the people who are connected to this process, who bring a solution to families of children with cancer, in order for them to have a place to lay their heads, have a meal, rest, spend time with their family and support families who are in a very special, very stressful situation, and this is an amazing solution."
Hani Shamir, mother of Shoham, 11.5 years old, shares:
"He has been dealing with cancer for two years, we believe and hope that he will overcome and recover, but right now he must receive treatments, and the treatment plan requires us to come once every three weeks for five consecutive days of treatment. We live in one of the Galilee settlements, and each trip to the hospital takes a minimum 75 minutes also in the opposite direction, of course. After an exhausting day of treatments that leaves quite a few side effects, such a trip becomes a real difficulty, certainly when it has to happen day after day."
Every year, about 450-500 cases of cancer are discovered in children, about 130 of them are treated at the Ruth Rappaport Children's Hospital in the Rambam Medical College. This is the largest medical center in the northern region, and the only one that treats children with cancer. Out of 130 children who are treated regularly A year in Rambam 20% live in the remote northern settlements an hour and two in each direction, every treatment day.
Prof. Miriam Bio Arush, Head of the Department of Pediatrics at Ruth Children's Hospital and Director of the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation:: "A significant percentage of the children treated in the ward have to attend daily treatments and sometimes these are long and exhausting periods. Radiation treatment can last between one and two months." Daily trips when the children also suffer from the known side effects make it very difficult to deal with the fight against the disease. There are treatments that start as early as 08:00 in the morning, which forces the family to leave their home in the morning. In cases of bone marrow transplants when the children's condition is more difficult, the parents are worried and want to be near the child all the time, even at night. Our ward only allows one parent to stay overnight. The hotel will be an excellent solution in such situations and will be able to improve children's coping."
Rabbi Yehoshua Rauchberger is the founder of the Lev Hesh association and the initiator of the establishment of the hotel. "The long trips and waiting in the hospital make the recovery process difficult. Also, the families of patients who are hospitalized for a long time often find themselves without a place to stay nearby at affordable prices and are forced to spend the night in the hospital or travel long distances every day, as well as religious families without a solution on Saturdays and holidays." .
"Our vision is to establish a warm, loving and supportive temporary home for sick children and their parents, to help, if only a little, with their suffering during the illness, hospitalization, and during the medical treatments. A place where the families can spend the night, eat, enjoy a variety of supportive activities and gain strength to continue the dedicated and challenging treatment in their child".
David Fatal, owner of the Fatal hotel chain: "I am happy for the opportunity I have been given to help families and children who have to face difficult challenges. Working for the community is rooted in the chain's organizational culture, which operates throughout the year on various levels for the environment and the community. I hope that the hotel will be a warm and pleasant place for the families and children, and that the activity And the support will help them gather strength until their victory."
Dr. Miki Balertal, director of the Rambam Hospital, also added at the conference:
Today is an important and happy day for children, families and us - the hospital staff. This hotel, which will be established for the treated children and their families, is an important and significant step in the treatment process for the hospitalized children, and will result in a significant improvement in their quality of life. Even for children who receive daily radiation or chemotherapy treatment, this hotel will be very convenient, thus giving them the opportunity to spend the night in the hotel and save them the trouble and suffering of traveling back and forth.
In addition, family members and parents will be able to be with their children 24 hours a day, including on Saturdays and holidays, providing important emotional and mental support that will lift their spirits and encourage the children.
The hotel will include 15 guest rooms for patients and their families, a dining room that will provide cooked meals, a cultural center and social activities that will be operated every day, a study center that includes a computer room and a library, and a treatment center that will be operated by a social worker and emotional therapists.
